La Merenda di Victor

　　When my husband was a schoolboy in Bologna, his favorite afternoon merenda was a crusty slice of grilled bread that his grandmother would top with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. It doesn't need a recipe, just a description.

　　

Ingredients

　　

Step 1

Cut slices from very good, crusty white bread. Grill them to a light brown.

　　

Step 2

Place the slices on a plate or a tray, keeping one or two aside.

　　

Step 3

Blanket thickly with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, letting some cheese drop onto the plate or tray.

　　

Step 4

Pour enough olive oil over the cheese to soak it thoroughly, letting some oil spill onto the plate or tray.

　　

Step 5

When you have eaten the cheese and oil crostini, use the reserved slices to wipe the plate or tray clean. These may taste even better than the first.

　　

Step 6

Your fingers will get sticky handling this. Italian children lick theirs clean.

　　Reprinted with permission from Marcella Says...: Italian Cooking Wisdom from the Legendary Teacher's Master Classes, with 120 of Her Irresistible New Recipes by Marcella Hazan. © 2004 HarperCollins