Have you ever been watching a show or movie and see someone making or eating something that looks so scrumptious that you can’t stop thinking about it afterwards? It stays with you, makes your mouth water, causes you to cook at late hours of the night, or drive to a store or restaurant because you need to eat that seen-on-the-screen food.

The one that comes to my mind first is that scene in Julie and Julia where Julie makes bruschetta for dinner. As she and her husband eat -they are talking and eating (at the same time) and delighting in the tastiness of the meal while they consider the idea of her starting a food blog chronicling her journey of cooking through Julia Child’s cookbook. It is a pivotal scene in the film. Is is also a mouth watering scene.

 

 

Or the scene in the movie Chef where Carl makes the grilled cheese sandwich in his apartment for his son- or the day he makes the first cuban sandwich at his food truck. (If you haven’t seen this movie it is inspiring and delicious- it has lots of language so keep that in mind with your audience.)

Or The Hundred Foot Journey. The beauty, culture and spices of this Indian food-focused film is lovely!

Or every episode of Food TV.  Diners, Drive Ins & Dives,  Jamie Oliver, or The Great British Baking Show leave me craving something decadent and delicious.

We have recently made this Movie-Scene-Inspired Bruschetta, trying a couple of variations and it has been delicious.  I have made bruschetta for years, served with little crostini for party food as an appetizer. (In fact, after searching through my blog, I found that I’ve mentioned it an excessive number of times.)  However, in all of these years of making, serving and eating it, I had never made it for dinner. What was I thinking?

You can’t mess it up. You can try more seasoning/or less; parmesan in/ or on/ or none at all; garlic rubbed on the toast or minced in the tomato topping.  Just make it before the cold weather comes, when the tomatoes are no longer lovely and the basil is no longer as fresh and on-hand.

You can make this dish and toss a green salad and dinner is served!

Main Dish Bruschetta

The tomato part-

Several tomatoes, coarsely chopped (approximately 4 cups)

A handful of basil leaves, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

a few good pinches of coarse salt and strong grinds of fresh pepper.

Mix ingredients in a bowl and let the tomatoes sit for 15 or more minutes.  The salt will help make the juice release.

The bread part-

Sliced crusty bread

More olive oil for the toast

2 whole garlic cloves

Heat a large cast iron skillet with butter and olive oil.  Once warm, place bread in skillet, as close as you can. Let it cook until golden brown, then flip. Remove from pan and rub garlic cloves over the warm toasted bread (be careful to not burn your hands).

Serve a plate of bread and bowl of tomato topping and serve.

(If you want to sprinkle some fresh grated parmesan on top- it would be lovely.)

So, hurry before the tomatoes are tasteless and pink and make bruschetta for dinner this week! And watch Julie and Julian if you haven’t- or haven’t in a while. But be forewarned: it might cause a sudden onset of mouth watering.