Bruschetta w my Baby

I got sad this weekend, so I bought some tequila and made bruschetta w/ my baby and then I felt better! Try it out!

the joke here is that "my baby" is possibly the tequila bottle and not Angel.

Hello! Here is the best appetizer, lunch, brunch, dinner, snack, entrée (if you eat enough of it), food, amuse bouche, and anything you’ll ever eat. #Italy

Full ingredient list at the bottom!

This bruschetta recipe is super simple. Start with a great baguette. Typically a thinner one for a bite-size, hence the amuse bouche, type of snack.

You can use french bread, ciabatta, sourdough, Italian, random bread recipe you made during the pandemic, whatever your favorite is.

1. Slice that bread at an angle for optimal surface area. Slap some butter on both sides and pop them in the oven or air fryer until they’re golden brown. These are your crostinis.

We did the air fryer at 350º for about 8 minutes. But keep checking on it, leave ‘em a little soft so it doesn’t cut up the roof of your mouth.

Then, you’re going to make your, crudo, or raw topping of tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

This is the crudo, tomato mixture, when it's completed.

2. Chop your ripe tomatoes, I prefer Campari tomatoes because they are most flavorful and fragrant to me, but anything on the vine really is best for this. Add all those ‘maters to a bowl with all the juices and seeds.

3. Grate at least two cloves of garlic into the same bowl.

4. Use a good handful of basil leaves, we used some lovely ones from Angel’s family garden. I loooove basil so we used a lot, but you can just use a few leaves if you’re skeptical.

Layer all of your leaves on top of one another, then roll them up like sushi, and cut them into ribbons.

Add your basil ribbons to the tomato and garlic.

5. Now add a healthy portion of olive oil, a lotttt of black pepper, and salt to taste.

6. Mix it all together, and let the flavor marinate in the fridge, or on the counter if you plan to eat it immediately. Stir again before serving, to make sure all the extra juices that have been released are well incorporated.

Once everything is ready, I recommend keeping the mix in the bowl until each individual crostini is eaten. If you prepare all the crostinis in advance for everyone, the juices soak into the bread too long, and while it is still delicious, it will eventually require a fork and knife.

Let people serve it to themselves.

Or in Angel’s and my case, make one for yourself and one for your best friend, and enjoy them at the same time. Then switch, and watch them make you one! Happy happy.

7. But yes, essentially the eating instructions are just to add the crudo mix on top of your yummy bread and eat it. Like Italian salsa and chips.

Extras you can add:

• Some people add a balsamic glaze, but I prefer it just with a fresh mix.

• You can also rub a garlic clove on your now toasted bread surfaces, but I add a good amount into my crudo mix already, and also toast my bread with butter, so it's a little too soft to do that.

• Occasionally I’ll add lemon to my crudo mix, but I traumatized myself by adding way too much once that now I leave it out.

• I’ve also been served it in a restaurant with olives. I am not a fan, but if you are, why the heck not? Add ‘em in.

Complete Ingredients:

• Baguette

• Campari or vine tomatoes (about 4 for 2 people)

• Basil (a handful)

• 2 garlic cloves

• Butter

• Salt

• Pepper

• Olive oil

This whole dish and couple of hugs later, all your problems go away! :)

Completed bruschetta crostini.