Bruschetta Bite
Chef Benard Tamburello hand tosses an appetizing bruschetta.
By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson
Italians know good bread. And chef Benard Tamburello is famous for his. Tamburello has been cooking and researching Italian cuisine since his youth. And the scrumptious culmination of his expertise is served for dinner Monday through Saturdays at La Dolce Vita-including the bread. So get a bite of Tamburello's "sweet life" with his tips, techniques, and tools for a tasty Bruschetta [brus-KET-ta].
The name Bruschetta—a grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper—has its origins from Italian bruscare, which means, “to roast over coals.” But rather than coals, Tamburello uses an oven to toast the bread. And to prepare this Italian appetizer, he uses the freshest tomatoes and spices and employs the best of culinary tools. “I am Italian. But for slicing tomatoes, I prefer a German knife, Wusthof’s tomato knife,” he explains.
Technique:
1. Slice bottoms off Roma tomatoes.
2. Cut tomatoes from the top to bottom into quarters.
3. Slice tomatoes into small pieces in the opposite direction.
4. Transfer into a colander, and rinse tomatoes stirring with hand to remove the seeds.
5. Chop onion and celery very fine and add to tomatoes.
6. Add finely chopped fresh basil, fresh garlic, red Chile flakes, black pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
7. Gently hand-toss all the ingredients in the bowl.
8. Slice stale Ciabatta bread, brush with virgin olive oil, and toast in oven or cook over a grill.
9. Add tomato and spice mixture to top of toasted bread, and sprinkle with fresh basil.
