bruschetta.

category:		appetizers and snacks
style:		italian
special consideration:		quick and easy
servings:		12 servings

description:
(pronounced as broo-SKEH-tah)

bruschetta is the italian-style garlic bread served as hors d’oeuvres.. there are so many different variations depending on your choice of topping. this particular variation is my favorite… =)

ingredients:

bruschettas:
1 thick baguette, end trimmed, loaf angle cut into 12 slices
1/3 cup olive oil
2 to 3 peeled garlic cloves, for rubbing

tomato, caper and olive topping:
3 large ripe tomatoes, trimmed, seeded and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons drained small capers (or as much as you like)
3 tablespoons drained black or green olives (or as much as you like)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed through a press or minced
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

directions:

for the bruschettas, preheat a grill or grill pan. rub the bread on one side with raw garlic then drizzle with a little olive oil. lay the bread on the rack or pan, cover, and grill, rearranging the position of the slices on the rack to create attractive markings and turning them once, until they are crisp and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes total. remove from the heat and cool. the bread slices can be grilled several hours in advance.

for the tomato, caper and olive topping, in a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, basil, capers, olives, oil, lemon zest, garlic, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of pepper. cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

here’s to hoping you enjoy my favorite. as world-famous chef wolfgang puck says… live, love, eat! =)

p.s. for the sake of comparison and to satisfy your curiosity, click on the link for wolfgang puck’s bruschetta trio recipe.

mc solaar and my current love affair with french rap

la belle et le bad boy

Ils s'étaient rencontrés sur les bancs d'l'école
Entre une heure de colle de maths ou un cours d'espagnol.
C'était une fille fun fana de football.
Lui ne craignait pas les balles, c'était le goal.
C'qu'il lui promettait c'était des ballades en Corvette.
Pour l'instant en survêt, il volait des mobylettes
Mais entre eux c'était toujours complicité
Escale sur un piédestal un rêve délimité
S'il devenait triangle, elle serait rectangle
La belle et le bad boy, le triangle rectangle
C'est comme passer de Joe Dassin à Jodeci
Un vrai truc de ouf style pur clip de R & B
Elle vit le grand amour, qui commence dans la cour
Se poursuit dans les tours et rime toujours avec toujours
Mais le contexte est plus fort que le concept.
Son mec se jette dans les flammes et il se lave avec.

Les sous-ensembles dans les grands ensembles s'assemblent,
La belle et le bad boy
Les sous-ensembles dans les grands ensembles s'assemblent
Pour gagner des sous ensemble.

Parlent sans faire semblant de faire des coups ensemble
Et si c'est sanglant. Ils plaident devant Dieu ensemble. Vu.
Il était convaincant, elle était convaincue
À croire qu'aujourd'hui s'arrêter était exclu
Ils trafiquent des faux billets avec des réseaux slaves.
Balancent la concurrence. En France c'est un délit grave.
Risqué pour les pommettes, les mecs sortent des Baumettes.
Lui n'a qu'un seul truc en tête, c'est la quête de sa Corvette.
Ambiance paranoïaque. L'équipe adverse traîne
Des projectiles partent quand une BM freine.
Quand elle tombe. Il a les larmes aux yeux
Deux balles de 22. Vingt-deux ans adieu.
Le contexte est plus fort que le concept
Son mec s'est jeté dans les flammes, faut qu'il se lave avec.

p.s. don't despair, i don't understand it either. :)

it's been a while..

my, my... it's been quite a while since my last post, hasn't it? it's been quite a while too since things seemed right. i can't honestly say i'm the same person since the last time i posted anything or since the last time i remember things felt right.

i feel so terrible now. i wish i could shout out what i'm feeling at the top of my lungs... but i can't. describing how i feel is beyond what i'm capable of now. i simply have not been blessed with the vocabulary for it. it's like frustration but worse. it's like exhaustion yet mixed with boredom or hopelessness. it's like overwhelming grief but it's all hidden in me. it's like dying but still feeling restless. aarrrggh.

it's like nothing i've ever felt before.

the best things in life are FREE

ok.. now don't laugh but i've finally turned into one of those dupe-able (as in capable of being duped, conned, swindled, cajoled, etc.) internet junkies. yes, i've been suckered into reposting something that i just stumbled upon on the internet. i know, i know.. webpages using freebies to entice people are so suspicious and shouldn't be taken seriously but i thought about it and i've come to the conclusion that there's probably no harm in trying and after all, the best things in life are definitely those which are free... anyway, if you're interested to know what got me all worked up, i've reposted the pro-forma message from the website. read and be intrigued (or suckered just like me! hehehe! just kidding!)... but like i said, no harm in trying, eh? ok, so here you go...


Hey there!

I just found this pretty neat site that is giving away free stuff, such as the new iPod, a miniDV camcorder, a home theater system, a Canon digital camera, or CASH.

It is completely legitimate, and thousands of people have received their products from the free sites so far.

All you need to do is copy the following link into your browser, and follow the simple instructions as you go!

Here is my link:

http://www.tech4free.com/default.aspx?ref=26962

crazy quiz

YOUR YEARS AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
name
age
house	gryffindorhufflepuffravenclawslytherin
family line	mugglebornhalf-bloodpure-blood
dated	all the popular boys
you are well known for	being the school slut
percentage of student body you shagged - 59%
how do the staff and students feel about you	will you marry me?!?!!
this quiz by batin ravanera - taken 234379 times.

--batin and juan--

unwell. (hence my absence after my first post)

i'm not sure if it's because of all the stress and tension which have accumulated since the start of the year or the salt from all the junk food i've eaten since the start of the year that has accumulated in my kidneys or both (i eat junk food when i'm stressed. really, it is THE comfort food!). either way, i seem to have accumulated enough to make me ill. so, immediately after the last final exam, i chose to call in sick (as i if i had so much of a choice! i was already limping during the entire finals week from extreme back pain) and stay in bed all week after the doctor told me all i needed was some medicine, rest and lots of water.

i'm feeling better now. in fact, i'm back to eating junk food.. NOT! hahaha.. just kidding. i'm banned from eating junk food forever. cruel. but then again, i'd rather be alive.

so, in parting, a word of caution to everyone. think before you put that yummy chip in your mouth!!! bwahahahahaha....

first post. EVER.

woke up at 4:30 a.m. juan was already panicking about not waking up at 3:15. sheesshh.. after a few milliseconds of packing, we were off to the terminal. drove back home immediately. too sleepy to even open my eyes! when i got home, i thought about the computer which i didn't turn off last night because the phil collins song was still being downloaded. so i played my favorite game (dynomite deluxe) for a while then thought of downloading vonda shepard songs. dad woke up, asked me to redo some parts of the endorsement letter and burn him a copy of the vonda shepard songs. so, i did all those. and somehow, after weeding and re-weeding of my e-mail accounts so many times, i finally got here...

so let's see where this road takes us. after all, everything happens for a reason, right?