As I may have mentioned, I am originally from the Steel City, otherwise known as Pittsburgh (or as some people have called it recently, the City of Champions).  My dad was born there, as was my grandmother (Jennie J).  I was also born in Pittsburgh.  I’ve moved many times throughout my life, but Pittsburgh always symbolized something to me ~ home, perhaps, when we never really had one.

We lived there from my sixth grade year until after I finished tenth grade.  It was right after the Penguins won their first two Stanley Cups, and the Steelers weren’t that good.  Everyone had a Penguins jersey, and we all wore them to school ad nauseum.  I even owned Penguin earrings.  I was lucky enough to attend my fair share of games, and when I was about fourteen, I attended a fundraiser called “Penguins at Your Service,” where each Penguin served as a waiter at a table, and the event raised money for Cystic Fibrosis (the Penguins goaltender at the time, Tom Barrasso, had a daughter with cystic fibrosis, and he was an integral part of the event).  The year I went, Luc Robitaille was our server (the year before, when my dad took my mum, it was Mario Lemieux!) and I met most of the players, and very shyly got their autographs.

BUT, as I am sure you also know, I have resided in Philadelphia for the past eight years, and most of my Philly friends are diehard Flyers fans.

Tonight, we hosted WeHangsDay on Friday (FriENdSday) and (un)fortunately, game 5 of the playoffs started at 7.30p.  Now, I will admit that in the years since we left Pittsburgh, my interest in hockey has waned.  I still ‘support’ Pittsburgh’s teams, but I’m only truly a Steelers fan.  I have my fingers crossed that no one is super upset at the end of the night.  And by that, I mean no one in our apartment.

For the evening, I decided to re-create my favorite sandwich from DiBruno Brothers, a high-end deli/grocery in downtown Philadelphia.  Since my offices are no longer downtown, I was seriously hankering for a Mamma Mia today, and couldn’t have one.

Luckily, we own a sammie press.

A Twist on the Mamma Mia

Here’s what you need to make 4:

8 slices bread (we used 3 cheese semolina)

pesto (20-25 basil leaves, 2 tbsp pine nuts, 2 tbsp EVOO, 2 tbsp grated parmesan, S & P to taste, 2 garlic cloves blended together in a food processor)

1 juicy red tomato, sliced and halved

8 slices of prosciutto

a lil bit of butter

4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese

What you want to do:

1.  Heat up your sammie press at medium.  Lower it to low right before you put the sammies on.

2.  Spread pesto  on one four pieces of bread.

3.  Place a slice of mozzarella on top of the pesto.

4.  Put 2 half moons of tomato on top of the mozzarella.

5.  Lay prosciutto on top of tomato.  Smear a smidge of butter on each of the 4 naked pieces of bread.  Put sammies together.

6.  Smear a little bit of butter on the outside of both pieces of bread. Place sammie in the center of the press.  Cook until you have defined grill marks (not charcoaled, but a good, toasty brown) and the mozzarella has melted.

7.  I half the sammies because it is easier to eat.  Tonight we enjoyed them with homemade guacamole and doritos (orange chips for Flyers fans 😉 ) and great company.

Cheers to Fridays, Friends and playoff FUN.