Be still my heart. I fell in love, and grew up all at once. For the first time I felt complete and at ease. My heart was singing and I could not wait for more, more, MORE. Food will do that to a person. So will good cooking equipment. How many of you have had to deal with dull knives or pans that heat unevenly? Like a bad romance no matter how hard you try, the effort doesn’t necessarily yield the desired results. So what’s a person to do?
In this particular case I had just encountered a Panini maker while vising family. It was parked on the countertop under a window where the afternoon sun made it glow. It was the ONLY piece of cooking hardware, beside the toaster oven, that was allowed to be put on display. But why? I did not understand. Though I should have understood immediately. This was a kitchen of contradictions. While one drawer was filled with dull knives, an under counter cabinet shielded lovely gold handled pots and pans with the ability to distribute heat evenly across cooking surfaces and allow the chef to pick up the hot pot without risk of burning a hand. Each was far better than anything I might own. But why was this gizmo, this Panini maker, given top billing on the counter? After giving it a try I understood its revered location in the kitchen. No more fry pan or toaster over grilled cheese with American or Velveeta cheese. No Mam. From now on it would be fresh mozzarella with pesto, tomato and basil on organic wheat bread. Or, grilled chicken, provolone and pesto, on Chiabatta. And, be still. Nutella and banana on rustic farm bread. Mmmmelt my heart. So many possibilities and endless combinations. Best of all, one can create at will. No recipe needed.
While I now have my own trusty Panini press I do not yet have a kitchen where I can place this wonder cooker in my own designated place of honor. I still need to pull it out from the cabinet whenever I’m inspired by fresh market greens, a little prociutto or grass fed protein, and a local cheese. But that little inconvenience will not disrupt the flow of culinary creativity.
On A Food Odyssey 