Addicting Finger Food - Peas and Crispy Pancetta Crostini

Crostini or bruschetta? Even though my gut feeling told me this is a crostini appetizer, but still want to dig a little deeper.

Bruschetta comes from the Italian word bruscare, meaning "to roast over coals." So basically the bread is grilled, perhaps over file, and usually rubbed with garlic plus a little drizzle of olive oil. One source also mentioned that bruschetta is usually made with whole or wide slices of rustic bread.

In the case of crostini, it's usually made with baguette slices, or some other type of smaller bread slices. It usually comes with a topping, and the bread gets heated up in the oven.

So I guess my gut feeling was right?

Peas and crispy pancetta crostini -

Ingredients?

• 1 medium baguette
• 110 grams pancetta slices
• 3/4 cup peas
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• Some extra virgin olive oil
• Some olive oil

How?

Blanch peas and pat dry with paper towel.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/218 degrees Celsius. 

Spread pancetta slices on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or till pancetta turns crisp and slightly darkened. Remove from heat and set aside till cool enough to handle by hand. 

Slice the baguette and lay on top of another prepared baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over and bake in high heat till warmed up. The baguette slices should be slightly crunchy to the bite but not hard as rock, that usually happens when heated up too long in the oven.

Use a food processor, add in 1 peeled garlic clove, 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice. Blend till smooth, but some tiny chunks are fine too.

Spread some pea purée to the toasted baguette slices then top with some crispy pancetta pieces.

It makes a great party finger food. There's this tiny kick from the pea purée, just one clove of garlic gives such power and bring the whole taste up a notch. Don't even mention that savory note from pancetta slices, the flavor is further condensed thanks to the oven heat. I was going to save some for my family, but oops...It was way too addicting...  

Asian Cold Appetizer - Mentaiko Cucumber

I'm been storing some mentaiko (pollock roe) in the freezer lately, just another versatile ingredient when sudden needs arise. And it doesn't take long to defrost too.

Mentaiko Cucumber -

Ingredients?

• 2 medium small cucumbers
• 1 small sac/about 2 tablespoons mentaiko
• 1/4 teaspoon white sesame oil
• Some salt
• Some toasted white sesame seeds

How?

Give the cucumbers a few rough chops then smash with the side of a Chinese cleaver, just to make some cracks so the seasonings can better sink in.

Use about 2 small spoonful of salt to mix with these cucumbers and wait for about 10 minutes. The salt will draw out the liquid from the cucumber, rinse away these salt and pat dry with kitchen towel.

Mix the cucumber chunks with mentaiko, white sesame oil, then sprinkle with some toasted white sesame seeds.

It's even better to chill in the fridge first before serving. Makes a great Asian cold appetizer, and easy to do.