But paninis—oh, paninis take my sandwich-love to the next level. Individually, these sandwiches are called paninos (how cute is that?), and they originated in Italy, although they’re now part of our international foodie vocabulary. Panini are traditionally made on ciabatta or rosetta bread, and Italians like them with a few salty slices of prosciutto and some cheese, but you should absolutely feel free to customize yours with whatever fillings you’d like—fresh seasonal vegetables, a variety of meats, or good old cheese for a global version of everyone’s favorite grilled sandwich.

One of the most recognizable features of panini are their pretty grill marks, and there a variety of manufacturers who make panini-makers now, ranging in price from moderate to high. But fear not: If you don’t have one, you can still get the exact same look, feel and taste from a grill pan—just flip your sandwich over when the bottom side is golden brown and toasty.

Here’s one of my favorite, classic paninos for your tasting pleasure:

Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Panino on Ciabatta

½ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
8 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
10 oz. thinly sliced whole-milk mozzarella cheese
12 tomato slices
12 large fresh basil leaves
1 (16-oz) ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl to blend; season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Layer prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil over bread. Drizzle lightly with dressing, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Press top of bread over ingredients, then cut equally into four sandwiches.

Prepare your panini maker. Grill sandwiches until bread is golden brown and the cheese melts, pressing occasionally to compact with a large spatula, 3-5 minutes per side.

And you don’t have to limit your panini-making to savory ingredients—I have a recipe for Nutella panini that is to die for and super easy to make. For each panino, simply preheat your panini grill, then slather three tablespoons of that creamy-dreamy chocolate-hazelnut spread, Nutella, onto 2 slices of white sandwich bread. Grill for about three minutes, then remove from the panini grill, remove the bread crusts and cut into triangles. You could serve with some fresh strawberries and a little fresh-whipped cream; I like to add sliced bananas before grilling and then sprinkle with a touch of confectioner’s sugar. Delicious!

Coconut desserts have always been a popular spring treat, and with its distinctive smell and taste, coconut—at least for me—always evokes thoughts of warm weather and fun outdoor gatherings with friends. I like coconut in many forms, both sweet and savory, but I have to admit that, in spring, my favorite way to enjoy coconut is in cake form, whether that be a dainty cupcake or (even better) a huge slice of coconut cream-filled layer cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut on top with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut on top. Yum.

Here’s a fun fact for you about coconuts: They come from a Spanish and Portuguese word that means “monkey face.” Whole coconuts were often used as currency until as recently as the beginning of the 20^th century, and coconut palms—the trees on which coconuts grow—are prolific in Florida and other tropical climes such as Hawaii and South America. Interestingly, in spite of their association with the warmer months, peak months in which to get the freshest coconuts are October through December, but here in Florida, we’re lucky to have access to them year-round.

Coconut meat is white, fleshy, and delicious, and can be used fresh or in dried form. A note to those attempting to use fresh coconut for baking: Cracking one open is hard. If you’re not up for that challenge, you can find shredded sweetened and unsweetened coconut in your local supermarket, and that works perfectly for any recipe requiring coconut’s sweet, nutty taste. And to really bring out the flavor, spread shredded coconut on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. The bonus of toasting, in addition to the enhanced flavor, is that your whole kitchen will smell delicious.

Almost everyone I know has a beloved coconut pastry recipe, but my favorite coconut cake comes from a recipe based on The Peninsula Grill’s famous (and almost terrifying) 12-layer (yes, 12!) coconut cake. Edited to a more reasonable three layers, filled with a creamy coconut center and topped with decadent cream cheese frosting that’s flecked with golden toasted coconut, this cake is an indulgence, yes—but it’s worth it. I’m coco-nutty for it!

Giant Coconut Layer Cake
Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

Filling

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1/4 cup sour cream

Cake

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

5 large eggs

1 1/3 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

For filling:
Stir cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, and vanilla in small bowl to dissolve cornstarch. Bring cream, sugar, and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool completely. Mix in sour cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cream and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide batter equally among pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

Place 1 cake layer on cake plate. Top with half of filling. Place second cake layer atop filling. Top with remaining filling. Place third cake layer atop filling. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Pat toasted coconut over top and sides of cake, pressing gently to adhere. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 3 hours before serving.)

Let’s be honest. When I think of comfort foods, I don’t think of whole-grain pasta. I think of lobster, macaroni and cheese, puffed-up doughnuts, matzoh ball soup, noodle pudding. But with a plethora of healthy restaurants popping up all over town (see: Veg in Sarasota), the resurgence of farmers’ markets all across the country, and the popularity of healthy cooking blogs like Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks, comfort food is taking on a new meaning.

