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One for @liuzhou

Managed to score a bagged, sanitized salad mix. Labeled "Thai" the greens were great, but the dressing was way too sweet. We added siracha and it made a big difference. Bought some arrachera (marinated skirt steak) at a local market and very pleased with both the marinade and its texture and tenderness. It grilled up fast and stayed juicy. Made for a nice Thai-Mex steak salad after a few too many pasta meals at home and some heavy meals at restaurants the past few weeks.

@TdeV, your sandwich ingredients look delicious! I use my panini press on the highest setting on the "Grill-Panini" side; on mine, the hottest setting for that is "Sear". I do always preheat it (with the lids open*) before I put the sandwich in. It's been a while since I bothered to time the process, but I'd guess at about 5 minutes. Keep in mind that my machine is a thrift-store special, so it may not be up to specs. I don't think I've measured the griddle temperature settings. I should do that sometime, I suppose. As I noted for my last sandwich, I have found that I prefer butter on the outside rather than mayo. I don't think the mayo adds much in the way of flavor, and it might indeed give that greasy sense that you had from yours. I do like a fairly heavy coating of butter, probably more than necessary, but it crisps up nicely and gives a good flavor IMO. Incidentally, the longer or hotter you cook the sandwiches, the more you're likely to cook the greens. I like the crispness of fresh greens, so I add them after the pressing is done. I do the same thing if I'm adding sauerkraut for something like a Reuben, though that's more to keep the "good" bugs alive than because of a textural issue. @BeeZee, your idea might work too. I've never tried that. I'm not sure I've even tried brushing the bread with oil instead of butter, much less brushing the oil on the griddle as you suggest. I'm just kindof a butter fiend. 😀 But the oil-brushing you suggest should ensure that all the bread contacted the griddle without soaking up too much. *Lids open, partly to ensure that everything is at max temperature but also to make sure that I've removed the manual and scraper. Ask me how I know.

Two big king oyster mushrooms, a few asparagus stalks, some Muchim brine and a couple of sauces leftover from my Super Upsetting Cookbook about Sandwiches sandwiches assembled into today’s breakfast buffet: Deep fried king oyster mushrooms, roasted tomato mayo, grilled asparagus, egg poached in muchim brine, tots (which appear nowhere in the book but are good dipped into almost anything) and avocado ricotta spread used as a dip.

Thanks TicTac, I think you have to make it to 70 or 75 to get that letter. Moe and I have actually been together now for 52 years. Thanks @rotuts.

Would it perhaps make the bread less greasy, yet still give good grill marks, if you brushed the surfaces of the panini press with a little butter/oil, rather than coating the bread?

@TdeV longer may over cook the filling go hotter for grill marks and try a very small amount of soft butter might give you better color not so much ' fat '

@rotuts, the recipe book I checked in said to cook the sandwich for 3 or 4 minutes (only). I did around 8 minutes. Do you think I could go longer?

@Ann_T - 46! Congratulations!!! 4 more to go and you get a letter from the Queen King! Looks like a great meal.

@TdeV I like the look of that sandwich . My PP is off // on so for deeper marks , either turn up the temp if yoy can , or leave it a bit longer. using mayo ( even very little ) will give you a sandwich that is a bit greasy buts quite tasty if you use just a little . in your case you might prefer w/o.

Okay. Bakery country sourdough, sliced thinly. Butter on inside, mayo outside All the panini recipes I looked up added cheese to bacon, so I added about 4 ounces aged cheddar cheese. 0.5 pound bacon steam roasted in Anova, 4 slices each sandwich 2 small tomatoes from neighbour's garden, seeds and water removed. Handful of fresh arugula. On the Cuisinart Panini Press, I selected Panini Press and chose, as the heat level, the mark between medium and high. I pre-heated the device. Here's what I got after 8 minutes The markings on the bread were very light. Obviously the heat needs to be higher. At what setting/temperature do you folks grill panini? Also this was very greasy. DH didn't seem to mind it, but I was uncomfortable all evening. Suggestions?

@Ann_T Fine looking dinner Congratulations.

Celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary Monday. Started with one of my favourite simple appetizers. Tuna pate served on toasted pita rounds. Split, brushed with butter and baked until toasted and crisp. Main course was grilled butterflied leg of lamb. Greek style with all the sides including homemade Tzatziki sauce.

It's a hilarious read so you’ll have fun with the book even if you don’t cook from it but more fun if you do!

That's quite a thick coating on the shrimp in the fried shrimp tacos in the post immediately above this one. Could you taste the shrimp? Can you describe the coating? (For instance - could you detect any breading or flavors?) I'm not entirely a purist about oysters; I'd happily eat Oysters Rockefeller any time I could, for instance. However, I agree that a good oyster doesn't need much dressing up. What did the others think about oysters with tuna? Weren't you even tempted to try one? 🙃

How do you mean the spinach "isn't traditional"? Is it something about the cooking, or simply the fact that it's cooked as a stand-alone green vegetable?

Thanks to you, I've downloaded the book - looking forward to exploring it!

Every time I see this pic my mouth and stomach go crazy. What a platter. 😍

Thai green curry, with rice and spinach. I realise spinach like this is not traditional but we have it as an”eat your green vegetables” side.

I think it was the wombo-combo of too much garlic for one roll, and gobbling it down on an empty tum. It was totally worth it anyway 😄

Lunch at the Owl Cafe, Cloverdale, CA I've been stopping at the Owl Cafe in Cloverdale for 59 years. Whenever coming or going on Highway 101, the Owl has been a stop. Here I had carnitas, rice and beans, a little guac', flour tortillas, and a Diet Coke.

And there's my dilema, such as it is. I appreciate the Victorinox - and have several of their knives - but I'm also a tactile person and the way something feels is also important.

You might try de-germing the garlic. Flavor is milder, ergo, you can use more if that's your inclination, and the upset that some people experience from garlic, is reduced or eliminated.

The chef who taught me knife skills didn't blink at spending $500 on a gyuto or a Japanese single-bevel knife. But he made fun of me for spending $50 on a pairing knife. He believed the best pairing knife was the cheap Victorinox you're using. It has a very thin blade that slips through everything. He never found a high-end knife with such thin geometry. Victorinox steel is pretty good and is relatively easy to sharpen. But my friend didn't bother sharpening the pairing knives. When they got dull they'd go into a junk drawer and he'd get a new one. Hard to beat for $8.