mad about bruschetta

tempting bruschetta
image via healthycheapfood.com

i have been thinking of bruschetta since last evening. not only have i been thinking, but i have also been yearning and craving for it.  i am in love with bruschetta. i can have that alone for dinner without anything else.  been thinking of making some this weekend if i am not away camping with my brother, the boys, the ex, nephew and his girlfriend, and my niece. 

do you know that you can actually make all sorts of bruschetta? that is how versatile it can be, not to mention delicious.  and some can be totally vegetarian and still taste good.  so that is a plus point for those wanting to eat healthily.  you can make bruschetta with just tomatoes; olives and tomatoes; charred carrots with goat cheese and parsley; and my favourites - mixed tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and dill; and also most definitely the unhealthier version - tomatoes and basil with slices of mozzarella at the top, oh yumm...just thinking about it makes me drool.

bruschetta topped with mozzarella
image via tesco.com

and just thinking about it is making me rethink my plans. i might just make bruschetta tomorrow for dinner instead of waiting until the weekend. i already have some fresh basil in the fridge, so all i need to get tomorrow are some tomatoes, a pack of mozzarella cheese and most definitely some baguette or at least ciabatta - perfect kind of breads for bruschetta.

i will most definitely try two ways of doing the bruschetta this time - 1. by having the sliced bread spread with a mix of crushed garlic that has been mixed with olive oil, and 2. by spreading the bread with some butter and grilling it in a pan ( i saw "Julie" doing it this way in "Julie and Julia" when she made some delicious looking bruschetta that were devoured by her husband with total enthusiasm).

as for the topping, i will keep to the simplest but yummiest -  mix the chopped tomatoes well with salt, pepper and chopped basil.  spread this over the bread. in the case of the oven grilled ones, spread the mix over once the slices of bread have been in the oven for 5 minutes at 200 C. finish off with a slice of mozzarella cheese. pop the bread back into the oven until the cheese has melted.  as for the pan grilled bread, just spread the tomato mix on the bread and enjoy... or as Julia would say: Bon apetit!  ok, i am getting out of hand with this Julie and Julia bit, i know...

some quick info on bruschetta: it is a hearty appetizer from central Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. it consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese; the most popular recipe outside of Italy involves basil, fresh tomato, garlic and onion or mozzarella. bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer. and in my case, it is served as the main course...