Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Feb 6, 2012, 12:37 am
I’m sure you won’t mind if we step away from the panini grill for a moment…to focus our attention on chocolate chip cookies! If you’ve ever tasted the thin, crispy, buttery, I-defy-you-to-stop-at-just-one chocolate chip cookies from Tate’s Bake Shop then you know what a treat the lucky win...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Feb 3, 2012, 12:41 am
Big Game Week on Panini Happy continues with sandwiches to honor the New England Patriots! You won’t believe how many different ideas I toyed with to represent New England and pair well with New England clam chowder. Panini Happy Facebook fans suggested lobster rolls, fried clams, even a deconstr...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jan 30, 2012, 11:30 pm
It’s that time of year again – Big Game Panini Week! Each year I create sandwiches in honor of each of the teams playing in the Super Bowl. A reader, Joanne, suggested on the Panini Happy Facebook community that since this year’s matchup between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jan 24, 2012, 10:22 am
It was a happy accident that I ended up making tortilla chips on the panini maker. I was actually grilling tostadas when I noticed how crisp the tortillas got from just a little oil on both sides and 90 seconds on the grill. I essentially had one big circular chip. So I cut a tortilla down into tria...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jan 9, 2012, 12:59 am
Panini Happy is four years old this week! And since I always bake my kids a cake on their birthday I decided my blog ought to have one too. Of course, it’s a sandwich cake! Introducing the smörgåstårta! If you haven’t seen one of these before, it’s a Swedish sandwich cake with layers of b...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jan 2, 2012, 11:53 pm
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a great time over the holidays. Mine were spent relaxing, eating and catching up with a whole lot of family, which is my favorite way to celebrate (really!). I thought I’d kick off 2012 with putting something a little on the lighter side on the panini make...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Dec 22, 2011, 8:00 pm
It’s back! My 10 Best Panini Mini Cookbook – 2011 Edition is ready for you to download…for FREE! Whether you just received a panini maker for the holidays or you’ve been a Panini Happy reader for years, I hope you’ll enjoy this little holiday gift from me. It’s available for a limited t...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Dec 19, 2011, 6:27 pm
  Fruitcake isn’t typically high on my holiday wishlist, but after trying out today’s Panettone Panini with Prosciutto and Mozzarella I think that may have to change. I was first introduced to panettone, the Italian fruitcake, around this time last year when I interviewed Martha Stewart’s e...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Dec 14, 2011, 2:16 pm
I don’t know exactly how many panini recipes I’ve posted featuring cheddar and apples (four come to mind) but it’s got to be one of my favorite combinations. I couldn’t help but come up with yet one more once I read this Rosemary Apple Butter Grilled Cheese post on Framed Cooks. The addition...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Dec 6, 2011, 11:51 pm
How gorgeous does that Spicy Caponata Panini look? I can say this objectively because I didn’t actually make it. This one comes from my friend Michael Natkin of the blog Herbivoracious. Michael creates the kind of vegetarian dishes that I would choose over meat any day of the week – big flavors,...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Dec 5, 2011, 2:17 am
Maybe it’s because I blog about sandwiches or because I shop often for toys but I’ve started noticing quite a lot of sandwich toys on the market these days. I enlisted the help of my 4-year old daughter and 2-year old son to help me test out four fun-looking sandwich toys I’ve come across lat...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Nov 29, 2011, 1:16 am
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week! After a big feasting holiday lighter desserts like these Grilled Pears with Honey-Whipped Greek Yogurt and Toasted Almonds really start to appeal to me. It seriously smells as if someone is stirring up some homemade caramel nearby when fresh pe...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Nov 24, 2011, 12:06 am
Happy Thanksgiving! The big day is finally here and I’ve got one more leftover turkey panini recipe to share with you before I get going on my own feast preparations. Yesterday I shared Turkey Reuben Panini – today it’s another Thanksgiving twist on a classic sandwich, Turkey Monte Cristo Pani...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Nov 23, 2011, 1:54 pm
Each Thanksgiving I like to come up with new leftover turkey panini recipes to share with you guys. Some of my past favorites have been Turkey Jalapeño Melt Panini (based on one of my husband’s favorite sandwiches from a local deli) and Turkey Cuban Panini (inspired by a Bobby Flay recipe). This...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Nov 1, 2011, 1:35 am
The first time I made these panini I included sliced honeycrisp apples instead of the sopressata. Pumpkin butter with sweet crisp apples and creamy goat cheese – that sounds like it would be pretty autumn-like and tasty, right? And it was. But it was also a little…predictable. Maybe it’s beca...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 28, 2011, 2:25 pm
Just a heads up that today is the final day to vote in the National Sandwich Day Challenge, sponsored by Arnold and Oroweat Bread. Thank you SO much to all of you who have been voting for my sandwich – Cheddar Bacon Panini with Caramelized Apple Onion Chutney - all month long. I really do appr...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 26, 2011, 12:08 am
Suited up and ready for our plant tour No, these aren’t early Halloween costumes. Our stylish regalia – hair net, hard hat, glasses, plastic shoe covers and an enormous lab-style coat – are what one wears on a tour of a salami plant. Columbus Salame (you might remember the Columbus salami an...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 19, 2011, 1:17 am
