Italian

I've talked before about how Italian food can feel cliche and movie worthy. Paired with red wine and black leggings you're ready to jump on a scooter and whirr right through the middle of some italian piazza.

It's a shame I have such emotional damage about italian food because I really do love it.

For lunch yesterday we had sandwiches on ciabatta bread with fresh mozzarella and tomato slices. It was delicious. It was light. It was not cliche.

For dinner we made bruschetta. The pronunciation of this word is slightly controversial.

Is it or is it

My friend who went to culinary school says it's the first in Italy and the second at the Olive Garden. but He went to culinary school which can be a hoity-toity place so who knows.

I know I can put some bruschetta away!

There is a picture of a small sampling of the bruschetta I put away for dinner last night.

Ingredients:

The last baguette left in Whole Foods, garlic and parmesan blend.

1 ugly tomato, which has less gooey parts in the middle

1 regular tomato

Diced red onion

Sprinkle of organic basil

Corse salt

Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Steps:

Pre-heat to 400 degrees.

Dice your tomatoes.

Dice your onion, rinse the onion.

Add the salt and basil. taste it until you like it.

Reduce your vinegar in a tiny pan until it is thicker and sweeter than normal.

Slice the baguette, which might be smooshed on one end from being the last baguette left in the bin, congratulate yourself on making it to the store before there was no baguette left and you'd be eating tomato salad for dinner.

Use a pastry brush to put extra virgin olive oil on one side of the bread. DON'T go crazy thinking your in an italian movie, just use a little.

Bake the bread until slightly toasted. I have no idea how long I had mine in for because I did go italian movie crazy and opened a bottle of wine at this point and after a while said, "oooh, the bread."

Pile about 1tbsp of the tomato mixture on the bread

Sprinkle about 1/8tsp of the balsamic vinegar reduction on top of that

You should definitely taste a few before you leave the kitchen for quality testing and because once you leave the kitchen your friends will probably eat them all and none will be left for you.

Eat as many as you can before people begin to wonder.

Happy Eating!