Italians have taste! They mastered Fashion, Art and Food. From the smallest bruschetta to a large sea-food risotto, they’ve got cooking skills in their genes.

Pizza, pasta, pesto, parmigiano, ricotta, mozzarella, tiramisu, panna cotta, … Is there anything I can name that is not delicious?! I find their menu extraordinary. Simply mouthwatering!

Bruschetta (pronounced “brusketta”) is an Italian appetizer to enjoy at any time of the day or to make a delicious starter for your dinner. It consists of roasted bread “pane bruscato” rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. We Lebanese are lucky to have one of the finest olive oil in the world, because bruschetta will taste best when using good quality of oil.

The original recipe of bruschetta has been customized around the world, and the most popular includes tomatoes and fresh basil. The freshness and perfect taste of this meal will make your guests gobble it all up and keep on asking for more.

Choose a French or Italian bread, as long as it’s moist and fresh. I prefer thyme bread for a more accentuated flavor.

These are my 2 favorite toppings. They are both prepared the same way: For the first I added basil, olives and tomatoes, and for the second I added thyme, feta and tomatoes. I wasn’t sure if I should give you the exact amounts, because it’s all a matter of taste. So please feel free to put more or less of any of the ingredients. Come on!

Italian Olive Bruschetta

• 1/2 baguette (French bread) or 6 slices of sourdough bread, toasted and sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and halved
• 2 large tomatoes or 16 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Few sprigs of fresh basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped, smaller leaves reserved
• 4 tbsp black or green olives, pitted and sliced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste

Feta and Thyme Bruschetta

• 1/2 baguette (French bread) or 6 slices of sourdough bread, toasted and sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled and halved
• 2 large tomatoes or 16 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked and washed
• 50g Feta cheese, chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste

 Preparation

1. Rub each piece of bread with garlic. Place on a cookie sheet and bake on the top rack of the oven until the bread turns slightly brown. (I personally sometimes toast my slices in a toaster to save time and it still works like a charm)
2. In a salad bowl, mix all ingredients together, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Align the bread on a platter, garlic side up. With a spoon, place carefully the mixture on each slice and serve.