It's car week here at FTTW! These days, food in cars is so universal, I figured it'd be way easy to come up some food-related stuff. I was wrong. I had a couple of ideas that I could work with:

- my take on fast food
- food you could cook on your car
- tailgating food

Then I decided to do my favorite road trip food. Everybody loves road trips. Unless you don't. In which case you totally suck. This food is tasty, it's not messy (if you make it right), and you can suck one down (hehehehe) while you're driving.

Vegetable Panini

2 thick slices sourdough bread
roasted red peppers
smoked gouda cheese, grated
butter
fresh baby spinach
tomato slices
salt and pepper
mayonnaise

Spread a very thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread and butter on the other (if you don't like mayo, butter both sides. the fat in the mayo or butter will help prevent the bread from getting soggy). Sprinkle the mayo side of both slices with some of the cheese. On one slice, place a single layer of the spinach leaves. On the other, place one or two slices of the roasted red pepper and a slice or two of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cooking the panini requires even cooking on both sides at the same time, and pressure. You can achieve this a couple of different ways:

1. Panini Press

This is the obvious way. If you have one, you're set. Use it according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Cast Iron Skillets or Bricks

Since I don't have a panini press, this is my preferred way to do it. Take two big cast iron skillets (or four bricks, wrapped twice in aluminum foil) and put them in an oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Leave them in there for at least 20 minutes. Put one skillet upside down (or two bricks side by side) on your stove and put the sandwich on it. Place the other skillet face up (or the other two bricks) on top of the sandwich and leave it there for 10 - 15 minutes. There's plenty of residual heat in the skillets / bricks to cook the sandwich without another ounce of external fuel.

3. Foreman Grill

Put the sandwich on the grill, close it, and weigh it down with something (even just your hand).

In any case, the sandwich is done when the cheese is melted and the spinach is slightly wilted. The weight will seal the sandwich, making it perfect for road tripping. They're almost as good room temperature, and perfect for long drives.

This week's metal review is something old AND something new.

Destruction
Thrash Anthems
Candlelight Records

RIYL: Slayer, Kreator, Exodus, old school thrash

Destruction is one of the progenitors of the European thrash movement, which evolved at about the same time, yet fairly independently from, American thras bands like Slayer and Metallica. They are similar in many facets, but differ in a few ways. Specifically, the guitars have a lot more melody than their American counterparts. Destruction led the way for bands like Kreator, Hypocrisy, and At the Gates, which really spawned the entire European death metal genre. Thrash Anthems is a collection of their greatest hits, but they're not just compiled here – they went into the studio and re-recorded them all, which did them a great service, if you ask me. While I love 80s thrash metal, I generally think most of the albums could handle a coat of spit and polish on the mixing board, and these songs are no different. The sound is clearer and heavier, and the low end missing from so many analog recordings of the day is precise and focused. This album also contains two previously unreleased tracks that, while not the high points of the record, are solid songs that are very enjoyable.

Recommended Tracks: "Tormentor", "Profanity", "Total Desaster", "Bestial Invasion"

Baby Huey made a poop joke AND a blowjob joke in this week's post. He's actually very proud of that.

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