Breakfast Bruschetta - All About that Toast

Back in the day, my mom taught me all I thought I needed to know about toast. It went like this:

1. Untwist bread tie

2. Remove two slices and place in toaster

3. Press lever on electric toaster until golden brown

4. When bread pops up, try to grab quickly with fingertips and get hot bread onto plate for buttering

5. Try to spread butter thinly without ripping bread

6. Enjoy

This method served me well for years!

However, last year, I whipped up a blend of olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder (if I have garlic in the house, I use minced garlic in place of powder) then dipped the bread into the mixture and grilled. I felt like I discovered toast heaven. But, improvements could be made. 

Please note, I used grocery store bought Italian bread for this first effort. NOT white bread.

The Mr. thought this method made the outer flesh of the bread crunchy but with a soggy center from dipping it in oil.

The next effort still included the olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic mixed in a bowl, but then I lightly dabbed it on each side of the bread with a pastry or basting brush. The slices were grilled until golden brown and the crispy, crunch was toast nirvana. The salt and pepper, simple as it sounds, added a ton of flavor to the toast and the elimination of butter meant my son could enjoy the bread as he has a dairy intolerance.  Win/Win so far!

Further experimentation meant using bakery bread then topping this deliciousness with my version of bruschetta (which also changes depending on the ingredients I have available in the house) but for the photographed version I have:

Chopped tomatoes

Salt

Pepper

Basil

On a rainy day in the Hudson Valley area of New York, I opted to use the broiler for the toasting rather than the grill.  Two minutes for the first side, flip the bread, time for one minute and then yes, you have to babysit the bread and check every 20 seconds otherwise in the blink of an eye it is garbage.

I enjoyed some for breakfast today! It made me feel Fed Well and a little bit like a rebel to have something non-traditional to start my day (although yes, you can argue the toast is perfectly breakfast-y).  Take care.

 

Right Now - catch a magic moment (Burger Night)

An ordinary Tuesday in October. I suppose dinner could have been tacos for Taco Tuesday but no, it's burgers from the grill. But nothing about sharing a meal together is ever ordinary.

To start, the burgers were 90% lean ground beef. Grilled on the gas grill and yes, the buns were lightly toasted as well. While perfect hatch marks may be an indication of grilled nirvana, we were quite happy with pretty good lines from the sear of the grill. A pool of clear juices on top meant to me they were ready to go! Only two burgers included melted cheese and if you look closely at the burger in the photo, it is beautifully upside down because the Mr. just finished building the bottom with toppings or bottomings if you will. As long as it makes sense to him.

The toppings available included crispy iceberg lettuce, a vine ripened tomato, dill pickle, sweet slices of Vidalia onion, just ready today avocado, creamy Thousand Island dressing, ketchup, mayo, and though no one wanted one, we could have fried an egg as well.

Side options were simple - sweet potato or regular fries which were crisped in the oven - help yourself and take seconds if you like, but this is not a meal accompanied by greens and salads.

The Mr. even opted for a cola - an RC Cola which he explained the merits of and how he became a fan in the '80's.  Ah, the 1980's, a time so revered, the era of our youth.

We sat at the kitchen table, set with real plates, silverware we didn't need or use, and glasses. We talked about our days. We shared our sadness about the loss of Eddie Van Halen and remembered the time we saw him just sitting on a bench at Bethel Woods, watching as the fans arrived, and then went out on stage and performed like, well, a rock star! 

On stage he was dressed like your Uncle Ed, and maybe more than one of us envisioned him in those spandex pants, or super tight jeans, with his red "striped" guitar slung over one shoulder, and slender biceps flexed as he played the guitar from one end to the other and tapped his way in between.

Before I knew it, the meal was eaten, the dishes were cleared, and our time together ended. Everyone had separate plans for those few hours between dinner and sleep. How simple. The sun had already set and now all is quiet. The song, "Panama," plays over and over in my head, I can see Eddie Van Halen smiling in that soft way he had when looking into the camera for a music video. 

How lucky he was to spend his life doing what he loved, a one of a kind creator, genius, legend... 

Stopping time, stopping the world, to spend time together at the table - what could be more important? I know tonight I was Fed Well with burgers, fries, and conversation that flowed easily. A perfect Tuesday night.