The Julie/Julia Bruschetta Experiment

When Julie & Julia came out, I just had to go see it. It was about food and blogging- my two favorite things! Hubby refused to go. No surprises there. So I went with Colleen, an equally enthusiastic friend. There was one scene that we both remember very vividly even now, months after watching the movie.

In this scene, Julie was cooking something that looked like a face-up sandwich. She pan fried pieces of french bread and topped it with what looked like bruschetta. Except, it was cooked bruschetta! She sauteed the tomato in olive oil with seasoning/spices and it looked so delicious! Ever since watching the movie, I couldn't get this bruschetta thing out of my head and I obsessed about it for a good long time.


I finally decided to buy a bunch of ingredients and experiment to see if I could come up with something that looked equally as delicious. It was a bit of a challenge because I didn't know what it was supposed to taste like! But I decided that I would be appeased if it was yummy and was produced by using similar cooking methods. lol. Yet another one of my crazy kitchen adventures!


You'll need tomatoes, fresh basil, small balls of mozzarella, and a baguette sliced into pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Other ingredients: capers, anchovy paste, salt, olive oil.


First, start on the tomatoes. Heat olive oil on high heat until it's hot (you should see thin white smoke when this happens). Pour in garlic and anchovy paste (pictured left). Stir quickly until well mixed, but make sure your garlic doesn't burn. This should take about 30 seconds. Next, pour in the tomato, capers, and a pinch of salt (pictured right). Stir quickly again, for about 30 seconds and remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl so that your tomato doesn't continue to cook.

Ok, at this point I'd like to digress for a second to speak to all you Anchovy Haters out there. lol. I know you are out there because I used to be one too. When researching recipes, I would always skip the ones that called for anchovy or anchovy paste. It's just plain disgusting. And the smell is terrible. However, I decided to be brave one day out of the blue and give it a shot. Mainly because one of my favorite chefs, Tyler Florence, called for it in one of his dishes. And it was a recipe that I was unwilling to pass up. To my utter surprise, it didn't taste like how it smells! In fact, you don't notice it at all...but it gives the dish something extra. It makes it super savory and gives it a deep, rich taste. Not like smelly fish at all. So I implore all you Anchovy Haters out there to give it a shot! You will be reformed, like me.


Ok, back to business. Very generously coat a griddle with olive oil. Make sure that all parts of the bread touching the griddle has olive oil on it. We're basically searing it in oil to make it super flavorful and crispy. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. It should have a golden brown crust on it at this point! Before flipping to the other side, generously brush the tops of the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.


After you flip the bread, place the mozzarella on top. It won't have enough time to melt, but it will be slightly warmed. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Place on a platter and...

...top with fresh basil and the bruschetta. This can be served right away while it's warm or served when it's cooled. It's yummy either way!

Yum! I made this dish at a Sunday afternoon BBQ with Colleen and her hubby. It was a huge hit! She immediately recognized that this was from the movie!

Colleen watched me make it and was slightly wary of the anchovy paste when I brought it out. I assured her that it would be okay. She really enjoyed the dish and didn't notice/mind the anchovies at all! Told ya so! She even ended up asking for the recipe. =)

These would be great to serve at a party as finger food. You'll definitely wow your guests with its crispy seared baguette and super savory taste!


My very unscientific recipe (work with me here):

1 loaf of baguette, cut into pieces about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup of tomatoes, diced
1 - 8 oz tub of fresh mozzarella (get the small ones, slice them in half. you'll need about 15 of them)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp anchovy paste
1/2 tbsp capers (optional)
fresh Basil
pinch of salt
olive oil

First, start on the tomatoes. Heat olive oil on high heat until it's hot (you should see thin white smoke when this happens). Pour in garlic and anchovy paste. Stir quickly until well mixed, but make sure your garlic doesn't burn. This should take about 30 seconds. Next, pour in the tomato, capers, and a pinch of salt. Stir quickly again, for about 30 seconds and remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl so that your tomato doesn't continue to cook in the pan.

Very generously coat a griddle with olive oil. Make sure that all parts of the bread touching the griddle has olive oil on it. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Before flipping to the other side, generously brush the tops of the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. After you flip the bread, place the mozzarella on top. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Place on a platter and top with fresh basil and the bruschetta topping.