Paninis and Soup by Way of High-Tech Gadgets

Being engaged has its advantages--you marry the one you love, people fawn over you for no reason and on top of that you get fun presents. One of those presents happens to be the best invention since the oven--well almost. I'm talking about no other than the panini press that we got from my aunt Hela and uncle Andy. It's very embarrassing but my level of excitement to come home and make a panini is immeasurable. So far, I've eaten paninis three times this week and the urge isn't waning. In fact, last night I grilled up a Nutella panini a la Giada De Laurentiis. I don't know when this panini tick will stop but I'm taking it in stride.

Here's a fun panini combination that I made recently, and you can too! If you don't have a panini press, just use a grillpan and weigh it down with a pot--the effect is the same.

Genoa, Provologne and Pear Panini:

Ingredients: (serves 2)
4 pieces of your favorite country bread (try to avoid soft breads such as Wonder)
4-8 slices of Genoa salami (depends on your preference; if you like a lot of meat, add more, if you don't take some out)
4-8 slices of Provolone cheese (see comment above about your preference)
8 thin slices of fresh pears
Olive oil

Directions:
Turn the panini press on and set the temperature to 375 degrees. Drizzle the insides of the bread with olive oil and then place all ingredients on the bread in whichever order you prefer. Put the sandwich together and then drizzle with olive oil on the outside of the bread (both sides). Place inside the panini maker or grillpan and press together. Let it cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Again, this depends on your preference of how well-done you like your bread. Take bread out of the panini maker and cut in half.

Now, I needed something else with my panini to make it heartier and even more satisfying. So I decided to make a simple chicken stock based pea soup. The recipe came from my Dave Lieberman cookbook. It's easy and fast and requires very few ingredients. In my variation, I skipped the sour cream for garnish and instead used sliced prosciutto, which provided a nice salty contrast with the sweetness from the peas. As you see on this picture, I served the pea soup in oversized coffee mugs for fun presentation. And those adorable mugs happen to be (once again) a present from friends, Carrie and Neil. Did I mention that being engaged has its perks?

Thanks everyone!

Il Bambino Cafe - Panini Squisiti

Il Bambino Cafe - 34-08 31st Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106

718.626.0087

N/W Train to Broadway or 30th Avenue

www.ilbambinocafe.com

Il Bambino has been the talk of the town since it opened its doors less than two years ago. This place is known for amazing paninis made out of simple, quality ingredients. Friends from the neighborhood have been talking it up so much that I finally went over there after my Sunday afternoon bellydancing ritual. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my life will never be the same--this is some good, not-to-be-missed stuff!

Atmosphere:

As I already hinted, Il Bambino is simple and on the small side yet its decor is tasteful and charming. I especially love the wall of rustic mirrors juxtaposed with the wall of wooden cutting boards and paddles. The front of the house shows an oversized wall painting of a pink, fleshy pig, arrows pointing to the parts of the body that produce prosciutto, speck, cappa, sopressata and your other favorite cured meats.

The vibe here is really fun and casual. Young patrons occupy small wooden tables, they chat freely and listen to the upbeat music coming from the sound system. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the music selections--a jazz rendition of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and Britney Spears' "Toxic." I know, I know, cheesy as hell but I promise that the jazz versions were awesome.

Food:

The main reason for our visit was of course to sample the famous paninis. We took our panini tasting very seriously, ordering three different kinds and sharing them with each other --a fun way to experience a variety of flavors and I recommend it. Here's what we tried:

Root Vegetable Soup: This was a group starter and what a beautiful introduction to our meal it was! The soup was topped with a warm pesto flatbread, which we split into thirds and dipped into the soup. I couldn't decide which was better--to eat it on its own or to submerge it into the creamy soup. I'd get this again in a heartbeat and because the portion was generous, we hung on to it for dipping sauce for our paninis.

Fried Eggplant: Served with fresh tomatoes and basil pesto, this was our only veggie panini and it happened to be my favorite. Despite being fried, the eggplant was very light and enhanced nicely by the pesto. My mom pointed out that it was not overly garlicky like some pestos can be and I think that's what made it yummy. Bravo for the pesto!

Prosciutto: This meaty panini also included tangy Gorgonzola cheese and sweet fig spread. The figs gave it a "desserty" taste, providing a nice contrast to the other more salty paninis. Although my dining companions loved this dish, I'm not a huge fan of cooked prosciutto. I would've preferred if the prosciutto was added at the last minute in its original form.

Sunday Special - Soppressata: Served with fontina cheese and sliced green apples, this sounded too good to pass up. The apples were paper thin, a perfect complement to the salty soppressata and the stringy fontina. I'd say that this pannini was the gentlest of the bunch and I could've finished the whole thing myself.

In addition to paninis, Il Bambino also boasts a sampling of tapas.

Service and Cost:
Absolutely no complains about the service--our waitress was laid back, pleasant and our plates appeared and disappeared in good time. Another positive is that we didn't have to wait long for the check. The staff at the front counter was friendly and welcoming too, answering our questions about their impressive, colossal cupcakes.

Cost-wise, Il Bambino is wallet friendly--$4 for soup and crostini, $6-$10 for antipasti, $7-$8 for salads and tapas, and $7.50-$8.50 for paninis. Il Bambino is a BYOB establishment, which fits its personality--so come by for lunch or dinner and bring a bottle of white with ya.

3 Mmmms