Those of us who love to cook know how it is. Nothing makes us happier than to pour our hearts into preparing a special meal and see delight on the faces of our guests as they enjoy it. I spent a good chunk of last week chopping, slow cooking, baking and caramelizing to pull off a lunch party for the...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 17, 2011, 2:39 pm
If I were to ever lose my iPhone whoever found it would be privy to my ongoing list of sandwich ideas in my Notes app. I jotted down the concept for today’s Green Chile Steak Melt Panini while on vacation in Santa Barbara a few months ago. We had made our way to the Hollister Brewing Company in ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 13, 2011, 1:43 am
Sharone Hakman of Masterchef and Hak's BBQ Sauce (and me) I love to watch entrepreneurship in action – people with a dream and a business plan (or perhaps not) and the moxie to see it all come to fruition. When I went back to school for an MBA  my hope was that some day I would run my own succes...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 10, 2011, 2:35 pm
Several of you commented about growing up making and eating apple butter on last week’s Chicken Sausage, Apple Butter and Fontina Panini post. As I mentioned, I had only just recently tried it for the first time. The idea of having a pile of apples cooking down with sugar and spices on the stove...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 7, 2011, 7:00 am
Happy Friday! I thought I’d try something a little different today…do you guys like word puzzles? I’ve had it on my mind to come up with a panini-themed word puzzle ever since seeing Michele Humes’ Food Crossword puzzles on food52 last year. My parents are the pros in our family when it com...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 4, 2011, 5:43 pm
... for it (be sure to scroll all the way down and click the big blue “Vote” button!) in The National Sandwich Day Challenge! In celebration of National Sandwich Day, which is coming up on November 3, Arnold/Oroweat Bread is hosting The National Sandwich Day Challenge. They’ve asked four bl...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Oct 3, 2011, 12:56 am
Raise your hand if you’re new to apple butter…am I the only one? I never heard of it until last year when I was preparing a recipe that called for it, but I’ve since learned that apple butter is pretty popular in some parts of the country (evidently not so much in California). Once I got past ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Sep 22, 2011, 2:10 am
“Which panini press do you recommend – the Breville or the Cuisinart?” It’s a question that Panini Happy readers have asked me by e-mail and on Facebook for years. There are, of course, many brands of panini makers on the market. The Breville Panini Press and Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler happe...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Sep 15, 2011, 12:07 am
When I heard there was a contestant on the most recent season of Food Network Star, Jeff Mauro, who called himself the “Sandwich King” you know I had to tune in to see what this guy was about. King, eh? Not that I think of myself as the “Sandwich Queen” or anything…oh, maybe I do …but ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Sep 12, 2011, 1:22 am
I’ve been telling friends all weekend that I baked a yellow layer cake on the panini grill. They’ve been universally perplexed by what this could possibly entail. Well, here it is! Whenever I read an article casting the panini maker as a “bulky, one-use gadget”, I have to sigh. Really? The ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Sep 7, 2011, 12:10 am
We’ve got teeny tiny grilled cheese sandwiches floating in our soup today! And a Panini Press giveaway sponsored by Sargento! I was first captivated by the idea of grilled cheese croutons on Pinterest and could not wait to make some of my own. Grilled cheese and tomato soup was my all-time favori...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Sep 1, 2011, 1:14 am
As we snaked our way down the canyon road, flanked by farms and forest, there were no indicators that we were anywhere near our seaside vacation rental. When the car GPS signaled that we’d soon arrive at our destination we were skeptical but then – BAM – the pristine little town of Avila Beach...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Aug 24, 2011, 12:11 am
Yesterday’s White Bean-Chive Hummus lay the foundation for today’s hugely flavorful (and also quite healthy) Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Tartines. The term “tartine” simply refers to an open-faced sandwich. You want to start with a nice-sized slice of grilled bread for this one to accom...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Aug 22, 2011, 7:01 pm
A favorite pastime of my youngest sister when were growing up was to grab a handful of the chives that my mom grew in a container in our backyard, eat them and then coming running up to my middle sister and I, breathing a loud “HHHHHHiiiiiiii!!!” in our direction. Despite that rather “fragrant...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Aug 15, 2011, 12:59 am
I’m starting to come around on salads. Historically, I haven’t been much of a salad person but this summer we’ve been enjoying them for dinner at least once a week. Salads, I’ve finally realized, hold more possibilities than just convenient leafy receptacles for all the items I’m looking t...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Aug 11, 2011, 11:55 pm
I was seated at a round table in one of those big hotel ballrooms at a blogging conference when a smiling brunette sat down next to me and announced, “Kathy? I’m Jennie Perillo!” The second I heard that terrific Brooklyn accent I instantly recognized the girl I’d come to know over the years ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Aug 10, 2011, 2:06 am
For those who are counting, today marks the third occasion on which I’ve posted about Gruyère and onion panini (fourth, if you count the French Dip panini, which also contains roast beef). I’ve made these panini with caramelized onions and with marinated onions…now I’m pickling the onions. ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Aug 9, 2011, 12:09 am
