Isn't he cute? My Little Griddler.
He slices, he dices...ok...Little Griddler does none of these things. But he does make a seriously legit panini. Super sandwiches is right. Little Griddler doesn't lie.
And I luv paninis. Grilled toasty sandwich goodness. I mean sure, you could use 2 cast iron skillets, heating the second one and then putting it on top of your sandwich, and then weighting it down with a can of tomatoes. But all that work and no grill marks? No way, buddy.
So far, Little Griddler's sandwich powers have only been used to make grilled cheese sandwiches. But seriously, amazingly good grilled cheese sandwiches. Since he's electric (it's electric! boogie, oogie, oggie), Little Griddler holds a constant and even temperature, which is perfect for melted cheese perfection and crispy bread.
Mmm...melty grilled cheese! I like mine with a smear of dijon mustard on the inside.
And before you say something like why would anyone buy something just to make paninis, I would like to point out that Little Griddler can also grill vegetables among other things. The possibilities are endless. I just haven't gotten past the panini stage yet. Or rather, the grilled cheese stage. Next stage is Cuban style steak sandwich like the one served at Porto's. That mojo-marinated steak. But where to find Cuban bread...hmm...
What's that? You haven't been to Porto's? Oh you must, must, must! It's the largest bakery I've ever seen. I swear the bakery/cafe is bigger than my house on Maui. For real. It's intense. All that square footage dedicated to everything baking. I can hardly contain myself. If/when you go, try the guava and cream cheese puff pastry. It's like an awesomely delicious guava danish. But I hesistate to call it a danish because it's just so much better than that. Or the cheese pastry. There were these little patties of fried deliciousness in the case. Potato croquettes, I believe. And the flan samples while in line. And the sandwiches. Little Griddler is just one step closer to tasty toasty sandwiches.
All this panini making (and polar bear cold weather) got me in the mood for soups. Last week, I made Giada's White Bean and Garlic soup...also with above pictured grilled cheese.
Such a show stealer.
Yesterday was lamb stew, and today was butternut squash soup.
I have a luv-hate affair with butternut squash. I want to like it...and I try to like it. I've eaten butternut squash ravioli (blech), maple roasted butternut squash (ehh...) and even topped my pizzas with it (so-so). But it seems that everyone luvs butternut squash. Why? It's semi-sweet nature confuses me. Why is it always paired with things like apples and brown sugar and maple syrup? It's a squash!
But I caved a few weeks ago, and bought one at Whole Foods. And it's sat on my tiered fruit tray. Watching apples and pomegranates come and go. So today...three...yes THREE weeks later, I decided to tackle it. These things have an amazing shelf life apparently.
So butternut squash soup it was and with absolutely no sugar or syrup or fruit. It's a squash! But ok...there was cinnamon. And ginger. And curry powder. Oh but it was good. So satisfying and perfect for dipping a toasty grilled cheese sandwich. I pureed it, and it gave the soup amazing color and body. Yes, soups can have amazing bodies. I liken this one's to Megan Fox. Seriously good body.
Butternut Squash Soup
1 medium onion, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch dice
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Place a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat bottom with olive oil, about 1 tablespoon.
2. Add onions. Saute until soft and transluscent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add carrots, celery, garlic, Herbes de Provence and bay leaf. Continue to cook over medium heat until softened.
4. Add butternut squash. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook until butternut squash is slightly softened, about 5 minutes more.
5. Add the chicken stock, curry powder, cinnamon and ginger.
6. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low to simmer. Taste for seasoning.
7. Cook until butternut squash is completely soft. About 20 minutes.
8. Remove bay leaf and ginger. Puree with immersion blender until smooth.
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