Spicy-Hot & Cheesy Garlic Butter Bread

Spicy-Hot & Cheesy Garlic Butter Bread

1 stick softened salted butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 pound baguette
Directions
Place the butter in a bowl. Add the olive oil and whisk into a soft consistency. Fold in the cheeses, garlic, pepper flakes and thyme. Split the bread lengthwise down the middle. Spread the butter product lengthwise over the bread. Bake with the split middle up in a preheated 350-degrees oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot. Serves four.

"Top Chef" Fan Favorite to Host Garlic Showdown
Jun 15, 2009
By Staff Report The Gilroy Dispatch
Fabio Vivani, the Fan Favorite for Bravo TV's "Top Chef" will host this year's Gilroy Garlic Festival Garlic Showdown July 26, officials said.
Vivani grew up in Florence, Italy and is known for incorporating Italian, French and Spanish styles into his food. He specializes in molecular cuisine, and uses cutting-edge technology to prepare food. He is the owner and executive chef of Cafe Firenze Italian Restaurant and Martini Bar. He is also William Shatner's private chef.

As host for the Garlic Showdown, Vivani will talk about what the chefs are doing, how hard it is to cook in such a short amount of time, and cooking in general, said 2009 festival President Kirsten Carr.

"He's the host, the MC," she said.

Carr described Vivani as "incredibly energetic."

In the competition, four Bay Area contestants will have two hours to prepare and serve a dish that uses a "secret ingredient."

While Vivani didn't win "Top Chef," he won the love of his audience.

"In the week after I got kicked out from the show I received over 2 million e-mails. Now you have an idea of how many two million e-mails are? Well I did not and all the computer servers at my restaurant went down and we had to update all of them with a new Internet provider," Vivani said in his Bravo TV blog.

Since the show, he opened two restaurants in Ventura Country, published a cookbook and opened a foundation that focuses on encouraging children's health through proper nutrition

Good Old Fashioned American Garlic Bread

The most requested recipe believe it or not is for Good Old Fashioned American Garlic Bread. Here is a popular version from that Totally Garlic Cookbook by Helene Siegel & Karen Gillingham. $5.95 @ http://GarlicShoppe.com
1 1 pound loaf crusty French or Italian bread
1/4 cup butter
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Preheat Broiler
Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch slices. In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute stirring for 30 seconds
Bruch one cut side of each bread slice generously with garlic butter. Sprinkle evenly with parsley and Parmesan.
Place under hot broiler until crisp and golden brown. Serve hot.
Makes about 12 slices.

Or you can buy from The Garlic Shoppe a 12 oz jar of minced garlic. Mix 1 tablespoon or more with 1/4 cup of butter.
Spread on bread and yum

Or for something fancy, Buy our Garlic Blue cheese butter. Cooking is little different here. Toast the bread under the broiler then spread a thin layer of The Garlic Shoppes own spread over the bread. Push back under the broiler for 3 minutes to let the butter melt into the bread and brown slightly.