Ask Mr. Foodie!

Mr. Foodie likes crostini. Whatever that is.

Dear Mr. Foodie, I want to make crostini for an end-of-summer party. What are some toppings I could use?

A. Crostini (a.k.a. “toast” in English and, interestingly, French) is Italian for little toasted pieces of bread for appetizers.
I like tapenade on crostini but am frequently too lazy to make it. Take 8 ounces of pitted green olives, 3 ounces peeled almonds, five anchovy filets, a heaping tablespoon of capers, the juice of one lemon and whirl in a food processor. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and season with some ground black pepper. Spread on crostini. [Foodie thanks CuisineAZ.com, from which he adapted this recipe.]

Less adventurous (or more time-pressed) taste buds should go with roasted red peppers from the jar or chopped sprinkled with minced basil leaves, or good cheese spreads like Alouette or Boursin.
You can’t go wrong with sliced crispy baguette with some hard salami, slices of pepperoni, sliced fresh mozzarella and sliced good tomato.