Is crostini a mini bruschette? Is bocconcini really mozzarella?

Some vital questions!   Qu 1 - Crostini or Bruschetta?   Is crostini a small bruschetta? 




The difference is fuzzy.

Give up? Yes, crostini is smaller and is served as an aperitivo but the correct answer is that crostini is usually made with white bread instead of sourdough but the difference is fuzzy.   

The Italians simply grill a half-inch slice of ciabatta, rub it with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle it with oil, and season it with salt and pepper.



My favourite method, being an 'ovenphile' is to  preheat oven to 160°C/ 320 F.  Line an oven tray with baking paper and bake slices which have been sprayed on both sides with olive oil,  for about 8-10 minutes or until golden and crisp. While hot, rub with garlic.  Add prepared topping of your choice. For approx 12 crostini, here a few favourites but you can use your imagination and personal taste to create the perfect Italian aperitivo, whether it be a crostini or bruschette.

tapenade with goat's cheese

Intense flavours offset with
goat's cheese & basil

Process the following in a food processor; 1 cup (175g) pitted kalamata olives, 4 anchovy fillets, drained on paper towel, coarsely chopped, 1 tbsp drained capers, 1 garlic clove, crushed, then add ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil to make a smooth paste. 

Spread on crostini, then sprinkle with crumbled goat's cheese and torn basil.
Or  for green olive tapenade, replace black olives with 1 cup green olives.

mixed herb crostini 

Roughly chop  any mixture of soft herbs like fennel tops,  basil, parsley, mint, chervil or thyme leaves. Take six cherry tomatoes and halve them, then rub one of the halves into each of your hot crostini. Grate some pecorino or Parmesan over the top and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with good-quality extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

cannellini beans with garlic
Pound a couple of sprigs of rosemary gently in a mortar and pestle with a little salt. Add a good swig or two of extra-virgin olive oil and stir, then put to one side. Fry two sliced cloves of garlic in a little olive oil until lightly golden. Add 1 ¾ cups of good-quality drained and rinsed cannellini beans and continue to simmer gently for approx seven minutes. Season the beans well with salt and pepper and a little red wine vinegar, then mash to a coarse puree using the back of a fork. Spread onto hot crostini and spoon rosemary oil over the top.

prosciutto, figs, and mint
For this delicious concoction you need six large ripe figs, halved, 12 slices of prosciutto, and a small bunch of fresh mint. Drape piece of  prosciutto over  hot crostini and squash a piece of fig on top.  Finish with mint leaves and serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil, a drop of balsamic vinegar, and some freshly ground black pepper.

blue cheese with pear
Salty, sharp blue cheese combined with sweet, juicy pear is sublime. (75g / 3 oz Gorgonzola or any good blue cheese) 
Peel and core the pear, then slice it into 12 thin wedges.
Top crostini with a sliver of blue cheese, a slice of pear and a good grinding of black pepper.  Serve immediately. 

ham & smashed pea crostini

Use a  narrow baguette to make these crostini .  Fry  2 finely chopped shallots in olive oil , add  140 g/5 oz frozen peas and a slurp of white wine then cover and cook gently  for about 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. Turn the peas and juices into a food processor, season with salt and pepper and process to make a chunky puree.

Cut 3 strips of proscuitto into 12 pieces ( cut each in half lengthwise, then across). Prepare the toast,  spoon the smashed peas on top and finish with a twist of ham. Drizzle with a little more oil, if liked, and a grinding of black pepper.
Sprinkle the crostini with mint and serve immediately.

I'm just a baby!

 Qu 2 -  What is bocconcini - is it the same as mozzarella?
Bocconcini are Italian cheese balls about the size of cherry tomatoes. They are actually a fresh type of mozzarella. small, semi-soft, white and rindless,  unripened, usually made from a combination of water buffalo and cow's milk. Bocconcini are packaged in whey or water, have a spongy texture and absorb flavours.

buffalo mozzarella and chilli
Deseed and finely chop a fresh red chilli.  Top each hot crostini with 1/4  Buffalo mozzarella (for 12, approx 180 g / 5 oz,  torn into quarters)  and sprinkle with chilli.   Add a little seasoning and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh torn basil. 

There are endless possibilities.
Clara