Friday, September 14, 2012

Bruschetta: Simplicity...

Just last month a new shopping haven was launched to the public at Alabang.  Metro Mall is the newest league in the supermarket and department store scene, grasping the Alabang A-list market.   After attending the event with its amazing surprises for the guests, I took home some fresh baguettes from their bakeshop and boy was I so happy getting home, with the thought that I could finally make another batch of bruschetta.


This is not just a bruschetta ((which is pronounced brus-ketta, by the way, I looked it up), this is the one from the movie Julie and Julia.  What I meant with that is that the recipe where they patterned this after is supposedly the one from Julia Childs' book, The Art of French Cooking.  The bruschetta served in Julie and Julia became a rage over the internet simply because of the beautiful colors and fresh, chunky ingredients served on top of bread fried in oil. I’ve made bruschetta before and did the usual thing of chopped tomatoes mixed with olive oil and basil, but this bruschetta just wowed me. I’m also sure Chris Messina devouring the dish like a hungry jackal added to the appeal. It was the larger chunks of tomato, bigger leaves of basil and what appeared to be something orange that made this bruschetta stand out.
I searched online and found a myriad of recipes all claiming to be the one shown in Julie and Julia, but image after image, it just didn’t seem to really look like the dish made in the movie.  The suggestions handed to me were to seek out a variety of tomatoes to get those colors, but I more remembered how bruschetta isn’t just limited to tomatoes, oil, and basil.  Anyway the look may matter, but what matters most is how my kids would like them.    You know the idea of having tomatoes and basil on crusted bread isn't seem that appetizing to them.

To be sure they can also have a sample of the French baguette from the Metro mall, I had some garlic buttered bread, in case they won't like the bruschetta.
Garlic bread

Some notes before you begin though.   Just like in the movie, my daughter and I fried the first batch of sliced bread on olive oil.  You see it's a bit impractical for us.  We use authentic EVOO which according to my parents are selects given to them by their Italian friends in Milan and I avoided indulging too much EVOO with this one, since the bottles we have are expensive.  You see the bread tend to soak up the oil making you add each time you add slices of bread.  So my daughter thought of a clever idea, brushing the olive oil at each side of the bread then fried them.  
Also, most of the recipes, I think even in the movie, the tomatoes and basil are tossed fresh, then dumped onto the fried bread.   I tweaked it a bit and cooked them over low fire just so my kids would eat it without getting that leafy, herby taste from the veggies.

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 loaf(s) (8 ounces) Foccacia or French Baguette
1 clove(s) (large) garlic, cut in half (skin removed)
8 medium ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil and more
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/8 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
parmesan cheese, ground

Procedure:

1.  Fry bread in 2-3 T. olive oil in skillet, browning on each side, and adding 1 more T. oil if necessary.
2.  Rub cut half of garlic over 1 side of fried bread.   It depends on you if you want to do it on the other side.      In our case, we did two sides, making it more garlicky, which we loved.
3.  On pan over a low fire, toss the tomatoes with some olive oil and about 1 tsp. sea salt and pepper.  Let it wilt a bit but make sure the tomatoes skin are still intact.
4. Then put in the basil leaves, toss a bit and turn off the fire.
5.  Spoon tomatoes (with oil and accumulated juices) over bread.

 Garlic Butter Bread

Ingredients:

sliced Foccacia or French Baguette
1/8 cup softened butter
whole garlic, peeled and sliced in half
parsley, shredded

Procedure:
1.  Over a medium fire, fry the bread with the butter, putting a little butter at a time until they are slightly brown.
2.  While the bread is still warm, rub the garlic over the bread.  You will notice that it melts and the sweat of the garlic sticks to the bread.
3.  Sprinkle with parsley.

The verdict?
After every batch the plate where we put the breads, goes empty every time.   I never really got to sit down and enjoy two slices.   I have to snatch one from my husband to get another bite.   Though we made quite a few batches, it was never enough for the six of us.
It was indeed a winner.
I thought the menschy actor Chris Messina was just a good actor as he was eating the bruschetta with great gusto.   Infact, I saw my husband and kids reacting the same way.   Being careful not to have any of the topping fall over.
Please, please you must try this.   Your husband and your kids or your friends will love you more with these.


After the Bruschetta eating mania
Enjoyed the rest of the afternoon playing with
Hazel Nutella our new pup.


Here are more of my posts with my Julie and Julia addiction:
Buon Apetit!

5 comments:

  1. Ah, we can never get enough of Julie & Julia. Hahaha! i LOoooooove bruschettas. I always make some when I feel like it. It's really amazing how tomatoes, basil, salt, and Tuscan bread can make wonderful appetizers. I rarely put garlic. Gives me bad breath. hahahaha!

    Obviously since I'm not really good in cooking I just make a fast and simple bruschetta.

    I still haven't tried the one with garlic and butter. Maybe I'll try your recipe.

    By the way, I promised to do the Nutella Cream Pie. I'll try it next week. I'll report to you as soon as possible! Hehehe!

    Viva la cucina italiana!

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  2. This made my stomach growl. I love that movie and the looks of this bruschetta. I need to make a batch of this now especially with extra garlic.

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