Wanda and Giovanna Tornabene run a restaurant in Gangivecchio, their 600-year-old family home in Sicily. This is their second cookbook, and it focuses on home cooking, Sicilian style. Italians are well known for their generous hospitality, and the Tornabene women are great ambassadors. Through dozens of personal stories, some funny, some sad, they invite you into their home to sit at their kitchen table while they reminisce, gossip, educate, and feed you some of the most enjoyable comfort food
The word bruschetta comes from the verb abbruscare, which in Italian means "to burn without flames." In the fall in the Sicilian countryside, it is common to see clouds of smoke slowly drifting off at an angle, rising from large patches of land: the contadini burning the land to sterilize it. We say that they "abbruscano la terra."
Bruschetta is a slice of good Italian bread put on a grill over a fire and toasted until it is crispy and light brown on both sides. If you don't have a grill, the bread can be toasted under a broiler.
The classic bruschetta is a slice of bread rubbed with a pungent slice of garlic and grilled. The topping is simply a brush stroke of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper. If Mamma is napping and I'm alone in the late afternoon, and hungry, I prepare myself a merenda [snack] of two or three of these classic bruschetta. I might have a glass of chilled white wine. And I also might listen to Bach-he is nourishment, too.
Beyond the classic bruschetta, there are countless other toppings. One of the most admired is a fragrant mixture of chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Sometimes people add a little diced mozzarella to this combination. We give a few examples of our favorite toppings here, but the choice is really up to the cook's own fantasy.
Servings: 6
Olive oil
1 pound swordfish, diced
8 mint leaves, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 slice of white sandwich bread, crusts removed, and torn apart into small pieces
2 tablespoons milk
12 (1-inch-thick) slices Italian bread, toasted
In a large frying pan, put enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add the swordfish and cook over high heat, stirring, until white and just cooked. Add the mint, garlic, and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, soak the pieces of bread in the milk.
Remove the garlic from the pan and discard. Add the soaked bread. Season mixture with salt and pepper and crush lightly with a fork.
Put the mixture into a serving bowl. Place the bowl on a platter and surround with the toasted bread. Serve immediately.
