Food Holidays: August 11th, 2022

Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: August 11th, 2022. Today is National Panini Day. If we weren’t going out to dinner for David’s Belated Birthday Party this evening. I would have asked Charlie and David to go with me to get a Club Panini. Would you like to go with me tomorrow?

National Panini Day

If you like a Panini then August is the month for you. We’re celebrating National Panini Month for 31 days straight. The Italian food Sandwich has become a staple in bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores around the globe. The simplicity of this unsliced Bread with the usual fillings of Veggies, Meat, and Cheese is enough to satisfy all types of hunger pangs. Whether you are in a hurry to get to school or work, or whether you want to grab a quick bite or meal, Panini is the way to go. The panini also has quite an interesting origin, involving fashionable Italian hipsters and Cafes.

History of National Panini Month

National Panini Month in August takes us to the streets of Italy back in the 1980s. Starting from the word ‘Panini’ itself, Panini comes from Italian, and it means ‘unsliced Bread.’ Did you know Panini is a noun. Derived from ‘pane’, referring to a Bread roll. The ‘Panini,’ which today means a Sandwich, has been around for quite some time, in fact, since the 16th Century. Yet, the Panini did not gain popularity until the 1980s. Young hipsters in Italy flocked to Coffee and Sandwich bars all the time. Panini’s became known as the ‘Paninari,’ and it was their rejection of the dull and drab Italian Culture that made Panini’s famous in Milan and then all over the Country. Their choice of high and colorful fashion combined with their preference for fast food soon became the headlines for many fashion magazines.

Soon globalization led to the Panini traveling to the rest of Europe, the U.S., and the rest of the world. A traditional Panini is made of unsliced Bread like the Baguette, Rosetta, or Ciabatta. Tomatoes, Meat, and Cheese are the usual fillings, but you can mix these fixings up with your choice of Vegetables, Cold Meat slices, and Cheeses. Did you know there is a Panini press appliance that presses the Bread and fillings flat. Making the Sandwich easier to handle and bite into. The grill marks on a Panini also form part of the aesthetic and eating experience. Take this month as an opportunity to try a Sweet Panini, too, if you haven’t done so. The sweet fillings can range from anything like Chocolate, Fruits, and Marshmallows to Sprinkles and Cake.

Facts About the Panini

1. August 11, 2015 is the first ‘official, National Panini Day.
2. The first U.S. reference to Panini, a ‘pan warmed Italian Sandwich’ dates to 1956 in an article about an Italian Street Fair.
3. Panini’s are said to have originated in Lombardy, Italy, in response to the demand among Milanese office workers for a quick lunch without sacrifice in flavor and quality
4. In the late 1970s & 1980s trendy U.S. restaurants, particularly in New York, began selling Panini’s.
5. In many English-speaking Countries, a Panino , from Italian, meaning “small Bread, or Bread Roll” is a grilled Sandwich made from a Baked Roll or any thing other than sliced Bread.

How To Celebrate National Panini Month

1. A Panini has some of the simplest ingredients out there. All you need is Bread and Vegetable of your choice. Any Meat or Cheese of your choice. There’s nothing more to it, but if you are looking to customize the Panini to your liking, the stage is yours because a Panini is as versatile as they come.
2. If you have time and the ingredients and a Panini Press host a Panini party and invite your family over. You can get a variety of Bread, Vegetables, Meats, Cheeses, and Condiments. Or youour guests can bring their own ingredients.
3. The best way to celebrate this month and pay homage to the Panini is by having a traditional Italian Panini. Check your local area for an authentic Italian Bakery, but do not fret if you can’t find one. Find a traditional Panini recipe on the internet, and prepare that recipe for your family.

5 Facts About Sandwiches

1. John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich in the 1700s, invented the food item after he started eating Beef between two slices of Bread.
2. Did you know the largest Sandwich weighed over 5,000 pounds.
3. The most expensive Sandwich cost around $470 and was created by Tom Bridge.
4. Americans love PB&J Sandwiches, so much that an average American eats around 3,000 PB&J sandwiches in their lifetime.
5. Reportedly, pressed Sandwiches are healthier as all the ingredients are pressed together, making the Sandwich easier for your digestion system to break all the food down.

Why We Love National Panini Month

1. The Panini has a permanent place in the list of comfort foods. Panini’s can be Cheesy, filling, and crispy, all at the same time. Most importantly, a Panini can also be a complete meal unto itself. You don’t need to worry about having a proper meal if you have a large Panini.
2. It’s amazing how much culture and history can be attached to food items. The Panini is no different. If you want to learn about the fashion styles and what was ‘hip’ during the 1980s, you need not look further than the creation of the Panini.
3. Sandwiches are some of the most underrated food items out there. You are busy and cannot whip up a healthy meal for yourself? Then we all know the Sandwich is the answer. If your craving a light snack in the middle of the day? Why not have a Sandwich. Do you just feel like munching on something? Fix your favorite Sandwich!

National Raspberry Tart Day

If you like Raspberries then you will want to celebrate National Raspberry Tart Day!

The Tart is the perfect combination of crispy crust, creamy filling, and fresh Fruit. Tarts originated during the Middle Ages. Sweet Fruit-topped Tarts are the most popular Tarts. There is Savory and Salty Tarts as well. In France, many of these open-faced Pies are prepared with Eggs, Cheeses, Meats, or Vegetables. Whether you prefer Tarts filled with Chocolate or Goat Cheese, Tarts are delicious!

To celebrate National Raspberry Tart Day, head to your Bakery to pick up a Raspberry Tart or Tarts. If your feeling brave today then you could make your own Raspberry Tart!

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates