Perhaps you've made loaves of delicious challah or sourdough bread during the coronavirus lockdown or picked up crispy baguettes from your favorite bakery. White bread is so amazingly good when it's fresh from the oven; sadly it goes stale very quickly.
Of course, leftover bread can be ground into crumbs or torn into crunchy croutons (I keep crumbs and croutons in my freezer to top macaroni and cheese or to add to salads), but there are many more creative and enjoyable ways to use day-old bread.
Dried-out bread is very adaptable to soaking up flavors without getting mushy. Many cuisines rely on the use of stale bread such as Lebanon's fattoush (a chopped salad of crisp vegetables, fresh herbs and strips of pita bread bathed in vinaigrette), and Italy's Tuscan bread soups like pappa al pomodoro ( ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic mashed together with a slice of country bread), or panzanella salad (ciabatta bread and ripe juicy tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, olives, capers, and red peppers).
Try tomato bruschetta (pronounced broo-skeh-tuh) for an appetizer (lightly toasted or grilled slice of sourdough or rustic country bread piled high with chopped tomatoes, garlic, and balsamic vinegar).
For something sweet, French toast (pan perdu or "lost toast") or New Orleans' bourbon-infused sweet and custardy bread pudding can't be beat.
Bread is used to thicken Spain's roasted bell pepper Romesco sauce _ traditionally served with fish, chicken, or roasted vegetables. To make Romesco sauce, pulse one large roasted red bell pepper from a jar, one garlic clove, { cup toasted slivered almonds, \ cup tomato puree, two tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, two tablespoons Sherry vinegar, one teaspoon smoked paprika, { teaspoon cayenne pepper and one slice rustic bread in a blender or food processor. With machine running, slowly add { cup extra virgin olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
