Lunch at the Office

Behold! My latest love. Yes, the photo is out of focus and the sandwich has been wrapped in plastic for the past 12 hours, but its outer beauty does not reflect all it has to offer (and isn't that what love is all about?).

I typically am hard pressed for lunch ideas to take to the office. I'm one of those people that prefers to eat almost everything freshly cooked. I'm not a sandwich person. Even while living in Italy, I would always opt for soups or pastas before I would choose a panino. Blame it on all of the sack lunches of turkey on wheat that plagued my elementary and junior high and high school days.

But after refusing to take pasta to reheat and feeling guilty spending the extra 5 minutes away from my desk to heat up my homemade soup in the microwave at work, I succumbed to the pressure of the ever ready, always easy sandwich. However, I was not about to buy deli turkey and wheat bread in a plastic bag. (Anyone who knows me, how stubborn I can be about particular things in life...like sandwiches).

Contents:

• Freshly baked bread with sesame seeds
• Prosciutto
• Thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
• Fresh arugula
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

For the sake of packing my lunch, I prepare the sandwich (sans olive oil) and wrap it up in plastic wrap. I pour the oil into a small baggie, so I can put it on my sandwich right before I'm ready to eat. This way the bread won't be soggy by the time 1pm (or 4pm as was the case today) rolls around.

The prosciutto was like butter, melting in my mouth. The parmigiano adds that extra sharp kick to give the overall flavor combo a complex, deeper quality. The arugula has a great peppery flavor that spices up the mellow and smooth flavors of the meat and cheese.

The bread, prosciutto, and cheese are all from what is becoming my new favorite store: Di Palo's Fine Foods in Little Italy.