If I were to be locked in prison and they asked "what's the one food (you may only have one) you choose to eat during your stay?" I would say bread. And hopefully they would include many types, but if it had to be narrowed down to one kind only, it would be Crumb Brothers baguettes or ciabatta.
In Italy where I lived for almost 2 years, (hey, I'm from Utah), I ate some magnificent bread. In the unremarkable city of San Severo, near Foggia, they have huge hubcaps 20-inches diameter, and it's one of the things that makes the place worth visiting. The bread is bubbly-crusty-chewy and toothsome, almost as good as Crumb Brothers. (Okay, it might have been even better, but now we are talking about world-class bread.)
Utah has some great artisan bakeries like Pierre, Volker's, etc. and at the top of the list is Crumb. This is a bread which will stand up to a bunch of chefs and snooty gourmets talking about gluten and yeast character. It has the old-world quality that makes one rave and all of Crumb Brother's stuff is of premiere quality, but for my money there is nothing quite on a par with the ciabatta and baguette. Bread for bread's sake, the best of the best.
"Pane Pomodoro" as prepared in San Severo, Italy:
-Slice CB ciabatta bread about 5/8" thick, let stand so it gets about an hour of dryness on the surface if the bread is very fresh.
-Chop fresh tomatoes over the surface, about 1-2 tablespoons per slice.
-Salt liberally, it's best if salty - (but salt to taste)
-Sprinkle with oregano, fresh or dry both work. Fresh basil is a different taste, but also good.
-Douse with EVOO - get a good-tasting extra virgin oil and don't be stingy. Remember italians are mostly all skinny and they eat lots of olive oil.
When I first encountered this kind of focaccia, I thought it was going to be scary peasant food, because it looked overly-soaked in oil. But it's a classic taste combination. Stick to the simple recipe first and give it a try! It is literally 'enabled' by the simple fact that we are blessed with the availability of Crumb Brothers' wonderful bread.
In Salt Lake I buy at Caputo's Market, The Store Too, and Liberty Heights Fresh. When in Logan, I go to the source!
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