What Is the Difference Between Crostini and Bruschetta?

Ok, confession time. Embarrassing as it is to admit as a “food professional,” up until about a week ago I really didn’t think there was a difference between bruschetta and crostini.

Honestly, I’d written it off as a matter of semantics. You say tow-may-tow, I say tow-mah-tow, that kind of thing. Because I mean, consider the stats: Both dishes are of Italian origin and follow the same basic formula of savory or sweet topping served on a slice of toasted bread. Right? Am I crazy? What am I missing here?

Well, it turns out what I was missing had to do with the bread—the type, size, and toasting method, to be exact. Bruschetta, which comes from the Italian word bruscare (aka “to roast over coals”), is traditionally made using a thick slice of rustic Italian or sourdough-style bread. And, as the origin of the name suggests, the slices were typically grilled over a fire to achieve a nice, crunchy char. In its most basic, traditional version, the grilled bread is rubbed with a clove of raw garlic, quickly showered in good-quality olive oil, and seasoned with thick flakes of salt. This is called Fett’unta, and most would agree it’s the best garlic bread you’ll ever taste.

Crostini (aka “little toasts”), on the other hand, is rarely, if ever, eaten without a topping or spread. The bread used is usually smaller and more round-shaped, like a baguette, and is cut into significantly thinner slices. Toasting usually takes place on a baking sheet in the oven.

While you could argue that both are cocktail party-friendly starters, crostini are definitely intended to be the more bite-sized, finger-food snack.

So in the end it wasn’t all that egregious of a misunderstanding. Check out the following recipes to really celebrate what truly unites and equalizes these two: How tasty and versatile they are.

Tomato Bruschetta

Chowhound

When you have a dish that can be interpreted as widely and creatively as bruschetta, the sheer volume of choice in direction can be overwhelming. So why not keep it simple, chef, and start with the classic tomato version? Diced juicy-sweet tomatoes and aromatic basil piled onto a slice of garlic and olive oil-rubbed crusty bread: Who needs more than that? Get our Tomato Bruschetta recipe.

Burrata and Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Ciao Florentina

Do you ever look at the components of Caprese salad and think, “This is great and all, but where the heck are my carbs?” Cool, me too. Thankfully, this recipe for burrata and cherry tomato bruschetta presents an elegant, cocktail party-friendly solution. The creamy, oozier style of mozzarella gets an A+ score for spreadability, and is the perfect foil for the concentrated flavor of the roasted cherry tomatoes. (Of course, if burrata isn’t your thing—hey, to each their own—the concept works just as well with a firmer style of mozzarella.) Get the recipe.

Chili Lime Sweet Corn Bruschetta

Bubbly Hostess

Bruschetta is one of those great blank canvas concepts that adapts easily to whatever bounty the season has to offer. In the fall, you might turn to a mixture of spiced apple and butternut squash as a topping. Winter might take you to a variation topped with braised greens like kale, or richly sauced mushrooms. By spring, you can dress it up with earthy peas and ricotta or snappy grilled asparagus. And, of course in the summer, best to keep it light and bright and fresh with everyone’s favorite: Fresh corn. This elote-inspired bruschetta cleverly combines chili-lime marinated corn kernels with mild queso fresco to create a can’t-help-but-love-it summer starter. Get the recipe.

Tuna and Cannellini Bean Bruschetta

Chowhound

Desperately raiding your pantry for quick culinary inspiration because your pals just texted that they’re popping by for a quick drink and snack? Grab the cans of tuna, cannellini beans, and loaf of Italian bread, follow these instructions, and you’ve got yourself a bruschetta that tastes like it was thoroughly well-planned and not just thrown together. Get our Tuna and Cannellini Bean Bruschetta recipe.

Breakfast Bruschetta with Fontina-Scrambled Eggs and Salami

Chowhound

If you think bruschetta is only suitable as early evening hors d’oeuvres, I am not sorry to tell you that your are sorely mistaken. Take this recipe, for example: Soft, fontina-laced scrambled eggs and crispy strips of deliciously salty, savory salami come together over grilled bread as a delightfully brunchable dish. (Pssst. Insider tip: You can get creative with poached eggs here too.) Get our Breakfast Bruschetta with Fontina-Scrambled Eggs and Salami recipe.

Peach and Hazelnut Mascarpone Bruschetta

Chowhound

Get a glimpse of bruschetta’s sweet side with this dessert-appropriate rendition. Sweet, Frangelico-spiked mascarpone cheese fills in at the base in place of the typical mozzarella or ricotta, and is then topped with slices of ripe peach, honey drizzle, and chopped hazelnuts. Get our Peach and Hazelnut Mascarpone Bruschetta recipe.

Crostini di Fegatini (Chicken Liver Crostini)

Chowhound

Save this one for when your die-hard Italian food-loving friends come over. The traditional antipasti snack is a celebration of bold, pungent flavors, combining ingredients like chicken liver, anchovy, and capers into one wonderfully savory spread. Get our Chicken Liver Crostini recipe.

