"Appetizers"- Bruschetta Bites and Toast with Sweet Ricotta and Pineapple

My favorite appetizer!!!! I already wrote a post on this one before...on how to pronounce it and how I got mad at a waitress when she corrected me ...when infact I was the one who pronounced it right!!
(http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/10/everyday-cooking-bruschetta.html)
Anyways...
I found this really cute little bread called "Party Cocktail Bread" at Kroger the other day. They came in various flavors like white bread..sour dough etc.But I bought the plain white one.The slices were a perfect size for making 'Appetizer Bites' and looked sooo fancy!

I made two types of appetizers with this bread....Bruschetta and Toast with Sweet Ricotta cheese and Pineapple topping.

Bruschetta:

Ingredients:
8 slices of party cocktail bread
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4cup chopped  Roma plum tomatoes
1/2tsp Basil(dried or fresh)
1/4tsp black ground pepper
1/2cup shredded mozzarella (fresh is best)(I used Pepper jack)
1 tbsp olive oil
1clove garlic crushed
1tsp Balsamic Vinegar
salt
 Cilantro/parsley or fresh basil for garnishing

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2) Mix olive oil and crushed garlic.Apply liberally on the bread slices.Toast in the oven for 5 mins or so till slightly golden.Let them cool.
3) Mix onion,tomatoes,basil,black pepper and salt.Place a spoonful on the garlic toast

4) Add the shredded cheese on top.Drizzle few drops of balsamic vinegar. Done!

Toast with Sweet Ricotta cheese and Pineapple topping

 Ingredients:
8 slices of party cocktail bread
1 tsp melted/softened butter
1/4 cup Ricotta cheese
1/4cup pineapple pieces
2-3tsp sugar

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2)Apply butter liberally on the bread slices.Toast in the oven for 5 mins or so till slightly golden.Let them cool.
3)  Mix together ricotta cheese and sugar
4) Place a spoonful of the ricotta cheese on the toast and garnish with pineapple pieces.

"Everyday Cooking'- Bruschetta

For Diwali weekend, M's Mama from Canada visited us. It was great to have 'family' over for Diwali.And Mama is such a great person..I love when he visits us! He has a PhD in Food science...and knows....'everything ' in the world.You ask him..and he has an answer for you!

So much knowledge, so much enthusiasm at 65 yrs age....he is truly an inspiration for us!

Now, especially since I am taking Food Science courses,it was great to discuss some topics with him....and gain new insight.

On Sunday night, he was going to 'treat' us for dinner.We took him to our favorite Italian restaurant ..."Joe's" in Ithaca. 'M' and I go there to celebrate our 'special occasions' there..well I should say 'used to go there in the past '....as now... with 'E' ...eating out has become a rare event!

Everytime we go to Joe's we order the Italian 'Antipasto' ..Bruschetta.We love the crunchy toasted bread in olive oil and garlic....the fresh salsa made with tomatoes and onions ..fresh tender mozzarella cheese with slight drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar. The whole combination is just 'Perfect'!

So as usual, we ask the waitress to bring us (I pronounced)'Brus-ket-tah'....she look at us for few moments as though we were saying something 'foreign' and then says...Ohhh 'Bru-shetta'.

I felt a little embarrassed...but I have heard 'Giada De Laurentiis' on Food network refer to it as 'Brus-ket-tah'.

So after we come home....we 'Googled' it and found the correct pronunciation...

The Italians call it 'Brus-ket-tah'..and the Americans call it 'Bru-shetta'!

So I was correct! I was more 'authentic' ! Felt like going back to "Joe's ' and giving back the waitress the same 'weird' look and correcting her pronunciation!

Anyways...

I have tried making Bruschetta at home....and it has come closer to the 'Joe's' one...though many different versions of Bruschetta are possible and are made ...

Ingredients:

4 slices Italian bread

2 tomatoes cut 'chunky'

1 onion cut 'chunky'

1/4 tsp crushed garlic

4 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

4 slices Fresh mozarella cheese (not the processed one)

5-6 leaves of fresh basil

1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and black pepper to taste

For more info on cheese:
http://homecooking.about.com/od/dairycookinginformation/a/mozzarellatypes.htm

Method:

1) Brush the bread slices generously with olive oil mixed with garlic paste.Sprinkle Italian seasoning and bake in the oven at 275F till crispy(about 10 mins)

2) Mix tomatoes,onions, salt,black pepper and some Italian seasoning.

3) After the bread is toasted,add a spoonful of the tomato salsa on the bread,place the mozzarella slice,sprinkle with cut basil leaves

5) Drizzle few drops of balsamic vinegar on the bruschetta.

6) Serve immediately otherwise the bread goes soggy.