This Italian twist on a French classic is easy and delicious

There's a direct lineal connection between the grilled cheese sandwiches I had as a kid and today's trendy pannini. The idea is pretty straightforward: pretty much anything tastes better if it's fried, and if it's Italian and fried, that's even better.

So a few weeks ago, I was enjoying a homemade croque monsieur. This classic French bistro standard is really nothing more than a ham and Swiss on the grill. I've loved them since I discovered them, quite by accident, in the early Seventies, in the Cafe Americain in Paris. (I'll have to tell that story later...)

And I started thinking... I love French cuisine (we have at least one French classic on the menu for later this week), but if I had to pick one variety of food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Italian. (Or maybe Thai. It would depend on whether I had a better European market or a better Asian market.)

So it was a natural progression from sliced Gruyere and French Mandrange ham to prosciutto di Parma and Asiago cheese:



Prep notes

1. Both the prosciutto and the Asiago are so full-flavored, you don't need much. I used two slices of Asiago and three of the paper-thin proscuitto, and the sandwich was pure heaven. (And if you're concerned about the butter, using only two slices of Asiago, rather than four, cuts down the internal calorie count significantly.)
   
   
2. We used a local bakery's "Italian deli bread" for this sandwich. It's a standard Italian recipe but baked in a loaf pan, suitable for making sandwiches. (Look around for the same idea, especially at Thanksgiving; this is the best stuff we've found for cold turkey sandwiches the next day.)
   
   
3. Use real butter. Just get over it. Margarine doesn't cook right, doesn't melt right, and doesn't taste right in this application. You don't have to use a lot, just enough to give the bread a golden crust and to help transfer heat into the sandwich.
   
   
4. Start by cooking the cheese side down. This will help melt the cheese, which helps hold the entire sandwich together.
   
   
5. Cook about two minutes per side, on medium-high heat. When you've cooked both sides for about two minutes, cook another minute on each to make sure the cheese is fully melted.
   
   
6. Condiments: I like a hot Dijon mustard (or a whole-grain) on the ham side. Nothing needs to go on the cheese side, as the cheese will melt into the bread. If you have some tangy chutney (and don't mind a little cultural cross-pollination), a dab of chutney on each bite of sandwich is magnificent.
   

Best of all, the basic technique used in this sandwich is applicable to all kinds of combinations. Try thinly sliced rare roast beef with Muenster cheese, or turkey and pepper Jack. Vegetarian? Spread an herbed goat cheese on one side and thin slices of roast (or pan-sauteed) eggplant on the other. And if you're vegan, leave off the goat cheese, add a roasted pepper, and use extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter. (I may do that later this week anyway, it sounds too good to pass up even for a confirmed omnivore like me...)