Skip to main content

Bruschetta - wonderful flavours that burst in your mouth





I love Italian food. And why is that???? well...it is the fact that simple ingredients are used to create beautiful and colourful dishes that are super delicious. And one such dish is the Bruschetta!


Now firstly.....how do you pronounce this, by the way? 
Broo-shett-ah?  Broo-skeett-ah?  Broos-chetta?
Well it's actually Broo-skett-ah. 
You could google it and listen to the pronunciation....that'll be more clearer. 

Bruschetta is an antipasto (starter dish) from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese. It is usually served as a snack or appetiser. 

The history of the bruschetta dates back to the Etruscan age: while occupying the land between Rome and Tuscany, they began dressing the local, salt-less bread (best when it’s a day old and a little bit stale) and baking slices in ovens. 

Before placing it in the oven, tradition calls for brushing it with a clove of garlic and drizzling a bit of olive oil over each slice. Farmers believe that the oil should be very young and recently pressed and that bruschetta is best accompanied by a glass of wine.


As an old Italian proverb goes, “Day-old bread, month-old oil, and year-old wine”.

I simply love bruschetta because.....can you really think of anything fresher and more delicious than a juicy, ripe tomato and some fresh basil?  There is nothing like it in this world. I've heard from somewhere that bruschetta is like the Italian version of salsa.  It’s made of nearly the same components.  And it’s very versatile.  

Here's a simple and basic recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 french baguette loaf
2-3 cloves of garlic

Method:

Here I've used Feta Cheese too
Cut the tomatoes in halves or thirds. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, regular ones will be just fine.....you'll need to cut or chop it up to your desired sizes. 
Roll the basil to chop into fine strips. Combine the tomatoes, and basil together and gently stir to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir again to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavours to mingle and get delicious. 
Slice the baguette into desired slice size. Preheat the oven at 200°C. Lay the slices down on the baking tray and cover with butter or olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Once toasted gently rub the fresh cloves of garlic on top of the baguette. 
Then serve with the bruschetta on top of the baguette.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil....for that extra burst of flavours. 

Together all these flavours will explode with a juicy, sweet, savoury taste. 
The perfect appetiser to serve up! 

Do try!!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Alappuzha- Venice of the East.

That was our houseboat A couple of years back, Mr. Peter and I celebrated our wedding anniversary on a houseboat in the backwaters of Alappuzha. All that we wanted was to be away from the city and noise and all the hustle & bustle......moments which had just US !! It was a spontaneous trip.  I still remember that our anniversary was on a Saturday. Mr. Peter was busy with work at office and kids had school, so we couldn't take off on that Friday. Trains & flights were not available in accordance to our timings, so we took the bus on that Friday night from Bangalore. It was our kids'  first time on a long distance bus journey. And luckily they slept....no tantrums.  We reached Alappuzha around 8am. Our tour manager told us that we had to check in to the houseboat at 11 am at the Finishing Point. There was still a lot of time left before we could check in to the houseboat. So we hired an auto and asked him to take us around this little town of theirs.....for a

Goa....pack your bags for an extended vacation

Vagator Beach College days are the colourful days of our lives. And class trips and outings leave a memory in our hearts for a lifetime. In my senior year of college, we had been on a trip to Goa. This was around the time when a super hit Hindi movie - Dil Chahta Hai had released and was running successfully in the theatres for a long time. This movie was when I actually saw the beauty of Goa. I remember having a lot of fun with my friends on that trip....the beaches, the parties, the shopping, the food..... And when our trip was over, and when we got back home....I always had the urge to go back to Goa again. That's the kind of feeling that Goa leaves you with.  Goa is not the place that you visit once and cross off from your list. After the first visit it becomes an urge to go again and after the second, it might turn out to be a tradition! Famous for full moon beach rave parties, a hippie-run night market and the kind of laid-back tropical vibe that you can really

Ooty - A drive to the Queen of the Hills

To quote in the words of Dalai Lama - "Once a year, go someplace you've never been before".  School had closed for the summer and we haven't been anywhere for quite a long time.....and I've often felt that it is not good to keep a vacation waiting. The summer heat was really getting on to us and we needed a break.....and us being the splurge of the moment kinda people....we took a spontaneous decision to drive to Ooty, one of the most of the most beautiful hill stations in India, and hence also fondly referred to as the “Queen of Hill Stations”. From north to south, India is blessed with nature's most beautiful creations that turn the country into a heavenly abode for travellers.  One such pristine resort nestled at a height on Nilgiri Hills in South India is Ooty (Ootacamund).  This hill station has splendid green downs and lofty hills of extraordinary scenic beauty and is endowed with a salubrious climate. Located in the Western Ghats at a h