On a steamy summer day, one can close her eyes and imagine that instead of being in a small New England town she is on a tropical island.  The air is hot and humid with the sun high overhead.  To make the day end on this same tropical note, a meal with an island-like feel is required.  However, it should be a simple meal so as not to produce any more heat on a day such as this. 

I found the perfect meal for my imaginary tropics day in a panini.  I started with the basic thought of using a jerk marinade.  I decided to keep it simple yet worthy of an island, so some fresh produce was needed.  Add a little cheese to hold it all together, and it was perfection.  A simple side of fresh watermelon completed the meal as a sweet, light side dish.

 Jamaican Chicken Panini 

1 pound uncooked chicken tenders

1 bottle jerk marinade

1 artisan boule, cut into 3/4 inch slices

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1 papaya, peeled and sliced with seeds removed

shredded cheddar cheese

butter

Several hours before you plan to eat, place the chicken tenders in a resealable gallon bag.  Add enough jerk marinade to cover and refrigerate. 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and place a small amount of olive oil in the pan.  Add marinated chicken to the pan, turning when brown, approximately 3-4 minutes.  Turn and cook the other side, making sure that the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 3-4 minutes.  Remove pan from heat.

Heat a second nonstick frying pan over medium low heat.  To assemble panini, take 1 piece of bread and place 3 chicken tenders on the bread.  Top with tomato slices, papaya, and cheddar cheese.  Place other slice of bread on top and coat topside with a thin layer of butter.  Place panini in frying pan, butter side down.  While the first side is cooking, place butter on the other side.  Cook each side until golden brown and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove sandwich from skillet, cut in half, and serve.

This recipe makes 4-5 panini.

Last week, world-renowned Chef Emeril Lagasse opened his newest restaurant, Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House, at the Island View Casino Resort in Gulfport, Mississippi. The opening marked the debut of Lagasse’s “Coastal Creole” cuisine, as Chef de Cuisine Steve D’Angelo, General Manager Jason Lonigro and their staff of 90 infuse New Orleans flavor with Mississippi’s fresh seafood and unmatched Southern charm. The restaurant is open seven days, with dinner service from 5:30pm – 10:00pm Sunday-Thursday, and until 11:00pm on Friday and Saturday. (Lunch will be served in the near future). Reservations may be made by calling the restaurant, 228-314-1515.

Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House is Lagasse’s first new restaurant project since 2003, and the
tenth restaurant in the Emeril’s family. The menu explores “Coastal Creole” cuisine, a combination of Lagasse’s signature “new New Orleans” cuisine with an emphasis on fresh local seafood, produce and farm products that are unique to the region. The menu features Chef Emeril’s classics like New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp, and famous Banana Cream Pie, as well as new additions including Crispy Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Cake with Corn Maque Choux, and Shrimp & Grits.

“Opening a restaurant at the Island View is particularly special to me because my family and I have very close ties to the Gulf Coast,” says Emeril Lagasse. “My wife Alden grew up in Gulfport and we have spent a lot of time with our family and friends in this area. I am also very happy to be working with local guys Rick (Carter) and Terry (Green) at the Island View. I hope that this restaurant is a small step toward the recovery of this region and brings new attention to its unique food culture, abundant fresh seafood, game and produce.”

Friedmutter Group’s architectural design captures the allure of the environment and refreshing Coastal style. The venue is awash in natural lighting and hints of the Gulf waters with swirling glass ribbons and thousands of hand blown glass bubbles that float throughout the space. Inside the semi-private dining room beneath the 4,000 bottle wine tower, guests are surrounded by some of Chef Emeril’s best vintages, and dine at hand-crafted wood tables inset with shimmering glass. The main dining room offers views of the beach and nearby islands, with intimate banquets encircling a 14 foot capiz shell chandelier. A lively Chef’s food bar is the centerpiece of the eatery and your ticket to the action of the open kitchen.

“It has been quite a year for Island View Casino Resort, full of milestones since opening last September. However, seeing the doors to Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House open tomorrow will be an extremely proud moment - not only for our company, but for Terry and me on a personal level as well,” says Rick Carter, co-owner of Island View. “When we created the dream for Island View, we said we would aim for the very best for this resort, and in turn the very best for our hometown area. Emeril Lagasse shares that same vision and that passion; therefore, I can not thank him and his staff enough for joining us as Island View continues its commitment to revitalizing the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”

The National Restaurant Association has awarded Scotsman with a 2007 Kitchen Innovations Awards for the Prodigy Cube Ice Machine. The Prodigy has been lauded as one of the smartest, most foolproof ice machines on the market today thanks to its state-of-the-art self-monitoring system. It will be featured in live demonstrations in the Kitchen Innovations Pavilion during the National Restaurant Show in May 2007. This is the first Kitchen Innovations award for Scotsman. The competition is judged by an independent panel of industry experts and recognizes trend-setting kitchen equipment thought to be among the most innovative in the world.

The features that make the Prodigy a winner for any commercial need are Prodigy�s AutoAlert lights that continually communicate the machine�s current status, energy efficiency that exceed even California�s energy requirements, the patented WaterSense adaptive purge control that adapts to varying water conditions, and advanced diagnostic code display to help technicians can determine operating issues quickly.

Scotsman Ice Systems, an Enodis company, is a full-line manufacturer of ice machines offering the greatest variety of ice forms, machine sizes (more than 300 different models), storage bin sizes, icemaker dispensers and ice-only dispensers. The company has been recognized twice in the last four years as one of the Top 25 Best Plants in the U.S. by IndustryWeek .

Get more facts and complete information sheets for Scotsman ice machines at www.restaurantequipmentnews.com