Panini be to cappuccino, what key be to lock.
Back in the early 2000s there was a sandwich bar in Basant Lok in Vasant Vihar. It dished out delicious sandwiches. What stood out for me was how panini and cappuccinos tasted great. They were not alone.
Barista cafes were on the top of their game. Tata’s owned the chain. Taj SATS, which also supplied food to airlines, supplied to Barista cafes. Their smoked chicken sandwiches and cappuccinos were heavenly.
Qwiky’s which shone for a while, and disappeared, were perhaps the best panini makers. It was there that I had first heard the word panini. The taste of chicken piccata panini still lingers in my mouth.
When I got the espresso machine, I wanted to recreate the magical sandwiches and panini. I looked around for right breads and cheese. Then, I worked on my fillings and spreads. It’s been more than two months.
I am ready with three sandwiches:
Mushroom tomato pesto Sandwich
Cheese melt roasted tomato- caramelised onion sandwich
Chicken and roasted tomato sandwich
Each one pairs perfectly with cappuccino. If you drop by tomorrow, I will be pressing the above sandwiches and pulling cappuccinos for you. You know the timings: 11am -6pm.
Cheers!