Rick's Basic Bruschetta

Preparation 1. Prepare gas or charcoal grill or preheat the broiler or a panini press. The heating elements or coals should be medium-hot. 2. Cut the slices in half and brush both sides with a generous amount of olive oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper. 3. Grill or broil the bread, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. 4. Gently rub 1 side of the toasts with garlic, sprinkle with cheese, and serve. From Fantastico by Rick Tramonto, Mary Goodbody, and Belinda Chang Copyright (c) 2007 by Rick Tramonto. Published by Broadway Books. Rick Tramonto, the executive chef/partner of Tru in Chicago, was named one of Food & Wine's Top Ten Best Chefs in the country in 1994 and selected as one of America's Rising Star Chefs by Robert Mondavi in 1995. He has also been nominated four times for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest, winning the award in 2002. Tru, which opened its doors in May 1999, was nominated for the 2000 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and named one of the Top 50 Best Restaurants in the World by Condé Nast Traveler. Tramonto is the coauthor, with his partner Gale Gand, of American Brasserie and Butter Sugar Flour Eggs. Mary Goodbody is a nationally known food writer and editor who has worked on more than forty-five books. Her most recent credits include Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion, The Garden Entertaining Cookbook, and Back to the Table. She is the editor of the IACP Food Forum Quarterly, was the first editor in chief of Cooks magazine, and is a senior contributing editor for Chocolatier magazine and Pastry Art & Design magazine. Tim Turner is a nationally acclaimed food and tabletop photographer. He is a two-time James Beard Award winner for Best Food Photography, winning most recently in 2002. His previous projects include Charlie Trotter's Recipes, Charlie Trotter's Meat and Game, The Inn at Little Washington, Norman's New World Cuisine (by Norman Van Aken), Jacques Pepin's Kitchen, and American Brasserie.