I got a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma for Christmas, and finally put it to use a few weeks ago (I have issues with spending money on myself, in that I don't. I don't know what's wrong with me, either), I got a high-end panini press after dithering over whether it would be a one-note sort of thing (like a tortilla press or a banana slicer. WHY DO PEOPLE NEED THOSE THINGS? Hint: they don't.)

SO I LOVE THE PANINI PRESS. LIKE, A LOT. It's also a grill, it's cast iron on the inside, so it heats up to almost 500F, it has a floating hinge so you don't pulverize your sandwiches or steaks or whatever you're grilling. I've not put it away in over a week. The kids find it super easy to use, it cleans up well, boom, I love it.

LAST NIGHT I MADE THE MOST DELICIOUS SANDWICH IN THE WORLD.

STEP ONE: cut a hole in the box In a medium hot skillet, a drizzle of olive oil and a sliced onion (I used a yellow). Slowly caramelize those bad boys until they make you weep with wanting.
ALTERNATE STEP TWO: Add sliced fresh figs (I didn't have these, you'll see what I did in a minute)
STEP TWO: put your junk in that box Drizzle some fabulous balsamic vinegar over those onions and stir it up (little darlin', stir it up). The vinegar and left over oil (if any) should get a little syrupy. This can be called the food of the gods.
STEP THREE: you thought I'd say make her open the box, didn't you? Well, I didn't. Turn off the heat and set this aside, plug in your panini maker (or get another skillet going)

SANDWICH: ASSEMBLE!
on some good rustic bread slices layer: goat cheese, fig jam (if you're super fond of figs and want to double up then you should, other wise pick the alternate up there or this), caramelized onion mix, prosciutto slices (or thick bacon would be stellar), and cover that sumbitch up with another slice of bread

SANDWICH: GRILL!
Yeah, do that. A few minutes, or until the bread's all toasty and the cheese is all melty and your mouth is all watery. Pull it off, slip in some fresh arugula, slice that mother trucker in half, and CONSUME.

I sang this to my sandwich, you may pick the song of your choosing but you must sing to it. "I wanna li-li-li-lick you from your figs to your Os, and I wanna move from the plate down to-down-to-the-to-the floor and I wanna AH! AH! You taste so good I don't wanna eat, but you gotta le-le-le-let me cook-cook on this pa-ni-ni-NI!"

So that happened. I feel not one ounce of shame or regret. LIVING LIFE IN A CORRECT MANNER.

(Tomorrow I am making challa bread, brie, blueberries, strawberries, balsamic and basil leaves. GOOD LORD I LOVE THIS THING.)