Preparing Restaurant Style Panini

If you’d like to prepare panini just like they do in a panini restaurant but are put off because you think you can’t afford to do so or don’t know how to go about it, take heart – doing so isn’t anywhere near as tough or expensive as you might think.

In the first place, a panino can be anything from really simple to really elaborate. It can be really simple, just cheese and bread; or it can be as elaborate as a combination of Norwegian smoked salmon with artichoke, or something of the sort. It can also contain just two or three ingredients, or you can choose to pile it as high as possible with as many ingredients as you can fit in. And the best thing is that even the simplest panino doesn’t necessarily taste any less good than a more elaborate one; following some of the simplest recipes can often bring about the most stunning results.

In addition, many of the panini sold in shops are the result of trial and error, or research on the internet, or a good combination of both. Find out what other people have done already and tweak it to suit you and your family. But don’t be afraid to push your own boundaries yourself; experiment with your panini (your family will often be happy to serve as your guinea pigs). People have come up with such groundbreaking (and quite good) recipes as peach with herbed cheese and so on and so forth. You can, too, if you let your imagination and tastebuds work together.

Although one doesn’t necessarily need to grill panini, under many circumstances it can be better to do so. This is because panini, like just about any other sandwich, do tend to fall apart easily – which can be very problematic if they are being prepared in advance with the intention of being eaten for lunch or snacks. Using a panini maker will ensure that the cheese in your panino melts – this will serve as a ‘glue’ to bind the entire panino and reduce the chance of it falling apart. Also, if you’re really interested in making your panini look ‘authentic’, then you’ll love the grill marks that only a panini maker can conveniently give your panini. And, lastly, if you’re in the habit of making big panini, then the panini maker can help you compress your panini – again reducing the chance of it falling apart before it can be eaten.

The bottom line is that all you need to make panini that can compare with the products sold at a panini restaurant are ingredients you can work with, a panini maker, and a little bit of confidence, imagination and ingenuity! The sky’s the limit!