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May 09, 2008
Things I Used to Believe About Bruschetta that I No Longer Believe
I used to be kind of intimidated about the idea of making bruschetta, but then I made some and now I’m kind of addicted to it. There’s something about bruschetta that’s very satisfying. It’s crispy, there are vegetables cooked just right on it, and it involves the deliriously wonderful combination of olive oil and garlic. According to Mr. Bittman (who I love) in How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food (which I love), “bruschetta is grilled (or broiled, or even toasted) bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. There are two requirements: Good coarse, crusty bread… and good olive oil.”
Hm.
Having good olive oil in the house is a basic requirement for getting out of bed, and, in my mind, at least, a drizzle of olive oil is what lets bruschetta have a cool Italian name instead of being called an open-faced sandwich (which is what bruschetta *is*, of course, but “open-faced sandwich” doesn’t sound nearly so exotic). I take exception with the crusty bread, though. I know Mr. Bittman is suggesting that we use Italian bread or a nice baguette, and, presentation-wise, baguettes are the way to go. Still, I’ve been making bruschettas out of my everyday whole-wheat bread here at home, and they’ve been awesome.
I also used to think that chopped tomatoes were essential to the bruschetta process, but since you can’t get a decent tomato this time of year, I’ve been making bruschetta with onions, yellow peppers, garlic, and capers. Yum. If anything, I’d say that CAPERS are essential to bruschetta because they come in those little bitty jars. And they’re very Mediterranean. And yummy.
I think I’ll go make some now….
Posted by adrienne at May 9, 2008 09:46 PM
Comments
Drool. Wiping up my own drool here. I freakin' love bruschetta, but I've never thought of making it myself. You've inspired me.
I said an "amen" outloud to the olive oil comment, too. And garlic. Mmmm. Garlic. I put it in just about everything. Good for the 'ol immune system, too, that garlic is. And CAPERS. I'm yelling that, 'cause I FREAKIN' LOVE THEM. I bought some recently and ate them up way too fast.
And, yes, it seems those little tomatoes are necessary, but I'm sorry, the way you're making it sounds flat-out brilliant.
Mmmmmmm.
Posted by: jules at May 9, 2008 11:03 PM
What I love to is that this is an activity that qualifies as "cooking," even though, really, you've chopped up some vegetables, tossed them on top of some bread, and toasted it. (I do it under the broiler.) Like I say, if you make it on any-old bread, it tastes good, but if you make it on little slices of baguette, people who aren't much with the cooking will be all impressed because what you've done looks so pretty. It's a great trick. I wish I'd taken it up sooner.
I hear you on the capers. When I'm using them, I get all like, "One for the bruschetta, one for Adrienne, one for the bruschetta, one for Adrienne." Then I wonder why I go through them so quickly.
Posted by: adrienne at May 10, 2008 12:48 PM
I've never heard of capers, except as used in statements like "those two are known for their many mischievous and outlandish capers," which I don't think refers to vegetables.
Posted by: jp at May 10, 2008 02:47 PM
And really, even 'open-faced sandwich' is a less direct way of saying what bruchetta is: stuff on bread. Capers are important to making life interesting, both the pickled flower bud kind and the mischievous and outlandish kind.
Posted by: chuck at May 10, 2008 06:59 PM
Jason, Statements like that generally apply to me and whoever I am hanging out with in a given moment. You've eaten capers, incidentally, whether you were aware of it or not. If I remember, I'll bring a few in for you next week so you can see what they're all about.
Chuck, So many things I really enjoy boil down to being variations of stuff on bread.
Posted by: adrienne at May 10, 2008 10:08 PM
Yummers.
I've had (and consequently made) bruscetta with goat cheese and caramelized onions, and goat cheese and fig jam.
Posted by: Alkelda at May 12, 2008 12:32 AM
Oh yum. I want to come to dinner at *your* house, Alkelda.
Posted by: adrienne at May 12, 2008 09:03 PM