Smoked Salmon and Herb Cheese Crostini

Little Broken

Give the bagel a break and instead enjoy its frequent partners—smoked salmon and herbed cheese—on a crostini. Slices of crisp radish and cucumber are introduced here as well to provide a welcome layer of freshness and texture. Get the recipe.

Serrano Ham and Membrillo Crostini

Chowhound

Take your crostini on a detour through Spain with this sweet and savory rendition. The opposites-attract combo of sugary quince paste, salty slices of Serrano ham, and Manchego cheese shavings is a fail-safe cocktail party winner. Get our Serrano Ham and Membrillo Crostini recipe.

Olive Artichoke Crostini

Vanilla and Bean

Turn the volume up on your tapenade game with this easy-to-make, textured spread that hits all the flavor high notes. Salty and briny from the combination of black olives and capers is tempered nicely by the mild, delicate flavor of the artichoke hearts, while the garlicky crostini base provides the requisite crunch. Get the recipe.

Ratatouille Crostini

Chowhound

Why limit your topping inspiration to one vegetable, when you can have a medley? This summer veg-driven ratatouille emphasizes freshness and clarity of flavor by simply seasoning the mixture of diced zucchini, eggplant, red onion, and tomato with lemon and basil. Get our Ratatouille Crostini recipe.

Roasted Fig and Ricotta Crostini

PBS

Roasting improves upon the perfect, simple sweetness of fresh figs by adding a subtle caramelized flavor. Pair that with rich ricotta, a little honey, and chopped pistachios for texture, and you’ve got yourself the makings of a perfect dessert crostini. And when the season has passed, give it a go with fig jam instead. Get the recipe.

— Head photo illustration by Chowhound, using: Herbivoracious/Inspired Taste.

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How to Pickle Vegetables

Now is the perfect time to get yourself in a pickle. Don’t worry, I’m talking about the good kind.

If you haven’t already learned, summer is the ideal season to put those super fresh vegetables to good use by learning how to pickle them. And it’s not as hard as you might think.

When it comes to pickling veggies, there’s two options you can choose from: quick pickling or fermented pickling. Quick pickling (like the name suggests) is an easy and simple process. It’s the basic definition of a pickle: a food that’s been preserved in salt/salty water or an acid like vinegar or lemon juice. This is known as a basic brine, which is usually equal parts of vinegar and water—but it’s up to you to decide the ratio you want. All you need to do is throw these saturated veggies in the fridge for a few days, and there’s no need to can or seal them.

Fermented pickling, on the other hand, is a much more elaborate process. With fermentation, veggies are preserved to last for a much longer amount of time. There’s another difference: during fermented pickling, the veggies don’t go straight to the fridge. First, they need to be kept in a sealed-tight jar (a.k.a that cute mason jar you have lying around) at room temperature for a few days. You’ll know when they’re ready to be placed in the fridge when you see bubbles throughout the jar (don’t panic, this is not a bad thing). It might take longer than the more basic pickle, but you’re also enhancing the nutrient content of your food through fermentation.

Yes, any vegetable can be pickled. But remember: not all are the same when it comes to this cooking method. Veggies like cucumber, ginger, and red onion can just be thinly sliced, while others like green beans should be blanched before you begin the process.

Now the flavors that you choose to combine in your pickle is where the true magic happens. Craving a fresher taste? Try adding some herbs like dill, thyme, oregano or rosemary. Craving a spicier flavor? Go to town with spices like peppercorns, mustard seed, turmeric, smoked paprika, or some ginger. And we mustn’t forget the garlic!

If you’re tickled by the pickle, here are some recipes for you to try:

Pickled Red Onions

Chowhound

Onions are a staple for so many dishes, and this pickle recipe brings out the tangy, crunchy goodness that we all love. These babies pair excellently with pork, or as a topping to tacos or burritos. Get our Pickled Red Onions recipe.

Basic Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Kimchee)

Chowhound

This traditional Korean dish involves pickling Napa cabbage and daikon radish using fermentation, but the longer process is worth it as you’ll be using this in a variety of dishes—like alongside some tender, braised short ribs. Get our Basic Napa Cabbage Kimchi recipe.

Quick-Pickled Jalapeños

Chowhound

Spice up your summer with these pickled jalapeños. They’ll jazz up just about any meal and will only take about an hour in the fridge to marry with the brine. If the summer heat isn’t enough for you, throw in some peppercorns for an added kick. Get our Quick-Pickled Jalapeños recipe.

— Head photo: Chowhound.

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A Beginner’s Guide to French Pastries

The pastry case at a French bakery can hold a dizzying array of baked goods. There are breads, cakes, and cookies—all with their own unique origin stories and techniques. To help guide us through five iconic viennoiseries and patisseries, we consulted renowned pastry chef Dominique Ansel, owner of two of New York City’s most popular French bakeries (and yes, Cronut creator).

Macaron

Just a few years ago, the macaron was declared a trending dessert as more and more shops specializing in the almond-flour sandwich cookie popped up here in the U.S. But the delicate treat traces its history back to the 1500s, when queen Catherine de Medici introduced the macaron—first created in Italian monasteries—to France.

