December 2, 2009
Posted by Adina Steiman

I’m not sure why, but pressed sandwiches are usually tastier than the non-pressed variety. Maybe it’s because they’re heated, so the ingredients get a chance to get juicy and meld their flavors together. One of my favorite pressed sandwiches is the Cubano, an irresistible combination of roast pork, ham, and Swiss layered with pickles on bread that’s been spread with mustard and mayo. The sharpness of the mustard and the acidity of the pickle cut through the rich pork and cheese, and the crunch of the bread elevates it even more.

I got my Cubano fix at a restaurant in midtown Manhattan called Margon, but you can easily make your own twist on a Cubano at home.
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Tags: Cuban, sandwiches
Posted on December 2, 2009 in Out & About, Things We Love | direct link to this entry |
December 2, 2009
Posted by Charlyne Mattox

This pizza from Donna Stella in Amalfi was excellent. Sour dough, perfectly sweet and tart tomatoes. The house wine was excellent also! We went back a second time.
I recently returned from an amazing trip to Campania. In addition to many hours of relaxing in the sun, reading, and playing countless games of scrabble I was looking forward to a break from the constant stream of food that flows through the test kitchen everyday. I should have figured that a trip to Italy wouldn’t afford me much of a break from food – and I’m glad for it! Over the course of 11 days I consumed, 5 pizzas, 9 gelatos, 6 bowls of pasta, at least 20 peaches, figs, and plums, plus countless cappuccinos and pastries from our favorite pastry shop in Amalfi (Dolceria dell Antico Portico). Check out the pictures below of some of the highlights. Read More…
Tags: Italy, travel
Posted on December 2, 2009 in Out & About | direct link to this entry |
December 1, 2009
Posted by Lesley Stockton

One of the many cakes I made during development. We had devoured most of this cake before Anna had the brilliant idea to put sugar snowflakes on top.
When developing the layer cake for the holiday dinner in our new December issue, we tried several variations. We tinkered with the number of layers, the dimensions and flavorings. I must have made this cake 15 times! It was all worth it, though, because the final product is elegant and surprisingly simple to make. This is truly a special touch to any occasion that I hope will become a family favorite.

The final version of the cake I developed, fresh from our December holiday issue!
Tags: cake
Posted on December 1, 2009 in Behind the Scenes, Sweet Spot | direct link to this entry |