Pretty Italian Pressed Sandwiches
I'm a writer -- a poet, even. I'm a food blogger and a baker and everything, but one of the reasons I love blogging so much is because it's an outlet for my writing. But my tone is usually anecdotal, silly, familiar. Something about pressed sandwiches, though, made me think about times in my life I've felt pressed. As a result, this post on Willow Bird Baking came out differently than any others.
It didn't get much of a response -- perhaps people were a little surprised/confused. I'd like to integrate this voice more with my blog voice, though, so hopefully folks warm up to it? We'll see. If you check it out with the link below, please tell me what you think :)
And of course, more to the point, please try this lovely sandwich. It comes together so easily and turns out so pretty! Perfect for a late summer picnic. Happy eating!
Pretty Italian Pressed Sandwiches
Recipe by: adapted from The Cilantropist
Yields: about 5 servings
Ingredients:
1 loaf ciabatta bread
roasted red peppers or tomatoes
sliced hot salamis
sliced provolone cheese
fresh or deli pesto
fresh basil leaves
Directions:
Note: Make this sandwich a day in advance so it has time to press, but don't leave it for much longer or it will get soggy. When adding each ingredient layer to the sandwich, your goal should be to ensure there's complete coverage of the previous layer so that when you cut your sandwiches, the colors will be distinct and complete, with no gaps.
Use a long serrated knife to slice the loaf of ciabatta lengthwise. Spread on a thin layer of pesto (don't saturate the bread) and then lay out a layer of roasted peppers or tomatoes. Next, add about 3 layers of salami (overlapping slices) and a thick layer of cheese on top of that. Top with a layer of fresh basil leaves. Spread more pesto on the top slice of ciabatta and settle it on top of the sandwich. Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate with a weight on top -- I used a cast-iron skillet and a cast-iron grill pan. When ready to serve, use a serrated knife to slice into pretty squares.
To read about memories of being pressed, see more sandwich photos, and record your memories, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!
x-posted to food_porn, cooking, picturing_food
It didn't get much of a response -- perhaps people were a little surprised/confused. I'd like to integrate this voice more with my blog voice, though, so hopefully folks warm up to it? We'll see. If you check it out with the link below, please tell me what you think :)
And of course, more to the point, please try this lovely sandwich. It comes together so easily and turns out so pretty! Perfect for a late summer picnic. Happy eating!
Pretty Italian Pressed Sandwiches
Recipe by: adapted from The Cilantropist
Yields: about 5 servings
Ingredients:
1 loaf ciabatta bread
roasted red peppers or tomatoes
sliced hot salamis
sliced provolone cheese
fresh or deli pesto
fresh basil leaves
Directions:
Note: Make this sandwich a day in advance so it has time to press, but don't leave it for much longer or it will get soggy. When adding each ingredient layer to the sandwich, your goal should be to ensure there's complete coverage of the previous layer so that when you cut your sandwiches, the colors will be distinct and complete, with no gaps.
Use a long serrated knife to slice the loaf of ciabatta lengthwise. Spread on a thin layer of pesto (don't saturate the bread) and then lay out a layer of roasted peppers or tomatoes. Next, add about 3 layers of salami (overlapping slices) and a thick layer of cheese on top of that. Top with a layer of fresh basil leaves. Spread more pesto on the top slice of ciabatta and settle it on top of the sandwich. Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate with a weight on top -- I used a cast-iron skillet and a cast-iron grill pan. When ready to serve, use a serrated knife to slice into pretty squares.
To read about memories of being pressed, see more sandwich photos, and record your memories, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!
x-posted to food_porn, cooking, picturing_food