I Heart Dessert

One of the most memorable moments of the Julie & Julia movie was the scene where Julie and her husband are devouring this mouth watering bruschetta, made with rustic pan fried bread and brightly colored heirloom tomatoes. It literally made my salivary glands go haywire. Now that I think about it, it would’ve been awesome to be an actor on this movie set enjoying all that delicious food.

Thankfully, the food stylist, Susan Spungen shared this bruschetta recipe which she developed for the film in an article. I tried it and it tastes exactly how the actors portrayed it in the movie, delicious! At first I made a small batch just to test it out, but I had to make more because I couldn’t get enough. It was that good. So, if you haven’t seen the Julie & Julia, I suggest you make some bruschetta or something just as delectable and watch as you eat, because you will definitely get hungry watching this film.

Beautiful Heirloom Tomatoes

Love the colors!

Tomato & Basil Mixture

Bruschetta

Julie & Julia’s Bruschetta Recipe
(adapted from Susan Spungen’s recipe)

Ingredients

• Provincio Artisan Roasted Garlic Bread (this can be found at Costco in a 2 loaf pack)
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• ground pepper
• heirloom tomatoes
• fresh basil

Directions

1. Cut tomatoes into chunks and tear lots of basil leaves into medium-small pieces. In a bowl, toss tomatoes and basil with a good quality olive oil. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

2. Cut bread into slices about 3/4 inch thick

3. Pan fry the bread in olive oil  to get it toasted on the outside while retaining some softness in the center. After pan frying, sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper about a half hour before serving. The salt makes the tomatoes release their juices and you don’t want that happening too soon.

5. Top bread with tomato mixture. If the bread is really crunchy, let the tomatoes sit for a few minutes before serving to soften the bread.

Note: I used the roasted garlic bread as a shortcut which I highly recommend because that bread is amazing, but if you can’t find it just substitute with any rustic loaf with a stretchy interior with lots of holes and a crisp crust. If you go the regular rustic loaf route, the original recipe tells you to rub a whole garlic clove onto the pan fried sliced bread. That’s the only difference.

My very first attempt at making ravioli was quite enlightening:  Freshly homemade ravioli > Frozen Pre-Packaged Ravioli. Sadly, I didn’t really know any better until now. I’ve had freshly made ravioli at restaurants before, but I never thought I could replicate it at home with a simple trick, use wonton wrappers (thanks Giada!).

Making homemade ravioli, even with pre-made pasta (aka wontons) was still very much time consuming and a labor of love. But, I must say it was well worth it and definitely makes for a great special dinner for that extra special someone or just for your fabulous self.

Some things I learned during this ravioli revelation:
1) The ravioli can be frozen and cooked later with great results; same great taste and freshness.
2) When preparing to freeze the ravioli, I suggest using wax paper to separate the ravioli layer by layer in the container you use to prevent them from sticking.
3) Egg roll wrappers can also be used, but I find that wonton wrappers are easier since they are smaller and pre-cut.
4) If you want to take that extra step, make your own tomato sauce, which you can also freeze and store in freezer bags.

Spinach & Mushroom Ravioli
(adapted from an Everyday Italian recipe)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnishing
• 1 package of wonton wrappers
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1/2 tsp. water
• 1/2 cup cremini mushroom , finely chopped
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large saute pan heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. When almost smoking, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, about 6 minutes.

2. Add spinach and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and place mixture into food processor. Pulse until you get a coarse texture.

4. Place in bowl and stir in mascarpone and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

5. Line up wrappers on a cutting board. Brush edges with the egg wash.

6. Using a tablespoon, place a dollop of the filling on the wrapper and place another wrapper directly on top, pressing around the filling and sealing the edges.

7. Use a fork and crimp the edges to seal it tightly. Place ravioli onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and keep covered with a linen towel.

8. In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts water (make sure to add some salt and oil). Carefully add small batches of ravioli, about 3 to 4 at a time. This will prevent them from crowding in the pot and sticking together. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a spider strainer, carefully remove the ravioli and place on the plate. Tent with foil to keep warm and continue cooking remaining ravioli.

9. In a saute pan, heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. When almost smoking, add chopped mushrooms and saute until soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Carefully pour in tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

10. Plate ravioli, top with mushroom tomato sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Spinach & Mushrooms from Trader Joe's

Spinach & Mushroom Filling

My ravioli assembly line

Plump ravioli

Ready to be cook!

Just cooked and ready to be eaten

Finished product!

I ran across this picture today and I just STARED. It really is a work of art, simply beautiful! I absolutely love breakfast and this is the pancake tower of breakfast’s.  Steamy Kitchen created this masterpiece with a layer of roasted potatoes, a layer of beautifully woven bacon(see post), a layer of scrambled eggs, then topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. I’m definitely adding this to my “Must Make” list.

I think this should be the new breakfast of champions.
(image from SteamyKitchen)