The Pink Shoe Diaries

and now i am gonna get all Martha Stewart on you.


so, i like to entertain. i like to have my friends over for dinner and set our h'ors d'oevres in the living room so we can sit over glasses of wine and discuss our days, and then eventually convene around the kitchen table with some kind of candle centerpiece and something yummy to eat and even more wine to drink.

however, it is hard to get home from work, have time to create a whole meal and still have your friends come over at a reasonable hour and STILL be able to hang out with them instead of slaving away in the kitchen.


so, my friends, i give you the Panini Party.

yesterday i had made plans to have my girlfriends over for dinner but i was sort of at a loss of what to make. sure, we could have just grilled up hamburgers or something but i wanted something a little more interactive than "ketchup or mustard?"

and then i realized that a panini party would be just the right idea.

so i went to the local supermarket and i bought fresh basil, and arugula, and red onions and tomatos. and i went to Marty's and bought a few different cheeses (Gouda, Fontina and Mozzarella) as well as some Proscoiutto di Parma and some smoked ham, a few loaves of thick, crusty Italian bread, bouquet of alstromeria and a few bottles of red wine (Tuscan wines such as Chianti work best with panini but any Italian red will do)

after my friends arrived i set out some Gouda and Fontina and crackers out on the living room table and we chatted and drank wine/sparkling water for a good hour or so. and then i moved the party into the kitchen and while my quests were seated, i got ready on the first panini. i told everyone what i had and took requests for what they made. so basically it was a Build Your Own Panini kind of thing. Jenny and Jeanne, for instance, wanted prosciutto, mozarella and basil. so i layered these items between two slabs of the Italian bread (i like make one layer of meat, then one layer of veggies, then one layer of cheese so it all melts and holds together) , popped it in a pan over medium heat and then put a plate over it and pressed down hard for a minute or two. then i flipped the panini and did the same for the other side. and then let it cook without the plate for another 2-3 minutes per side.

you can make all kinds of combos: ham and gouda with red onions and arugula works great. as does a simple tomato, mozarella and basil. you could make several different kinds and cut them up so everyone can try a little of everything. or you can do what i did and take requests from your guests as to what kind of sandwich they want.

it's a simple, gourmet way of having friends over for dinner with minimal work and maximum taste.

plus, the word "panini" is so fun to say.