Lidia Bastianich knows how to shortcut even the simplest of recipes.
When I asked the popular PBS cooking personality for holiday cocktail party tips during a Chow Town Facebook Live, she chose a trio of bruschetta from her latest cookbook “Lidia’s Celebrate Like an Italian.”
Bruschetta is the Italian word for is a popular appetizer served in restaurants. It’s a deceptively simple appetizer — one even non-cooks can prepare.
“It looks like you’ve worked all day, and you can use leftovers,” she says. “Even the bread can be from yesterday. It will revive.”
Bruschetta (pronounced broo-SKEH-tah) is Italian meaning “to roast over coals.” Simply toast bread, rub each slice with a garlic clove and then brush each slice with olive oil (you don’t want to change the fresh flavor of the olive oil by exposing it to heat) and top.