You say "brushetta", I say "brusketta"

"Keep the caviar – give me bruschetta” -Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's.

Bruschetta (pron. bɾu'sketta - In Italian, the letters "ch" represent the sound "k") is an Italian food which consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, in the most basic form. Back in the day, the tradition was to have bruschetta to test the new harvest of olive oil each year. Each region in Italy, just like having their own way of making pasta, has it's own version of the bruschetta. If you want to be absolutely traditional you must not stinge on the oil -that's where the flavour comes from. Add a pinch of salt for the olive oil to do the talking -you will soon learn why the Italians are known for their food.

Today, there are quite a few variations when it comes to topping the bruschetta - red peppers, tomatoes, vegetables, beans, cured meat, cheese being a few. Bruschetta can be served as a side dish (love some with pasta) or a snack by itself. What's popular in the United States is a recipe that involves basil, tomato and mozzarella. I made some with sun dried tomatoes today.

Have guests coming over? This is the easiest thing to put together - just slice up the bread, dunk it in a bowl of olive oil and toast under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Rub the garlic. Add your favourite cheese and push it back into the oven till it has melted. If you want to do some toppings then keep that ready and add it along with the cheese just before popping it into the oven.

Some of my favourite toppings:

• Roasted bell peppers
• Sun dried tomatoes
• No topping - just a whole lot of garlic butter!
• Cheeses: parmigiana reggiano, feta, mozzarella, blue cheese, goat's cheese
• Olives
• Tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinegar

Sundried tomato bruschetta
(Serves 4)

• 1 baguette (so much for talking about Italian food all this while, but this is what I could find. Ciabatta should be good too, or for that matter any crusty bread. The better the bread, the better the bruschetta.)
• Olive oil, for brushing on the bread
• 100g/4 oz. cheese
• 40g/1.5 oz. sun dried tomatoes
• garlic cloves for rubbing (if you like subtle flavour that is - or simply go all out like me and mix some mined garlic with the cheese! :D)
  

Prep work:
Slice the baguette diagonally
Grate the cheese
Peel the garlic cloves and mince if you're throwing them in with the cheese
Chop the sun dried tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 225ºC/450ºF.
2. Brush the sliced bread with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle with cheese mixed with minced garlic. Top with sun dried tomatoes.
4. Line the slices on a baking sheet and push them into the oven for 4-7 minutes.

And that's how easy it is for you to make a quick snack!

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