You’ll have to be patient with these airy meringue cookies, typically filled with ganache or jam. “The trick with macarons is not to fill them and then eat them right away. The ganache needs to sit and temper between the cookies in the fridge for at least a day, so you can that soft and slightly chewy texture on the inside, while the outer edges stay crisp,” advises Ansel.

Kouign Amann

The name itself looks intimidating, but Ansel simply likens the kouign amann (pronounced queen ah-mon) to “a caramelized croissant.” The sweet, flaky pastry was born in the northern area of Brittany as a way to repurpose leftover bread, but the one you see in shops today is far lighter, made from a technique called lamination, “the process of folding and layering the dough with butter and sugar.” The key to getting a crunchy, buttery kouign amann is speed: “The moment the sugar hits the dough, it starts to draw out the liquid, so you have to work really fast in order to get all those flaky layers in the end. If you have warm hands, chilling them with an ice pack before working the dough helps.”

Éclair

The starting point of an éclair is the same as profiteroles (cream puffs) and gougères: a pâte à choux that’s made from flour, milk and eggs. The choux pastry dough itself is fairly flavorless, serving as the perfect vehicle for a variety of glazes and cream fillings. “I remember years ago when I was first working at Fauchon in Paris under Christophe Adam, he really started to change the way that French people were thinking of éclairs, using different flavors, creative ingredients and decor.”

When it comes to making éclairs, it’s crucial to keep them uniform. “One way to make sure of this is to fold your parchment paper to create even lines or mark it with a ruler and then turn over the parchment before piping,” says Ansel. Also important? “Overfilling each eclair is always better than underfilling!”

Madeleine

A specialty of Commercy (a town in France’s northern Lorraine region), the humble madeleine got its moment in the spotlight thanks to writer Marcel Proust, who waxed poetic about the petite tea cake—no, it’s not a cookie!—in his book “Remembrance of Things Past.”

Though it requires a special pan, the fluffy shells are made from straightforward ingredients (butter, flour, sugar, a touch of lemon zest), plus a hot oven. “Heat up your molds in the oven first before piping the batter, so that the centers puff up nicely. We bake ours to order for our guests. They take just four minutes and when you take a bite, the madeleine gives off a tiny puff of steam, its last little breath.”

Cannelé

One of Ansel’s favorite pastries, the cannelé is distinguished by both its unique shape and texture. A bite into the crispy, caramelized exterior reveals a flan-like center that’s flavored with vanilla. The recipe originated in Bordeaux and calls for a special copper mold that’s seasoned with beeswax to help create a cannelé’s signature golden-brown color.

When it comes to the baking, technique is important. “It’s a one-batter recipe, with just a few ingredients—ours has a bit of dark Caribbean rum and Tahitian vanilla for added depth in flavor—but you have to remember to mix the batter slowly so the air bubbles remain tiny, and let the batter rest for about 24 hours so that the gluten can relax. And while they’re in the oven, make sure to rotate the sheet pan every 15 minutes for uniformity and even baking. ”

— All photos by Patty Lee

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Fund for Family Farming Project

The project aims to triple farmers’ revenues and provide companies with high quality and fully traceable vanilla over a 10-year span.

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Pasta and Bean Picnic Salad

A picnic table without pasta salad feels like something is missing. You can put out all kinds of beautiful dishes, but pasta salad has to be one of them. It’s dependable, kids love it — and so does Nana.

This recipe combines pasta with beans and fresh vegetables for a more substantial picnic salad. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette – no mayo – so the flavors stay fresh and bright.

Continue reading "Pasta and Bean Picnic Salad" »

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MGP: Plant Power

Whether replicating beef, pork, poultry, or even seafood, MGP’s TruTex® textured wheat proteins are ideal for creating a variety of tasty veggie burgers that are rich in protein.

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Corbion: Clean Label Appeal

New Verdad® Opti Powder N70 offers an unmatched combination of versatility, convenience, clean labeling, sodium reduction and outstanding microbial control in a convenient powder format.

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Grilled Summer Squash With Chimichurri

Chimichurri is an Argentine herb sauce commonly served with steaks and other grilled meats, but it's just as delicious spooned onto vegetables, like the grilled zucchini and summer squash here. This version of chimichurri includes both parsley and cilantro, along with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and plenty of onions, garlic, and minced jalapeño for heat. Get Recipe!

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LaClare Family Creamery Extends Product Line

The LaClare Creamery icon was created to clearly communicate that it uses local milk from well-cared-for goats.

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Snack Brand Véa Celebrates Real Ingredients

This is not a typical snack; combining ingredients like sweet potato, butternut squash and quinoa and serving them up in inspired global recipes, Véa provides a wholesome snack for those interested in discovering something new.

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Celsius Heat

New Food & Beverage Products Video: Similar to its original line of products, Heat is a dietary supplement that contains the same proprietary thermogenic formula, which accelerates the metabolism, boosts energy and accelerates calorie and fat burning, the company says. 

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