Meant to be

Sometimes the best comfort foods are combinations we've never tried before. Go figure. Take this combination, for example: sweet pears, nutty cheese, and spicy arugula between two slices of ciabatta. These are ingredients meant to be together, more so than I originally thought.

My friend Lark helped me make them last week, and we found ourselves stuffing the last bits of leftover pear slices and nutty, delicious cheese into our mouths when our sandwiches had disappeared into thin air.

Simple, sweet, and savory, too. If you're in the mood for something simple and homey, but also new and exciting, try these panini. I think you'll like them.

Pear Panini

Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

If you have a panini machine, ignore the stuff about cooking these on a pan and using an extra one to press the sandwich. Just use your machine instead.

8 slices ciabatta or country bread

1/4 cup olive oil

8 ounces sliced Taleggio cheese, brie, or nutty, melty cheese (I tried an Italian cheese I'd never heard of before and can't figure out the name of it at the moment, but I'll keep doing my research and let you know.)

2 large pears (I used "Best Ever" pears--perfect!), cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges

2 tablespoons Agave nectar or honey

Pinch salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces arugula or spinach

Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and place the bottom half of the bread (only the inside part that will touch the cheese) on the skillet until toasty and golden. Continue with the inside of the top slices of the bread.

While the top slices are toasting, begin forming the sandwiches. Divide the cheese among the warm bread so it can start melting. Cover the cheese with pear slices. Drizzle the pears with the Agave nectar or honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a handful of arugula. Place the toasted top half of the bread over the arugula and return the completed sandwiches (2-4 at a time) to the skillet. Place a smaller skillet on top of the panini and place a few heavy cans of food into the top skillet to press the sandwiches for 1-2 minutes. Flip the sandwiches over and do the same for the other side. Remove from the skillet. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Serves 4.