MarxFoods is rocking my socks right now!!!!

Ker-fuf-fle: n. a disturbance or commotion.


Fresh Truffle: n. the food of the gods – well worthy of causing a kerfuffle.



This week’s event is a Fresh Oregon Truffle giveaway! The US’s wild truffles may not be as famous or potent as European varieties like white alba truffles, but that doesn’t mean they’re not darned tasty.



One lucky person (drawn at random) is getting their choice of a quarter pound of either Black Oregon Truffles or White Oregon Truffles!



To enter: leave us a comment below telling us which type you’d prefer and what you’ll be shouting if you’re picked.



We’ll select one comment at random (via number generator) to award the truffles to on Nov. 29th. The winner will also get a chance to enter our upcoming Ridiculously Delicious Challenge in December!



QUADRUPLE Your Chances – Spread the Word!

Post a Facebook update, Twitter update and/or a blog post telling your friends and readers about the kerfuffle (feel free to use our badge!) and where to enter, then leave an additional comment here for each with a link to your facebook/twitter/blog update. Each of the (up to) three comments left here will count as an additional entry.



Good luck, and stay tuned, there are more random drawings coming (every week until the end of the year!), plus all sorts of other foodie fun.

Grilled Gruyere on Pumpkin Bread Panini

Our second fall classic. Pumpkin. I love the smell of pumpkin bread something fierce! For this panini, I made the bread. Granted, it was from a box, but there really is something special about making the bread yourself. That being said, I do not intend to make the bread at home. There is also something special about having the bread readily available in my bakery lol.

Anyhoo, this is a very simple recipe. And a very delicious one. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2" thick slices of homemade Pumpkin bread (I used Libby's boxed brand. It brandished 2 loaves and came with icing. I did not use the icing.)
• 2-3 1/4" thick slices of Gruyere cheese

Serves 2

My very first homemade baked bread



Pumpkin-y goodness




I ripped the cheese in have to give it a rustic look, haha




Place on preheated grill 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the bread




Pumpkin bread remains very moist, and therefore can get a little crumbly.




Ooey gooey velvety fun
Grilled Gruyere on Pumpkin Bread Panini

Gruyere is a unique little cheese. It's nutty and fruity at the same time. It compliments the sweet Pumpkin perrrrrrfectly and is one of the finest melting cheeses going. It gives such a warm, harvest feel. It is by far the most popular panini I've made. Simply delicious, it gets better with every bite. 

Roasted Apple and Cheddar with Honey Mustard Vinagrette on Raisin Bread Panini

This is the first of the two Autumn/Fall inspired panini we're doing.
And what better way to kick it off, than with roasted apples. Nothing says staying warm during chilly days and chillier nights like warm apple. Dressed up in homemade honey mustard dressing, it's like fall fashion week here at TPPB! Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

• 1 Fiji apple
• 2 slices raisin bread (this one was store bought, sorry!!)
• 1/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon apple juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (1 tablespoon per use)
• 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme

Roasting Apples
Preheat oven to 400º. Peel, core and wedge apples. Coat with half of the olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of thyme. Roast until golden brown and soft. 25-30 minutes.

Serves 2




Fiji apple




Thank you old fashioned apple corer/wedger!




Apples coated with thyme and olive oil




Golden and delicious. Wait, that's another apple entirely!




My honey mustard vinagrette : ) With the splash of apple juice for an extra kick




Le fromage




Plain Jane raisin bread




All dressed up and ready





3-5 minutes on preheated grill depending on the thickness of the bread

 


Roasted Apple and Cheddar with Honey Mustard Vinagrette on Raisin Bread Panini


The mild cheddar flavor melds so perfectly with the roasted apples and thyme. The sweetness of the raisin bread works in contrast to the slightly spicy vinagrette. It was a warm and delicious panini, welcoming fall in style!

"Monkey in the Middle"

I knew I had to do a peanut butter sandwich. I just had to jazz it up TPPB style! The question was how? Then it hit me..almond butter and chocolate! As I was trying to figure out a cutesy name for the sandwich, it dawned on me: add banana! That's how "Monkey in the Middle" was born.

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• Generous amount of Chunky Almond Butter (I used Blue Diamond brand in a pinch)
• 1 small loaf of Chocolate Chip Bread (again from Panetico in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn)

Serves 2



Chocolate Chip Bread





Almond Butter




Banana




Slice in quarters




Super Chunky




I wasn't kidding about being generous! :o)




Add bananas to only one side, so the monkey is in the middle!



These breads tend to be loaded with butter so no need to grease the grill first.
3-5 minutes on a medium high heat depending on thickness of the bread.



"Monkey in the Middle"
Chunky Almond Butter with Banana on Chocolate Chip Bread

 (Disregard the incorrect date on the camera. Baby steps...)





