Recipe Replication

My hubby and I have been hung up on Mellow Mushroom lately. Mainly because of the bruschetta appetizer. We both LOVE that stuff. We usually don’t do well deciding on a pizza though. I like a simple, fresh veggie type pizza. He likes a meaty pizza. We’ve compromised and taken turns getting one of each on our recent visits.

We are getting a bit burnt out though…on the pizza part, not the bruschetta. So I decided I needed to just make our own bruschetta.

Now all this time I’ve been thinking that “bruschetta” was the type of bread. The only time I’ve ever heard of it was from Giada De’Laurentes and a few more Food Network stars. But it is actually the process you put Italian bread through. Grilled with garlic.

I knew I’d never find the right kind of bread around here so on the way home from Hattiesburg the other night we stopped by the really nice new grocery in Bellevue. They had a bread that worked just fine. We also needed the balsamic vinegar stuff to drizzle over the top. I had no idea what that would be. I guess the closest I’ve ever bought to something like that was pickapeppa sauce. But we lucked up there too. On the top shelf, all alone, above the vinegar, was a bottle of “balsamic glaze”. No price anywhere. I figured it might be a little pricey, $5.00 or so, but hey, we needed it. And it looked like the right stuff. I didn’t pay any attention during check out but when I got home and was writing my tickets down I looked at the price. $8.99. yikes. At least it doesn’t take much…just a drizzle. So this bottle should last a while. All other ingredients were simple. Tomatoes and Feta.

I was dying to give the recipe a try. I resisted the urge to make it for breakfast the next morning since I was the only person up. I did it that night though.

I sliced the baguette into ¼ thick pieces. I know actual bruschetta takes garlic but instead I brushed each slice with olive oil and sprinkled it with basil. Into the oven for a few minutes, until the slices were firm. Then I topped each with a spoonful each of diced tomato and Feta. And topped it all off with a drizzle of the expensive balsamic glaze. Tada! How simple was that.

I must say I was pleased. It tasted just as good Mellow Mushroom. Every slice was eaten.

And for some strange reason I thought about the replicators they use on Star Trek. Man, wouldn’t that be the easy way out. I somehow don’t think it would be as satisfying though.