On a side note, for all you Italian language learners out there, my title should really be “bruschette” because you change the “a” to an “e” to make it plural, yet I never know if it’s better to use the real word or the Americanized term so people get what I am talking about. Bruschetta=1,bruschette=more than one. Final note, the real way to pronounce bruschetta is like this: “brew—sket—ta”. Here’s a trick to remembering this pronunciation: “you are drinking a brew, when out jumps a skeleton from the closet who yells ta-da!” brew-sket-ta. Random, I know, but these little tricks help with remembering languages at the beginning, at least for me. 🙂
Back to those lovely little tomatoes I was telling you about. Italians are experts at growing and conserving tomatoes for the entire year. Some of the most popular ways to conserve tomatoes are CONTINUE READING
You might be wondering what that weird foreign word is in the title. It’s the variety of one of my favorite Italian olives and is pronounced taj-jas-kay. These small greenish-purplish-brownish olives are cultivated on the rocky mountain slopes ::pendenze of the Italian Riviera in Liguria.
Taggiasche olives have a meaty texture and a slightly tart salty flavor. They are perfect ground up in this pesto or just plopped into various salads or entrees, especially with white fish like rockfish :: loscorfano.
If there is one thing I beg of you, it’s to use a good rustic bread, not the store bought sliced kind. Mr. Italicano and I shot a video this weekend at our favorite bakery :: forno, Forno di Mario, located in Correggio. The video will be coming soon but in the meantime we took home a loaf of miracle bread made with natural yeast and antique grains. This bread was perfect for a light and crunchy bruschetta.
This appetizer :: antipasto is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes. It helps to have a jar of good quality taggiasche olives in the cupboard for occasions like this.
This appetizer is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes.
Serves: 10-12 bruschette
Ingredients
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces (340g) taggiasche olives, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup (10g) loosely packed Italian flat leaf parsley
1 loaf of rustic bread, sliced
Crumbled feta, as needed
Instructions
Put the oil, olives, lemon juice, garlic, capers and parsley in a food processor or blender and mix until slightly chunky. Add more extra virgin olive oil if needed to arrive at the desired consistency.
Serve with toasted bread, some crumbled feta and parsley.
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Here’s some other great recipe to try with taggiasche olives:
You may have used honey, maple syrup or agave nectar to naturally sweetened your baked goods or morning bowl of yogurt, but now I will tell you about apple saba, a natural sweetener:: dolcificante naturale that many of you might never have heard of but what the Romans commonly used over two thousand years ago.
I met a lot of great artisanal producers at the Cibustradeshowa few months back. Among them was La Vecchia Dispensa, a producer of traditional balsamic vinegars and other delicious products likefruit condimentsand organic apple saba,just to name two. So, what is apple saba and how is it used? Apple saba is a thick sweet syrup made from 100% apple must. It is commonly used as a condiment drizzled over fresh cheeses :: formaggi and gelato or to naturally sweeten baked goods or pasta fillings.
In the region of Emilia Romagna, grape saba (which is made with 100% grape must) is commonly made in-house and used to flavor ice and snow— the original and all-natural slushie or snow cone. I remember doing this as a child as well, but our version was less healthy as we would add milk, sugar and food coloring :: colorante per alimenti to the snow. I’m glad to know that a healthier version exists and can’t wait for the snow to fall to try out both grape and apple flavors :: sapori. In the meantime, I couldn’t resist inventing a recipe with this organic apple saba that La Vecchia Dispensa was so kind to send me, and therefore came up with one of my new favorite bruschetta recipes: pear, walnut and burrata bruschetta with organic apple saba.
I’ve already eaten three of these bruschette today. One in the morning for breakfast to test out the recipe then two alongside a side salad for lunch after photographing them. You think I would be satiated? Not even close. As I write this, I secretly am thinking about toasting another slice of sesame Sicilian bread, piling it high with creamy burrata cheese, layering on a few thin pear slices, arranging walnuts :: noci on top so I have a piece in each bite and drizzling the whole delicious masterpiece with organic apple saba. Oh, I’m being tortured as I write this post. Resist, Mrs. Italicana, resist! For now, at least. Tomorrow, I know exactly what I will be having for lunch…and maybe even dinner. 🙂
Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. I promote companies who products I like and think you will enjoy. La Vecchia Dispensa was kind to give me some samples of their high quality products to use in my recipes.
Pear, Walnut and Burrata Bruschetta with Organic Apple Saba
2 slices rustic Italian bread, toasted (I used a sesame Sicilian bread which was divine)
Instructions
Divide the following ingredients in the order given on top of the two slices of toasted bread: buratta cheese, pear slices and walnuts. Drizzle the apple saba on top and serve alone or alongside a side salad.
There is one important rule to cooking great Italian food: simplicity. Due to its short list of natural ingredients, there is no question why this roasted radish and leek burrata bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers.
Most Italians will be content to dine on a simple chunk of artisanal bread, block of locally produced cheese and freshly cut meat, like the renowned prosciutto crudo (cured ham). There is no need for mayonnaise or some kind of fancy dip. All you need is a knife :: coltello to cut the bread and cheese, then everything is eaten by hand. Simplicity at its finest.
Mr. Italicano asked his grandfather :: nonno once why he ate the cheese, meat and bread in separate bites instead of creating a sandwich.
““A vöi vèdar cüs’ aghé dèntar!” He responded in Reggiana dialect, meaning, “I want to see what’s inside!”
Wise man. Often times we Americans pack in so many ingredients and sauces with preservatives inside of a sandwich that it no longer exists being a simple meal but a caloric artery clogging bomb.
