A restaurant in the West Village called ‘ino (recommended by Winnie) taught K and I the rules for a panini sandwich:

• start with rustic Italian bread
• slice it very thin (1/4”)
• cook all the veggies in advance: roast your tomatoes and asparagus, sauté your sweet onion, etc.
• use pesto, but not lettuce or mayo
• find a way to involve a meat ending in ‘ata or ‘utto
• a cheese or two ending with ‘ano or ‘ella is always good.
• limit your ‘ini to 3-4 ingredients.
• don’t overstuff. roasting everything will concentrate the flavor, so keep the ‘ini thin and crispy.
• dust off and bring out the George Forman grill, because this is the only time it’ll be helpful. Or just fry your ‘ini in butter on the stove, on both sides until its toasty. Start saving up for one of these. Mmm…
• invite your friends over whose names end in ‘ini, open a bottle of red wine, serve and enjoy.