Bruschetta

Recipe courtesy Goop
image courtesy Goop
2 loaves of fresh pane pugliese (or your favorite country-style bread), cut into 3/4" thick slices
3 large garlic cloves, cut in half
good olive oil
coarse salt
Grill the bread over a medium flame for about a minute on each side or until toasted and just barely charred at spots. Rub both sides of the bread with the cut side of the garlic. Drizzle one side generously with olive oil (at least a tablespoon and a half per slice). Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.

Italian Lemonade

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

image courtesy google imaging

Ingredients
2 cups lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons
2 cups Basil Simple Syrup, recipe follows
2 cups cold or sparkling water
Ice
Lemon twists, for garnish
crushed raspberries if you wish

Directions:
Mix lemon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and water together in a pitcher. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour over ice filled glasses and garnish with a lemon twist.

Basil Simple Syrup:
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

In a saucepan combine basil, sugar, and water and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes. Cool, strain the simple syrup, and store in the refrigerator.