Gluten-Free Panini Press

With our tiny kitchen, the countertops and cupboards are valuable real estate. When I lugged home a new Calphalon Panini Press from Eat Write Retreat, the man of the house wanted to know where I was going to put it. Would it end up in the basement where the rarely used appliances and specialized bakeware are hidden?

The first day I knew where this new appliance would be living. Right on the the countertop is where it’s been since day one and used once or even twice a day. I recommended using cool gadgets and appliances in my post for Diane’s 30 Days of Easy Gluten-Free Living on Fast Food for Gluten-Free Teens, but I didn’t realize that my 20-year-old and 17-year-old would fall so hard for a panini press. And I couldn’t have imagined what would get panini-ed.

I tried hash browns the first morning after my trip and found my new favorite way to get crispy hash browns. Then they started with ham sandwiches with diced olives and green peppers and then moved to peanut butter and jelly and I even jumped in with turkey and cream cheese when they had used up everything else. The next day we tried quesadillas with corn tortillas and for breakfast the next morning they tried breakfast quesadillas with scrambled eggs. The man in the house even put his chicken salad sandwich in the press for lunch. Today we got adventurous and tried sweet potato slices and fresh pineapple rounds. Wow. Pineapple works! It caramelized and was just like on the grill, but without the raindrops. We can’t wait to try all kinds of fruit and vegetable fillings.

So this new appliance has earned a permanent place on the counter. If it keeps my family making great breakfasts, lunches and snacks and getting creative, then I’m sure hubby will not be upset when he gets home from his business trip and finds his coffee maker in the basement.

Calphalon was a very generous sponsor of Eat Write Retreat and many of us came home with the fabulous Calphalon products we used in our workshops. My roomie, Johnna,  actually won the panini press, but was so enamored with the toaster that she traded me when I told her I had always wanted one. She has been working on a post in which she describes her love affair with a Calphalon toaster. No kidding. She even used some of my photos. So go visit Johnna at 52 Sweets this weekend to find out why she loves her new toaster.

Olga at Mango Tomato won a press and shares a recipe. We used Schar baguettes to get a similar result.

Calphalon is offering a 10 percent discount on their products for my readers that ends June 6th. Use the discount code C95926 and this link to get the discount. *  Calphalon is entering me along with the other bloggers who attended Eat Write Retreat in a drawing for their great products when we share this special discount with our readers.

*Details for this code are:  *Clearance Items and Gift Certificates do not qualify. Excludes John Boos & Co. Cannot be combined with other special offers or applied to previous purchases. Terms subject to change. Offer valid through June 6th, 2011.

I’m sharing our Calphalon Panini Press adventures as part of the Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Gluten-Free Wednesday.