Fettunta (aka best garlic bread ever)

I just read two posts on Fettunta, literally "greased bread" that's prepared in Italy to celebrate the first olive oil of the season. It's almost dinner time, so I decided to make some myself. It's amazing how four simple ingredients can come together to create a masterpiece.

INGREDIENTS
Great bread, sliced one inch thick (I used multi-grain)
Garlic cloves, cut in half
Your Best Olive Oil
Sea Salt (not too finely ground, flakes are good -- I'm a Maldon girl myself)

1) Toast the bread or grill it under the broiler.
2) Rub cut garlic cloves on toasted bread.
3) Drizzle with olive oil.
4) Sprinkle with sea salt.

That's all there is to it, unless like me, you find it impossible to be a purist. I sprinkled on a little Zaa'tar, a Lebanese blend of wild thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, and sumac for a Levantine take on fettunta.

Thanks to Aki and Alex at Ideas in Food (www.ideasinfood.com -- who I met at a PR event in NYC several years ago -- the one in the apartment with the real stuffed animals in the basement) and Elaine, who writes the sensational blog, The Italian Dish (www.theitaliandish.com)