Boiled Water

For my birthday, my mother bought me the Bittman book collection, How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I'm so excited because I love Bittman, his food philosophy and cooking style.

Today, I made the most interesting soup. It's really just bread and water. And Bittman calls it Boiled Water.

And you know what? It's simple. And fast.

And delicious.

It tastes like grilled cheese. Grilled Cheese Soup.

Boiled Water
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

What You Need:

• 4 cups of water
• 6 to 10 cloves of garlic, crushed (I used minced garlic instead and used 2 Tbsp)
• 1 bay leaf (didn't have, so I added some oregano instead)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 thick slices of French or Italian bread, stale (I used a baguette and did three small slices per bowl)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley for garnish (I skipped it)

How it's Done:

1. Bring to a boil the water with the garlic, salt, pepper, and bay leaf (or oregano). Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Toast bread in it. It's quick, maybe a minute total cooking time.
3. Put the bread in each of four bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese.
4. Bittman says to strain your broth here. I didn't strain mine. It's up to you.
5. Ladle one cup of broth over each bowl.  Serve immediately.