The down economy has, I think, forced people to turn their eyes inward—to their own kitchens. And while a heaping dish of Ina Garten’s macaroni and cheese is good every once in awhile, it’s not the most healthy thing to serve every night. (Cardiologist appointment for one, please!) Hence the emergence of “good” comfort food—fare that you can feel good about eating and that doesn’t sacrifice flavor.

A good example of this kind of trend is a quinoa berry breakfast bowl. Colorful and flavorful, crunchy and filling, this is a perfect healthy, go-to breakfast dish that will make you forget about stacks of pancakes and sides of bacon. Well, almost.

Quinoa Berry Breakfast Bowl
Adapted from Dr. John LaPuma’s Chef MD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine

1 cup soy milk

1 cup water

1 cup quinoa

2 cups fresh berries

½ tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Agave nectar, to taste (alternatively: brown sugar, to taste)

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in berries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle agave nectar over each serving or stir in brown sugar.

Ah, spring—you’re finally almost here! After a winter that included the Snowpocalypse in the Northeast and unseasonably cold weather for weeks at a time here in the Southeast (seriously, we Floridians don’t know what to do when we have to wear sweaters and closed-toe shoes for more than three days in a row), I am more than ready for some warm weather, lighter food, and more picnics on the beach.

Lucky for me (and for you), a great variety of fruits and vegetable come into season this month—everything from apples, nectarines, peaches and pears to asparagus, eggplant, snow peas, spring onions and zucchini. So get thee to your local farmer’s market and start browsing the produce stands—you’ll find everything you need for a great spring meal.

Asparagus is one vegetable, in particular, that can provide a variety of spring cooking options. Saute it with oil, garlic, shrimp, kosher salt and black pepper and serve with crusty bread for a simple but filling meal; serve it alongside steak for a healthy side; or let it take center stage in the form of a soup like the following. Served with saffron croutons, it’s a great go-to dish. Bon appétit!

Asparagus Soup with Saffron Croutons

3-4 slices of white sandwich bread

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp saffron threads

Kosher salt

For the soup:

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 lbs.)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 large shallots, chopped (about ½ cup)

2 cups heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

½ tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

2 tsp thinly sliced chives

Make the croutons: Cut the crust of the bread and discard. Cut the bread into tiny cubes (about 1/3 inch) to yield about 1 ½ cups.

Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-low heat. Crumble the saffron and gently cook for about 1 minute to infuse the oil with the saffron color. Watch your heat; saffron can burn quickly. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the croutons are golden and crunchy, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a plate to cool.

Trim the tough bottoms off the asparagus and cut the spears into 1-inch pieces.

Melt the butter in a 3 to 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not colored, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, 2 cups of water, 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp white pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the asparagus, lower to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender (taste a piece to see) but still quite green, about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender and pass it through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids, into a bowl (if you plan to serve it chilled) or into a clean saucepan.

To serve, reheat the soup if serving it warm. Stir in the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more lemon juice, if you like. Serve the soup in cups or small bowls, topped with the croutons and chives.

1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
½ red onion sliced very thin
1 large English cucumber, skin on
4 large fresh tomatoes, diced
1 yellow tomato diced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 Tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced plus 1 teaspoon
3 cloves garlic smashed
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt
Fresh ground white pepper

8 jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined, tail on
Olive oil
3 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice or lemon juice
Salt and pepper as needed

Heat grill to medium high. Brush shrimp with olive oil
Grill shrimp on double skewer to prevent curling. About 2-3 minutes per side until pink.
Thinly slice bell peppers, removing core and seeds. Chop cucumber. Add tomatoes and cucumbers to thinly sliced peppers. Gently toss in scallions and fresh herbs.

In a separate bowl, mix the garlic with the lemon juice until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly.
Place a serving in the center of the plate. Lay grilled shrimp on top

Mix the yogurt and lemon juice with one teaspoon cilantro. Top center of shrimp with a dollop of yogurt dressing.

Happy Mother’s Day—here’s to the flavors of May!

- Judi Gallagher

4 Cornish game hens- halved, backs removed

½ cup orange juice

4 TBSP. soy sauce

2 TBSP. whit balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Dash kosher salt

Orange zest for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and pat dry hens. Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. Pout into zip lock bag, add hens and marinate for 15 minutes- 1 hour in refrigerator.

Transfer hens to roasting pan and place on rack, skin side up. Baste every ten minutes. Roast for 30-40 minutes. Serve with pan juices and top with zest of orange. (you can also grill the Cornish game hens on a low flame. Serve with skewered fresh grilled veggies and crisp green bean salad.