Something With Your Soup? Pt. 2

A HOT MUFFALETTA



Muffaletta is a Naw Ahleeens sandwich—a sandwich that is as loud and snappy
with its flavors as is the legendary night life of New Orleans itself. While it’s
usually eaten cold, the cheese, vinaigrette, and other goodies make this an
especially good sandwich for heating and grilling. And this muffaletta has an
extravagance of everything: dripping melted cheese, reeking of garlic
and the scent of salami, soaked with olive oil, and fragrant with oregano.
Extras only add allure; here we try pickled peppers, capers, and roasted peppers.
Mortadella is, for anyone not aware of it, the big pink white-flecked bologna-like
cold cut you see in deli cases; sometimes it’s speckled with black peppercorns,
other times with pale green pistachio nuts. Mortadella is mild and aromatic with
a tender, slightly bouncy texture, and t’s one of the most sumptuous cold cuts
you could treat yourself to. A little Mediterranean Green Bean and Black Olive
Salad makes a muffaletta into a meal.

SERVES 4

4 soft French rolls
Extra-virgin olive oil
A few shakes here and there of red wine vinegar
4—6 cloves garlic, chopped
3—4 teaspoons capers, drained
2—3 large pinches of dried oregano, crumbled
½ cup chopped or diced roasted red pepper
4 mild pickled peppers, such as Greek or Italian, sliced
½ red or other mild onion, very thinly sliced
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
4 ounces dried salami, thinly sliced
4 ounces Westphalian ham, smoked turkey, or mortadella
8 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese

1 Open the rolls and pull out a bit of their fluffy insides. Sprinkle
each cut side with olive oil and vinegar, then with the garlic,
capers, and oregano. On 1 side of each roll, layer the red pepper,
pickled peppers, onion, olives, tomato, salami, ham, and finally
the cheese. Close up tightly and press together well to help seal.

2 Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and lightly
brush the outside of each roll with olive oil. Place the sandwiches
in the pan and weight down, or place them in a panini press.
Cook until golden brown on one side, then turn and brown the
second side. Sandwiches are ready when they are crisply golden
and the cheese has oozed a bit and crisped in places. Cut into
halves, and eat right away.

from "Grilled Cheese"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1069024.Grilled_Cheese

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MOZZARELLA AND PROVOLONE w/ROASTED TOMATOES AND BLACK OLIVES



This sandwich was a real crowd-pleaser when it was on the
’wichcraft menu, popular with adults and kids alike. Why? Probably
because it tastes like pizza! We prepare it as a pressed sandwich, but
it also works beautifully grilled in a pan with a little olive oil, or if
you don’t want to add any fat, heat it open-faced in the oven until
the cheeses melt. The mozzarella is milky and gooey, with a great
mouth feel, and the provolone adds personality. Roasting tomatoes
concentrates their ɻavor and caramelizes their sugars; it’s a great
way of getting the best of a tomato when it’s not at the height of the
season.

When herbs are a primary ingredient, only fresh will do. But when
they are used as a seasoning, as in this sandwich, dried work very
well. One way to ensure you have high-quality dried herbs is to dry
them yourself. Take a bunch of fresh oregano, tie it up at the stem
end, and hang it upside down to dry, outside if possible, but
wherever there is plenty of air circulation. When the herbs are
thoroughly dry and the leaves fall oʃ the stems at the touch,
crumble the leaves, store them in a jar, and use them as long as the
flavor remains strong and pleasing, about 2 months.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES


8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
8 slices country bread
4 tablespoons Roasted Tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons pitted and chopped Niçoise olives
½ teaspoon dried Sicilian oregano
4 slices aged provolone

Preheat a sandwich press according to the manufacturer’s
specifiations (see Note). Divide the mozzarella among 4 bread
slices. Spread the tomatoes and the olives evenly over the
mozzarella. Sprinkle with the oregano and top with the provolone.
Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices and place in
the sandwich press (no need to butter the press or the bread). Close
the lid and apply slight pressure. Cook without disturbing for 5 to 8
minutes. Open the press and check for color and temperature: the
cheese should be melted and the bread golden. If the bread is
sticking to the press, allow it to cook for a bit longer and it will
unstick itself. If the press seems to generate more heat on the
bottom, ɻip the sandwich halfway through to ensure even cooking
(making sure the ridges in the bread line up). Once cooked, remove,
cut into halves, and serve.

from " Witchcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5763816-wichcraft

Yumm!