The perfect salad for a fried chicken cutlet and the satisfying simplicity of a caprese sandwich.

Plus, a bit of This & That.

The Caprese Sandwich

I’ve always loved a caprese sandwich. When I was pregnant with Costa and had to drive across Los Angeles to my appointments in Santa Monica, I would always stop by Bay Cities Deli after seeing my doctor and pick one up to eat in the car on the long drive back to the Eastside. Or, if I found myself near Larchmont while running around delivering gift boxes or flower arrangements to clients, I would pop into Larchmont Village Wine and Cheese and grab one to go. Even as a teenager and still a very picky eater, I would always scan a menu hoping for a Caprese salad or sandwich as I knew it would be something I could enjoy without any anxiety. Its simplicity brings me so much satisfaction, especially when made with high-quality ingredients bursting with flavor.

A few days ago, after picking up a small French baguette at a gourmet shop called Va Sano that we just discovered in Rome, I decided to make a quick caprese sandwich for our lunch with some beautiful tomatoes and basil we had bought from our local farmers market and a fresh mozzarella from Puglia. Here is how I like to assemble my Caprese.

CAPRESE SANDWICH

Serves 2

• Demi baguette (I also like a thick sourdough or country-style bread)

• 1 medium heirloom tomato or juicy tomato of choice, thinly sliced into rounds

• 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into thick rounds or torn into large pieces

• Handful of fresh basil leaves

• Aged balsamic vinegar

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Flakey sea salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

Slice the baguette in half and toast it ever so lightly, just until it starts feeling a little toasted on top. Drizzle both sides of the bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with flakey sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Layer the tomato and mozzarella across one side of the baguette, sprinkling flakey sea salt and black pepper between the layers. Add one more drizzle of olive oil across the tomatoes and cheese, and then add the basil leaves. Top the sandwich with the other side of the baguette and slice it in half before serving.

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Perfect Salad For A Fried Chicken Cutlet

In Italy, whether you shop at a supermarket or your local macelleria (butcher shop), you can easily find breaded cutlets (chicken, veal, beef) ready to take home and cook. They’re usually pounded out very thin with a light coating of fine breadcrumbs and sometimes seasoned with cheese and/or herbs. In addition to cooking my Panko Chicken and Chicken Katsu from scratch, I've been turning to these prepared breaded chicken cutlets for easy weeknight dinners as the kids absolutely love them. One of my favorite fellow Substackers, Saturday Table, recently posted a recipe for Chicken Cutlets with Mozzarella, Tomato, Nectarine, and Olive Salad. The moment I saw the picture of this dish, I was salivating. I loved this idea of topping the fried chicken cutlet with something bright, fresh, and tangy. So, the other night I created my version of this dish with an arugula, peach, and tomato salad that was so simple, flavorful, and satisfying. It's a great way to make a kid-friendly and adult-friendly dinner in one shot. The kids had the fried chicken cutlets with some Oven Roasted Fries, and Andre and I enjoyed the hot and crispy chicken topped high with lots of fresh, beautiful, summery produce—a dish where everyone wins.

CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH ARUGULA, PEACH, AND TOMATO SALAD