It makes me laugh when I go to a Subway when I’m in the States and the “Italian sub” contains three types of meats. Where did this idea come from? In Italy it is almost viewed as sacrilegious to combine multiple cold cuts in one sandwich, and therefore you will see that Italian sandwich counters typically only offer sandwiches that are composed of bread and one kind of cold cut with the addition of cheese or tomatoes :: pomodori at the maximum. Italians want to taste each separate ingredient.
For those of you who want a vegetarian option, this roasted radish and leek burrata bruschetta will be your taste buds best friend. Made up of wholesome toasted bread topped with creamy burrata cheese and roasted radishes and leeks coated in a sweet honey :: miele vinaigrette, how can your mouth not be watering? Mine is. I simply can’t write any longer, I’m off to devour one. Buon appetito!
An easy bruschetta recipe made up of wholesome toasted bread topped with creamy burrata cheese and roasted radishes and leeks coated in a sweet honey vinaigrette.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 bunches fresh radishes, sliced thinly
2 leeks, green part removed and sliced thinly
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 ounces (230g) fresh burrata
1 garlic clove
4 large slices of rustic artisan bread
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425* (220°).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and layer the sliced leek and radishes in one row.
Combine the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well then drizzle over the radishes and leeks.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping eye that they don’t begin to burn. Stir once or twice while baking.
In the meantime, rub the garlic clove on one side of the slices of bread. Toast in the toaster, in a pan on the stove or in the oven. Distribute the burrata among the 4 slices, top with the roasted radishes and leeks (separate like the photo or mixed together.) Serve immediately.
Without a doubt :: dubbio, this spicy shrimp, fennel and radicchio bruschetta recipe has quickly become my favorite bruschetta recipe of all time. Mr. Italicano agrees :: è d’accordo…he devoured this appetizer in minutes. I had to hoard a few on my plate :: piatto otherwise he would have also eaten my share!
Mr. Italicano and I had quite the interesting conversation :: conversazione when we bit into these delectable bruschetta creations. It went something like this:
“Mmmmm,” I said.
“Mmmmmmmmm,” Mr. Italicano said.
“Mmmmmmmmmmmm,” I responded.
“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,” Mr. Italicano exclaimed waving one hand in a circle, an Italian gesture that means this is freaking good! Actually, I don’t believe Italians have the slang word “freaking” in their vocabulary but the phrase “this is delicious” just doesn’t give the punch of how astronomically good these are!
I’m sure that if someone were eavesdropping on our conversation, we could have been mistaken as primitive Neanderthals. Somehow we just weren’t able to vocalize a string of consonants and vowels to create a sentence :: una frase, as that would have required releasing our clench from our beloved bruschetta. I don’t think so!
What makes this bruschetta not just good but incredible :: incredibile? Freshness and spiciness are the keywords we’re looking for here. Fresh vegetables, herbs, artisan bread and shrimp are coupled with a subtle kick to create a perfect sensation for the palate.
I only used half of a chili pepper, which gives just a slight punch when you bite into the bruschetta but does not evoke tears streaming down your face. If you want to cry :: piangere, just up the amount; however, I haven’t tested it and it could drown out the other delicious flavors.
The quality of bread is also important for this recipe. I can’t even fathom making this recipe on pre-packaged sliced white bread. *Shiver.* There are so many good rustic breads to be found at the grocery store or local bakery :: forno locale. By rustic, I mean moist on the inside and golden and crusty on the outside. I am known to wait 20 minutes in line at a small bakery near my house just to get the best quality bread. I even have to arrive early, because if I show up near closing time all the bread will be sold out, it’s happened before.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and both times I am taken back on how good it is. They always say that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach :: stomaco, so ladies, if you want to impress a new guy in your life I definitely recommend whipping up this appetizer followed by Baked Sole with Blood Oranges.
Do you know how to correctly say this appetizer? Most Americans pronounce the “che” in bruschetta like they would in the word :: parola moustache. The “che” in Italian is always a hard sound like the “k” in the word skate, so pronunce the word like “bru’sket’ta. Always, always, always pause after the first double letter (I am a huge violator of this) otherwise it’s not pronounced correctly and you may be ridiculed *cough, Mr. Italicano, *cough. Test your pronunciation out the next time you are in an authentic Italian restaurant and let me know how it went!
This spicy shrimp, fennel and radicchio bruschetta recipe has quickly become my favorite bruschetta recipe of all time. What makes this bruschetta not just good but outstanding? Freshness and spice are the keywords we’re looking for here. Fresh vegetables, herbs, artisan bread and shrimp are coupled with a subtle kick to create a perfect sensation for the palate.
Serves: 6 pieces
Ingredients
Yields: 6 pieces
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, smashed
¼ fennel, chopped
½ head radicchio, coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary (if you have fresh, even better, I didn’t)
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano (if you have fresh, even better, I didn’t)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon pesto (store bought or homemade)
6 slices of rustic artisan bread
10 fresh shrimp, deveined and cut in half
½ red or green chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add fennel and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Add radicchio, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley and pesto. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Position the bread on the sheet, rub each piece with a clove of garlic followed by a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 5-7 minutes until crunchy.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat in a separate skillet or sauté pan. After 1 minute add the shrimp, chili pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring and flipping the shrimp often.
Spread out the bread on a cutting board or serving plate, distribute vegetable mixture on top followed by 3-4 pieces of shrimp on each bruschetta.
Drizzle with remaining olive oil and chili peppers that were left in the pan. Serve warm and dive in!
I’ve been cooking up a storm making millet stuffed tomatoes, basil and tomato sauce and these delightful bruschetta with whipped feta, tomato, basil and lemon zest. 
Back to those lovely little tomatoes I was telling you about. Italians are experts at growing and conserving tomatoes for the entire year. Some of the most popular ways to conserve tomatoes are CONTINUE READING
