Review by Booklist Review
Although Americans have always been partial to grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, tastes have matured with exposure first to the French croque monsieur and now to Italian paniniWhat make panini special are both the grill and the bread. Unlike commonplace, white-bread-based cheese toasties, panini start with substantial bread, preferably artisanal ciabatta rolls, focaccia, or baguettes. These are layered with all manner of meats, cheeses, and vegetables in any combination the chef deems tasty. Then the panini toast within a heavy press to thoroughly heat the filling and score the bread with grill marks. An accomplished baker, Leader offers recipes for breads that make foundations for great panini. Fillings include classic combinations, such as turkey, bacon, and cheddar. More adventuresome stuffings run to barbecued chicken, blue cheese, and celery (a riff on buffalo wings) and corned beef, Muenster cheese, and wilted cabbage (cousin to the Reuben).--Knoblauch, Mark Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Leader is a well-known artisan baker and author of two bread-baking books. Soon after he opened his bakery, Bread Alone, in Woodstock, NY, he started offering some of the "baker's sandwiches" he had discovered during his travels to Europe, and his new book provides recipes for his mouthwatering panini, along with delicious condiments, and five bread recipes for those who want to start from scratch. He favors a minimalist approach, with simple but flavorful combinations such as Tuscan Chicken with Artichokes and White Beans and Grilled Asparagus, Taleggio, and Prosciutto. Interestingly, he uses a panini press not just for toasting the sandwiches but also for cooking ingredients such as the grilled asparagus. A good companion to Jennifer and Jason Denton's panini cookbook, Simple Italian Sandwiches, this is recommended for most collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
