The Magic of a Panini-Press
Everybody knows that Panini-presses are amazing. Since freshmen year when you have a full meal plan and always have the trustworthy Panini-press in the dining hall, you recognize the ability of a Panini-press to transform a plain sandwich into a warm and gooey meal of melted cheese, warm vegetables, crunchy bread, and deliciously melded flavors. Hence when I found out that my roommate’s boyfriend would be abroad and so we would get his Panini-press for the semester, I rejoiced.
I began with the typical sandwich of mozzarella, greens, and mustard and melted it to that gooey deliciousness in the Panini-press, enjoying the cheese melting out of the sides and forming strings as I took each bite.
Next, I assembled a (veggie) sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich. I made this one morning for my roommate and I, again using the Panini-press to perfectly melt the cheese, crisp the bread, and hold everything together.
A few days ago, I made a peanut butter and apple sandwich. I had eaten this before raw but never heated it in a Panini-press. Like always the Panini-press did its magic, softening and warming the apples and melting the peanut butter.
However, most recently, I turned away from sandwiches and decided to try using the Panini-press for a completely different purpose. Having run out of most of my food – I need a trip to the grocery store – I was brainstorming what food I had left and realized I had eggs and bread, all the ingredients for French toast. So I beat an egg, mixing in some salt and cinnamon and soaked a piece of bread in it. Then I sprayed the Panini-press with cooking spray and threw on my egg-soaked bread, hoping for the best. The result was magical; the Panini-press did not disappoint. It flattened the bread and perfectly cooked the egg on the outside; this gave the French toast more of an egg-y flavor than usual, but the taste of the bread was absolutely still there. I topped it off with a drizzle of honey and a few slices of the fresh pear I had bought at the farmer’s market outside of the Penn Bookstore and ended up with a beautiful plate of French toast.
A great way to start my day!
– Shira Hendler