Pane Alla Griglia

Grilling bread is as old as fire itself. When you are looking for a quick grill fix that can be prepared as quick as making toast, fire-up the grill and char-up good quality, preferably day old sliced tuscan style bread. 

To Do:

- Fire-up the grill on high.

- Bread sliced 1-inch thick, grilled on high heat for under 1 minute or until slightly brown, then flip over and grill a few more seconds and remove.

- Finish with pre-made toppings of your choice; from simple olive oil + fresh herbs or top with a light salad. 

Today's topping is a combo of fresh spinach, fresh mozzarella, vine ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, Vidalia onion, Kalamata olives, and fresh ground black pepper tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss all ingredients, let flavors bloom and marinate for five minutes. Top over grilled bread. 

Other Topping Suggestions:

Grilled portabella mushrooms

Grilled eggplant

Soft cheeses such as ricotta & honey, goat cheese, or brie, etc. 

Smoked Fish

Grilled Shrimp

image, Hirsch Media

Tapenade

Think cool. This is one of those recipes that has the flavor power, great to add a bit of zest as a topping and condiment. Pair with a chilled pino gris.

Tapenade comes from the word tapeno which means capers in Provence. The addition of sun dried tomatoes adds a little sweetness.

Olive Tapenade

Makes 1 cup

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle 

2/3 cup black oil cured olives (Kalamata or Nicoise), pitted and finely chopped 

2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped 

4 cloves caramelized garlic 

2 Tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed under cold tap water and finely chopped 

2 small sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped 

4 Tablespoons virgin olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

3 basil leaves , chopped

In a bowl, mix together the olives, anchovies, garlic, capers, sun dried tomatoes, oil, pepper, and water. Spread Tapenade on toasted French baguette bread, top with fresh basil, or serve with your favorite sandwich. 

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Who is Hass?

The name HASS - we see it in every grocery market marking the most common variety of avacado in the world. The chocolatey pebble-skinned avacado was named after its original cultivator Randolf Hass, a mailman with a green thumb in the late 1920s. He patented the variety and partnered with nurseryman Harold Brokaw, and rest of the story made California the source of what is now a billion dollar crop industry. The key to the Hass success is its long growing season, good quality fruit and high yielding crop. 

It's that time of year to whip-up a good homemade guacamole, salsa and enjoy a margarita.

Turn any meal into a fiesta by serving guacamole as a healthy dip.

Guacamole is a delicious Mexican specialty that can be used as a dip, sauce, topping or side dish. In Southwest cuisine, guacamole is used as an appetizing dip or one of the toppings and/or fillings of enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, or burritos. Guacamole tastes best when you use fresh cilantro and ripened avocados. A ripened avocado will have a sweet aroma and be soft to the touch. Guacamole is also wonderful as a cold sauce for grilled meats or fish and this versatile, flavorful dish is easy to make, only sixty seconds onc you have ingredients chopped. 

George’s ’60 Second Guacamole

From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series 

Recipe by George Hirsch | www.chefgeorgehirsch.com

makes 1 cup 

2 ripe avocados, room temperature 

Juice of two limes 

2 Tablespoons sweet onion, chopped fine 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped 

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro 

hot sauce and salt to taste

Press onion and garlic into the side of a medium size bowl with a pinch of salt. Slice avocados in half, remove the seed and scoop out avacado meat from skin with a large spoon. Roughly mash avocado in bowl. 

Squeeze the lime juice all over the avocado. Add chopped jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and hot sauce. Toss and serve immediately. 

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Patio Fiesta

This week Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated worldwide honoring Mexican heritage; marking the defeat of the French Army after invading the Americas. But believe it or not, this commemorative holiday is celebrated by more people in California than Mexico. And, many festive ways are used to mark the occasion beyond cervesa and tequila. Dances and music mark the occasion to preserve & educate the public of its historical significance and culture.

Make any day a fiesta on your patio with a few easy steps and don’t be afraid to use vibrant colors. There is more to having fun than hanging a piñata!

-       Use terra cotta planters filled with pants such as begonias, dahlias, begonias, nasturtiums, and sunflowers

-       Cushions, throws, tablecloths, and napkins of hot yellow, turquoise green, and burnt orange

-       Set flower pots on tables with traditional herbs used in Mexican cooking like Cilantro, oregano, and peppermint

-       Serve foods and beverages on plates and glassware with bold bright colors

-       Hang out door lighting for mood

-       Turn up the volume and spin Maraichi and Latin music

-       Set up a hot sauce and salsa station

Get recipes for patio entertaining:

Posole

Barbecue Burrito

Chocolate con Plátanos Quesadilla

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Bruschetta

What to grill this weekend? How about some bread? Bruschetta is one of my most popular recipes and is so simple to prepare. It is an ideal snack to enjoy while you are waiting for the main dish on the grill to be finished. 

Ideally, use day old or very dense thickly-sliced bread. The addition of the smoke from the grill adds magical flavor to the crust and it’s toppings. There is no limit in toppings for your bruschetta, just let your imagination run free. Think of your bread crusts as an artist’s canvas. 

Join me for a bruschetta tour through Italy. Which, BTW, the variety in bruschetta toppings vary from region to region.  

When canal-side in Venice, I must have my bruschetta with Baccala' Mantecato, that is topped with whipped salted cod. This cod is making me thirsty! Vino prego!

While in Siena, I’ve enjoyed grilled toasts di fegato, that's made with garlicky chopped liver.

The southern part of Italy is the region to feast on the superior quality of fruits from Italy's fertile soil, particularly Naples. Ahh, delicioso pomodoro. This is the bruschetta most people envision - crowns of sweet ripened tomatoes, basil and olive oil.   

Before you take your first bite, let me transport you to my favorite place in Positano; Trattoria La Tagliata where Bartolo is the family's grill chef. He will take really good care of you - while you nibble on his bruschetta, enjoying the priceless view of the Amalfi Coast and await his grilled specialties.

Something wonderful happens to country-style bread when it’s brushed with olive oil and grilled. It’s smoky flavor adds another layer to olive oil, fresh tomatoes with lots of caramelized garlic, parmesan cheese, and capers. Dry day-old bread makes the best bruschetta, so this is a good way to use up yesterday’s loaf of Italian, French, or sourdough bread. Serve bruschetta with salad or soup, or as a snack with a chunk of sopressatta.

This recipe is from my first book, and to pass along just how much everyone enjoys bruschetta from the grill it’s my very first recipe in the book, page 14.

Bruschetta 
From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch | The cookbook By George Hirsch with Marie Bianco © 1994

Makes 6 

3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes
24 cloves caramelized garlic
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 slices round country- style bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
6 basil leaves, chopped
Grated parmesan cheese 

To make the topping, combine the tomtoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, capers, salt and pepper.

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Press down on the bread with a spatula so that the bread picks up grill marks.

When the bread is grilled, top off the slices evenly with the tomato mixture and place them in a foil pan on the grill. Close the hood and heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and sprinkle each bruschetta with basil and parmesan cheese.