Cucinar Cantando Cookbook Giveaway

Contests & Giveaways
So apparently, this is my new heroin (to be clear, I never had old heroin!!)
This contest also comes from my new best friends over at Foodie BlogRoll. Since I'm new to the site, and to blogging in general, I can not feel but a little sad that I've really been missing out. This is me, making amends.
The question asked in this Cucinar Cantando giveaway is "Why do you love to cook for other people?"

Why do I love to cook for other people? Very simple. It brings me great joy to know that I am making someone else happy. I have spent most of my life trying to make other happy and putting myself last. But with cooking, I've found I can reap the rewards of my labor. Even if it's room temperature at times!

I don't have a very advanced palette by any stretch of the imgination. But I am learning through cooking for others, how to expand that and learn complex flavor combinations. Definitely thinking outside the box. This is scary sometimes, but it's making me grow as a person and have more confidence in the choices I make.

It makes me happy. And this makes my family happy. And at the end of the day that's all I'm about.

Iron Foodie 2010 Contest

This is the first contest I have ever entered involving food. I am so excited to be a part of the food blogging community and anxious to see where it leads me. Foodieblogroll is a fantastic site dedicated to growing and promoting small business and food blogging. (This is also an excellent time to mention them for the Cucinar Cantando Cookbook Contest & Giveaway and the Spread the Word Tote Giveaway!)


Why do I want to compete in this challenge?
It would be the first time I put my culinary/visionary chops to the test. I think it a valuable experience and whether I were to win or not, I am putting myself out there to compete. And who couldn't use a $200 gift card to Marx Foods!

Whose kitchen would I like to spend the day in?
Hands downs it's Thomas Keller. The French Laundry is one of the finest restaurants in the country and his contribution to American cuisine is not only legendary but completely stand alone. He is what every foodie, food blogger, chef, or person on the planet hope to become and to be half as successful as his failures would be a dream. He has Michelin stars to spare and was a consultant on Disney Pixar's Ratatouille. If that isn't enough for you, I don't know what is!

What morsel am I most likely to swipe?
It would be that perfect little bite of potato puree that is left after they finish their filet mignon. The quintessential, radiant, mouthwatering (seriously, I'm salivating) succulence of the au jus and the potato. Marinating in that juice. It's heaven on a fork.

My childhood in one meal?
This may seem silly to you and that's ok. It would be a peanut butter sandwich that my mom made me for school. By the time lunch rolls around, the peanut butter and bread have melded together and the sandwich has taken on the crinkle and wrinkles of the tinfoil. That, washed down with the pint of whole milk in the cardboard carton is my childhood. (You should know, I still smush my perfectly good peanut butter sandwiches in tinfoil, 20 years later.)

The one mainstream food I can't stand?
Miso. I can't stand the look, the smell, the texture, the existence of it. Yuck!

Our Christmas List

With it now being November 1st and holiday season right around the corner, The Panini Press Blog has put together a Christmas Wishlist of all things panini. From presses to books, here is a quick list of our favorites this season at the lowest prices available.




Breville Panini Press - Williams-Sonoma $119.95




Hamilton Beach Panini Press - Target $41.49




Retro Panini Grill by DeLonghi - Foodnetworkstore.com $59.95




Le Creuset Panini Pan - Williams-Sonoma $89.95




Le Creuset Panini Pan Lid - Williams-Sonoma $80.00



Wüsthof Classic 8" Panini Knife - Williams-Sonoma $99.95

Amazon.com $16.47



Williams-Sonoma Exclusive $17.95




Foodnetworkstore.com $13.26




Foodnetworkstore.com $11.37




Amazon.com $10.85




Barnes & Noble $17.00

Honorable mention goes to Chef'n Panini Press Spatula from Williams-Sonoma $19.95

What's on your foodie wishlist?

Asian Pear with Gorgonzola on Fig and Walnut Bread

Here it is! Our very first panini! This one was inspired by the classic pear and gorgonzola salad, which is usually topped with toasted walnuts.
Well, here at The Panini Press Blog, we like to take ideas and run with them!
To assist you in your panini endeavors are step by step photos of each ingredient as it is prepared.

Ingredients

• 1 Asian pear
• 1 package Gorgonzola chunk
• 1 small loaf Fig & Walnut Bread (this one from Royal Crown Panetico in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice

Serves 2




Gorgonzola



Asian pear




Slice pear into about 1/4 inch pieces




Place immediately in lemon juice to avoid browning




Fig & Walnut loaf





Slice and add the cheese (note: you can also use crumbled cheese) 




Top with pears that have been skinned




Drizzle with honey





Place panini on preheated medium high grill and brush with olive oil
3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the bread




Voila!




Asian Pear with Gorgonzola on Fig and Walnut Bread Panini



The tangy, savory flavor of the Gorgonzola pairs fantastically with the sweet juiciness of the pear. The crunch of the walnut bread adds depth of flavor and substance to the panini. The honey adds a little sticky warmth to it all making it an unbeatable combination.

Although not something I have ever eaten before, it was definitely something very different and fancy!