Dark Chocolate, Nicoise Olive, Prosciutto & Buffalo Mozzarella Panini

In the previous post, I explained my newfound love of the real McCoy, fresh (meaning 2 days old or younger) Mozzarella di Bufala. It is not easy to find in the U.S. or should I say close to impossible, so if you are unable to get your hands on this more stringy, elastic and I would say a bit rubbery, fresh cheese there are alternatives. What you typically find in the States is buffalo mozzarella that has been resting in its water for weeks and therefore the consistency becomes softer and softer, closer to a burrata style than an authentic buffalo mozzarella from Campania. Don’t get me wrong, I love burrata and I truly enjoy the mozzarella di bufala that is imported, but it is far from its mother. So, go with a firmer style mozzarella or try your stateside buffalo mozzarella and you will be ok.

Whichever cheese you use, be SURE to place the sliced mozzarella between sheets of cloth towels for at least 10 minutes before using it to help eliminate the excess water in the cheese. Otherwise, the excessive liquid will make your panini soggy. And my friends, there is nothing worse than soggy panini.

Ok, so now let’s get straight to it. The flavors that are so critical here as the threesome of dark chocolate, olive and prosciutto, which bring out the umami depth when they are melded together.

Wrap these sandwiches in parchment and take them to your backyard for a picnic. Pair them with your favorite bottle of Italian Barbaresco, I love GAJA.

Dark Chocolate, Nicoise Olive, Prosciutto & Buffalo Mozzarella  Panini

Yields One Sandwich

Equipment needed: Panini press or waffle iron or clothes iron and cast iron pan (for more on these tricks, click here)

1 ½ oz buffalo mozzarella
2 slices thick Italian country bread,  about 1/2 inch thick and 4-5 inches wide
2 tbsp olive oil
5 nicoise olives, pitted and sliced
1 oz dark chocolate : Vosges Organic 74% OR 66% Enchanted Mushroom Bar OR plain 55% cacao
a sprinkle Murray River Pink Salt
3 slices prosciutto, La Quercia (new prosciutto sulfite free from Iowa)
2 basil leaves

Cut mozzarella and place on a towel to absorb excess water. If you put straight onto the bread you will have a soggy panino. Brush olive oil on all sides of the bread. Place olives, dark chocolate and salt on one side followed by the mozzarella, basil and prosciutto. Press to golden brown and serve immediately.

For more panini making tips, go here.

Holy Basil, Ginger, Lime Tea with Cocoa Nibs

Warmer weather and my craving for all things tart inspired me to mix up this pitcher of fragrant “tea”.   Memories of the floating Thai market wafted back… I inhaled holy basil and kaffir lime.  Although many have tried twists on the usual lemonade and limeade, adding ginger, basil and cocoa nibs will probably come as a surprise.  This would have made one heck of a lemonade stand offering back in the day.

Cocoa nibs are the newest addition to the super food suite and their ultra-healthy benefits beg me  to use them raw in everything I can from brownies to soup.  Cocoa nibs are actually fermented and roasted beans that are broken into small pieces once they are winnowed (thin skin removed).  Depending on the quality of the beans and the process of fermentation and roasting they taste of their pure origin cocoa. 51% of the bean is cocoa butter and the remaining percentage is the dark chocolate-y, cocoa mass.   When soaked in water or in this case, thai lime ginger refreshment, the nibs hydrate a bit so they aren’t as crunchy hard and rather add a nice, surprising texture, flavor and soft crunch.  Even the color is effected the longer you cold steep the nibs the pinker the tea becomes.   Try Valrhona cocoa nibs.  (They are a bit hard to find.  I am planning a PLC blogger shop to help provide readers with needed ingredients!)   Serve with a plate of freshly frozen pineapple slices.

Holy Basil, Ginger, Lime Tea with Cocoa Nibs
Serves 8

1/2 cup lime juice
6  cups of water
1 1/2 cups of sugar, organic agave syrup OR 3 full droppers of liquid stevia
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
1 inch of ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
2 tbsp tamarind pulp (optional)
1 Handful of Thai Holy Basil or Italian Sweet Basil

Put water, lime juice and sugar, agave or stevia in a large pitcher.  Put the peeled ginger in a Vita-Mix blender, my kitchen accessory of choice, with 1 cup of the water mixture. Blend until smooth.  (I HIGHLY recommend you buy a Vita-mix blender.  I am obsessed with this multi-utilitarian dreamboat of a machine and especially it’s lifetime guarantee. Throw anything at it and it will pulverize, puree, boil, your wish is it’s command. From grinding pearls into pearl dust to making ice cream, it truly is the best blender and best piece of kitchen equipment you could own. I digress…)  Add the ginger mixture back to the pitcher.   Add the the cocoa nibs, tamarind (if using) and the entire bunch of basil whole.  Stir.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Sugar will dissolve and flavors will infuse. Stir and serve over ice with holy basil garnish.