When it comes to the streamside meal, I guess you could just pack the ever-available peanut butter and jelly sandwich . . . again, but then where's the imagination in that? And if you are going fishing because you totally enjoy spending time with friends and family on the water, why not go the extra mile and prepare a memorable lunch to really knock the wool socks off your group?

Take a recent fall trip for example: my husband Wayne was out moose hunting, so it was just Marcus and I for a day on the Kenai. We love to fish the stretch from Sportsman's to Jim's Landing. About equipment, Marcus said not to worry, as he'd pack some of the tester rods and reels we still had to photograph for the March gear issue. Since he was also driving us, furnishing his Clackacraft drift boat and rowing me down river, the least I could do was volunteer to handle the menu.

The night before I decided on hot Panini sandwiches. Here's how you do it:

First, you roast red pepper, zucchini, white onion, garlic and yellow squash at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet covered in cooking spray. Slice 1/2-inch thick slices of some crusty white bread. I buy Pugliese bread from the bakery at Fred Meyer. I have a Lodge Logic Ribbed Panini Press and a Lodge Logic Pro Grid/Iron Griddle, but they also make Panini press machines if you can spare the pantry space.

Set your griddle flat-side down on top of the stove and preheat it with a medium-level flame before you start to grill the sandwiches. Preheat the Panini press over another burner at the same temperature. Place a couple slices of buttered bread on the grill and then a half-slice of Muenster and a half-slice of provolone on each piece of toast. Layer vegetables, roasted garlic, fresh basil, black forest ham and another round of half slices of cheese before you add another slice of buttered bread to close the sandwich. Use your press to flatten the sandwich, but still use a pair of tongs to flip the sandwich, ensuring grill marks on both sides and that the cheese is melted.

Place hot sandwiches on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and leave them to cool before you wrap them and refrigerate them overnight. The next morning you can throw the Paninis in the cooler and set off for the day.

That day the rainbow fishing was good right out of the launch and we each hooked up on several 'bows and Dollies. We fished for a while before we decided to pull over at the "Panini hole." Marcus had brought some dry firewood because we couldn't rely on finding some on a heavily-trafficked river like the Kenai. After burning the fire until it was a hot bed, we placed the foil-wrapped sandwiches into the fire to reheat them. I was worried the bread would not hold up, but when we tried it, we both agreed it did. We still talk about how good they were.

I repeated the Panini lunch later that month and brought some homemade vegetable soup on a trip when our cousins Vanessa and Jaynie were here to visit from New York. Wayne was back in town so I made sandwiches for everyone the night before. Wayne heated the soup in an MSR stove while the Paninis reheated and we all had a hot lunch at the same time.

With the right planning, you can make each person's sandwich exactly the way they would like it and then mark each with a Sharpie. I serve the Paninis with Moosetard gourmet mustard (www.moosetard.com). I stick with Savory Spruce, Old 55 Pale Ale or Ginger Birch flavors on these grilled sandwiches.

Paninis are a delicious lunch on the river and can be made in a variety of combinations. Try it sometime to make your day more memorable or provide the transportation and suggest this fine idea to your guests. If the fishing is too fantastic to stop, you can always just pull out a PB&J.

- Melissa Norris

Publisher