Oscar Night Good Reason To Gather Friends, Food

Growing up in the 1950s, I remember clearly the television shows our family watched together. All of those programs have long since faded from the screen, with one exception: the Academy Awards.

The Oscars seems to be more popular today (and certainly viewed by millions more!) than it was four decades ago. And, not surprisingly, many avid movie-goers see this annual event as good cause for socializing.

That is certainly true for a circle of our close friends. Every year on the last Monday of March, we cook and dine together and then gather around the TV to watch the awards. Each of us marks a ballot (found in the local paper), and at the close of the evening the best guesser wins movie passes to a nearby cinema.

This year, we have decided to prepare an Italian menu. I will bring bruschetta for appetizers, the hosts are making osso buco (the famous stew of braised veal shanks) and others are arriving with side dishes of risotto and salad. A gifted baker in the group will provide a pear torta for dessert. Naturally, we’ll munch on popcorn and candy during the show.

These Capri-Style Bruschetta are composed of garlicky, grilled or toasted slices of bread mounded with a delectable cooked zucchini and tomato puree and a garnish of basil.

The vegetable topping can be made a day ahead and reheated at serving time, and the bread takes only a few minutes to toast or to grill on top of the stove, so only a quick assembly is needed at the dinner hour.

Whether your favorites win or lose Oscars, these delectable little bruschetta will get the evening off to a special start.

Capri-Style Bruschetta

From “Panini, Bruschetta and Crostini,” (by Viana LaPlace, William Morrow.)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

About 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 pound fresh zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

2 canned peeled whole tomatoes without additives, chopped, or 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

Salt

1/3 cup water

3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small dice (about cup)

4 thick slices country bread

2 garlic cloves, cut in half

Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

6 basil leaves

Place olive oil, onion and red pepper flakes in small saute pan. Cook, covered, over low heat 10 minutes. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Saute few minutes over medium-low heat. Add tomatoes, salt to taste and water. Stir well. Cook, covered, until zucchini is very tender and meltingly soft, about 25 minutes. Mash zucchini using back of wooden spoon. Continue to cook until almost all moisture evaporates. Add mozzarella and stir until cheese melts.

Meanwhile, grill or toast bread on both sides. Rub cut garlic into 1 side of each slice of bread. Drizzle very lightly with olive oil. Spoon zucchini mixture onto bread slices. Top with few drops olive oil. Tear basil into fragments and sprinkle over top. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 bruschetta.

Note: Recipe can be doubled or tripled easily.

Betty Rosbottom is a cooking school director and cookbook author.