panini heaven

Hi friends! It's Friday night, it has been a long and busy week...and we are celebrating the weekend with some really delicious paninis. Would like to share a really yummy approach to these satisfying Italian treats...informed by Jamison's years in Italy!

Fresh Italian country bread, sliced

fresh mozzarella, sliced

Vidalia or other mild onion, sliced very thin

fresh arugula leaves

Calabrese salame

Prosciutto

Capocollo

Tangy Italian cheese like Asiago sliced thin
butter
three minced cloves garlic

In a bowl, blend two tablespoons of butter with three minced garlic cloves and a small handful of arugula:

Assemble your lovely panini elements:

Fresh mozzarella and arugula...

Peppered Asiago...

Cured meats:

Italian bread:

Butter two halves of Italian bread with the garlic-butter-arugula spread, then layer on your tangy cheese slices:

Next, the thinly sliced onions...

Fresh mozzarella...

Capocollo

Calabrese Salame

Prosciutto

Layer on arugula leaves...

Add the second slice of bread on top and carefully dip in a shallow bowl of olive oil to coat:

....and place in heated panini press (or pan with warmed olive oil, to pan-fry), cook until beautifully golden...enjoy with a glass of your favorite red wine.

Happy weekend!

blue birds

Hi friends! As many of you know, Jamison and I are preparing our home for sale, and today I had fun styling my bathroom with a variety of new and old items. I tried to bring my bentoist tendency to build on color themes to bear not on a small box of food, but a whole room (and beyond this one, several others!)

This new shower curtain with cheerful blue birds was the starting point...it echoes the soft turquoise of early 70's tiles (which I've loved and will miss):

More blue birds...

This antique Redouté rose print was an eBay find from several years ago. It adds vibrant color and blue butterflies to the room and a nifty place to hang delicate necklaces. Love the exotic rose names in careful French script on this print almost as much as the sweetly bright flowers...

Another antique French print, this one by avian artist François Nicolas Martinet

Japanese silk container in favorite colors...

....and some favorite necklaces

Wishing you a happy start to the week...

savory olive onion chicken

Sometimes the elementally simple is most enjoyable way to cook--I wanted to share a recipe for an onion-olive chicken dish from last night, one that had unexpected depth of flavor coaxed from basic Mediterranean ingredients.

In our kitchen, chicken thighs are the canvas for dishes of all kinds. In this recipe, their rich flavor and texture alchemizes so well with the classic tastes of olive oil, garlic, and olives...

Savory Chicken Thighs with Onions and Olives

4 chicken thighs, preferably free range

2 large yellow onions (and I do mean large), cut in half then chopped in medium pieces

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

one cup (or more) high quality olives...your favorites, pitted

and sliced

a fresh bright sheaf of Italian parsley, washed

Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large skillet, as it warms, add a sliver of butter. If it melts and sizzles, toss in your onion pieces. Caramelized onions are the backbone of this dish, so cook them with care to coax out their sugary golden potential. As they start to color, add garlic.

After a few minutes of cooking, push the onion/garlic to one side of the pan and add chicken thighs, season with salt, fresh ground pepper (and if you like, a dash of cardamom) and brown them on both sides to a deep bronzy tone. Patiently.

Add sliced olives to the pan...

Combine the chicken/onion/garlic and snip parsley over (using kitchen shears), cook another minute or so and serve...goes nicely with buttered gnocchi!