Marco Pierre White and me Attending blogging conferences, for me, is all about gathering up all of my extroverted tendencies I can muster, sticking my neck out there a little and making the most of the experience. At BlogHer ’11, which took place right here in San Diego this past weekend, I jumpe...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jul 25, 2011, 7:07 pm
The temptation to sneak in a few slices of thick-cut bacon on these Heirloom Tomato Panini was so strong. I so badly wanted to just chop a little fresh basil from my garden and mix it in with the homemade mayo. Just one little piece of fresh mozzarella? But everything I’ve been hearing about the g...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jul 15, 2011, 1:41 am
In working through all the pesto in our house (there’s still time to enter my Bear Pond Farm pesto giveaway – a set of 7 flavors!) I had the idea to use some in a grilled salmon recipe. Once I came across my friend Kalyn’s recipe for Foil-Baked Salmon with Basil Pesto and Tomatoes, I just had ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jul 13, 2011, 1:47 am
It’s not usually my style to wrap up my food in little bows, but today I’m making an exception for a few practical reasons. Not only do these Grilled Ratatouille Panini taste even better once the flavors of the grilled summer vegetables, fresh mozzarella and pesto have had the chance to mix and ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jul 5, 2011, 3:01 am
If you’ve noticed quite a number of pie-related posts around the blogosphere today, that’s because there’s a Pie Party going on! Shauna James Ahern put out the word on Facebook and more than a thousand pie fans have RSVP’d to share photos and recipes of pies today. I’m bringing some fabulo...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jun 30, 2011, 11:25 pm
The next time you’re in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago you won’t have to guess where to go for a good sandwich. That’s because mobile city-specific editions of my Great American Sandwich Guide for those four cities have just launched on the Foodspotting app! Whenever I ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jun 29, 2011, 12:23 am
When I’m at the hair salon, the conversation between my incredibly cool British stylist and me quite often turns to food. Sometime around the blow dry and flat-iron stage I usually extract one or two excellent recommendations from him of places to eat downtown. The best one so far has been the Tur...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jun 28, 2011, 1:28 am
It’s probably a good thing that the fair only comes to town once a year. Yes, that’s a “nurse” positioned at the ready with a defibrillator in the middle of this sign for “Deep Fried” and “Chocolate Covered” everything-you-can-think-of at the San Diego County Fair. And while I can’...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jun 16, 2011, 12:59 am
The best part about compiling Panini Happy’s Great American Sandwich Guide is that I now have a checklist of more than 200 excellent sandwiches to try as I travel throughout the country. My family and I drove out to Arizona back in April and you can be sure that we stopped in to review one of the ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jun 9, 2011, 12:49 am
I’m excited to introduce Panini Happy’s Great American Sandwich Guide – your online guide to more than 200 of the best sandwiches from sandwich shops, cafés and food trucks around the U.S. (plus a few from Canada)! Whether you’re traveling to another city this summer or are staying close...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jun 3, 2011, 1:49 am
This one is worth screaming from the rooftops. YOU CAN MAKE ICE CREAM CONES WITH YOUR PANINI MAKER! Easily! With no special ingredients! And they’re good! Get ready for your inner child to leap with joy once that familiar sweet, cookie smell you love from the ice cream parlor wafts about your kit...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - Jun 2, 2011, 12:18 am
As you could tell from my interview with Cristina Ferrare, cookbook author and host of Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love on OWN, love is a key ingredient in her cooking. Today’s Stove-Top Sirloin Sandwiches from her cookbook are no exception. They bring together steak and cheese hot off th...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - May 31, 2011, 12:06 am
Cristina Ferrare had just returned home from the grocery store when I called for our phone interview. She was gathering ingredients for her weekly food blog on Oprah.com. A mother, author and former talk show host, she now hosts Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love on OWN and recently released her ...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - May 26, 2011, 12:56 am
“It’s a Lunchables for foodies!” My husband’s reaction to the cheese and salami plate I painstakingly assembled the other day was spot on. This was definitely my idea of an excellent lunch: a platter full of six types of salami, three amazing cheeses, sweet honeycomb, spicy mustard, mar...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - May 13, 2011, 12:48 am
Writing The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches gave my friend, Susan Russo of Food Blogga, the opportunity to comb the country – even the world – to catalog every sandwich imaginable. The recipes in this cute square-shaped book are alphabetized from A to Z (actually, to W – there doesn’t appear t...
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Kathy S. posted an article on Panini Happy - May 9, 2011, 12:16 am
It’s been a hot time for sandwiches lately! Two of my blogging friends have released sandwich cookbooks in the past month. By their titles, 400 Best Sandwich Recipes and The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches, you can tell right away that each covers quite a bit of sandwich territory. Today I’ll share w...
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