Mozza's missing sausage

I read this morning about LA's hotly anticipated pizzeria, Mozza, owned by chefs Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton and Joe Bastianich which is scheduled to open tomorrow. Apparently, a thief made away with $700 worth of hand-crafted cured meats made by Batali's father, Armandino, at his Seattle business, Salumi. Then, two days later a 13-pound imported Italian mortadella sausage also disappeared. When they viewed the footage from the security camera, they saw a cell phone carrying thief who looked like a yuppie, had a receding hairline and wore khakis. Despite stealing 40 pounds of meat, the thief left behind a giant wheel of aged provolone cheese which then led to the joke that the police were looking for a lactose-intolerant yuppie.

I buy a lot of Italian cured meats for antipasto, particularly prosciutto, which most people seem to like, but always like to add something for those who want to take it easy on the fat which abounds in cured meats, salami and mozzarella, so here's a recipe which is not Italian, but goes very well with any kind of antipasto. It is, in fact, Spanish and uses common Mediterranean ingredients and can be found in the book Small Plates (Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles).

Grilled Bread with Ripe Tomatoes and Olive Oil
Serves 6, Preparation Time 15 mins, Cooking Time 5 mins, calories 257

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
coarse salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
12 slices coarse country bread, each about 3/4 inch thick
3 very ripe tomatoes, halved crosswise
ground pepper to taste

Optional garnishes
1/4 cup green or black brine-cured olives, pitted and slivered
6 paper-thin slices serrano ham
12 paper-thin slices manchego cheese

1. Prepared a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill (you can toast the bread under a broiler, but grilling gives it the best flavor.

2. In a mortar, combine the garlic and salt to taste. Mash together with a pestle to form a past. Mix in the olive oil.

3. Place the bread slices on the grill rack 4-5 inches from the fire and grill, turning once, until golden brown, 30-60 seconds on each side. Transfer the bread slices to a platter. Cupping a tomato half in your palm, rub it over the top sides of 2 pieces of toast, squeezing slightly to leave a smear of pulp, seeds, and juice on the surface. Repeat with the remaining tomato halves and bread. Drizzle the olive oil-garlic mixture evenly over the bread slices and sprinkle with pepper. Serve immediately with the optional garnishes arranged on top, if desired.

Nutritional information: Calories 257; Protein 6g; Carbohydrates 33g; Total fat 12g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 356 mg; Dietary fiber 3g.