Yep, it's official... I. AM. OBSESSED. WITH. TOAST. There aren't enough places around this town with good ol' toast. I'm going to change that and you can quote me on that. But, in the meantime, while you're waiting, I'll just be making it at home, for myself and for anyone else who wants to sit down with me and indulge in the many possible creations for this brilliant and simple idea we call toast. Did you know that toast was created to make stale bread more palatable, and at one point, Streetband/Q-Tip even had a song named 'Toast' where they used toast as an instrument and the sound of toast being scraped later in the track...ummm....yeah, that happened.
While living in Venice, I frequently (when I say "frequently", I mean "daily") walked down with Chloe to the little local joint GTA (Gjelina Take-Away) and it was almost a certainty that I'd order a toast. Sometimes the granola, sometimes the spicy breakfast sandwich with kale, but most likely...toast...and a cortado. God, I miss that place. And with that nostalgia and longing for a good local spot where everyone knows my name and the toast that I want, I have to settle for toast at home.
Above, my favorite, salmon toast (wild alaskan smoked salmon, cream cheese, pickled cucumber, capers, radish, dill) and pear toast (winter red pear, whipped cream cheese and yogurt, maldon sea salt, thyme).
Salmon Toast
INGREDIENTS:
Artisan bread, sliced (and optional: lightly toasted)
4oz Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon
2 oz Organic Cream Cheese
1 Pickled Cucumber, thinly sliced/shaved
1 Tbsp Capers
1 Radish, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh dill
Maldon sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Arrange your mise en place of ingredients.
Spread cream cheese onto slice of artisan bread.
Layer with salmon, cucumber and capers. Top with radish and dill sprigs and a pinch of maldon sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Voila!
Winter Pear Toast
INGREDIENTS:
Artisan bread, sliced (and optional: lightly toasted)
2 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
1 red or asian pear, thinly sliced
maldon sea salt
1 sprig thyme
optional: drizzle of honey
DIRECTIONS:
Arrange your mise en place of ingredients.
In a small bowl, whip together cream cheese and yogurt. Adjust amount of yogurt for desired taste and consistency. Spread cream cheese onto slice of artisan bread.
Layer pear on top of cream cheese/yogurt and top with maldon sea salt, a sprig of thyme and optional honey drizzle for added sweetness. Done!
