delicious panino

The reason why a non-Italian (like myself) can never cook like a real Italian (like Chiara) is simple: I don't have the millions upon millions of culinary rules carved into my brain, and it's impossible to learn them all. Some are easy to follow: don't consume milk after noon. Don't shower after you eat (it's bad for digestion). Never put your contorno on the same plate as your secondo (woops). But some I just don't get. For example: I like to make a pasta dish with whole wheat rotini, pesto, walnuts, and cherry tomatoes. When I told my Italian friend about this, she grimaced with disgust. "Pomodorini? Con il pesto?", she asked incredulously. And why not?! It's basil, olive oil, and tomatoes. Aren't those the ingredients of a caprese salad? If it works in a salad, why can't I put that in my pasta?!

So excuuuuse me, Italy, for making this sandwich and enjoying every minute of it. Forgive me for putting figs in the same sandwich as prosciutto. Forgive me for calling it a panino, since I pressed it with my panini press, and if we were going to be picky, I would actually call it a piadina (with Swiss health bread instead of flat bread). And forgive me for using part-skim, shredded mozzarella. It wasn't my choice. It was all we had!

Swiss health bread from the farmer's market

+ the most delicious mustard from Dean & Deluca

figs



prosciutto

+ mozzarella

pressed

pronto!