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Italian Medallions

The last time I craved peperoncini’s I was three months pregnant.  Yikes! 

The Wild Boar and I were on vacation in Waikiki and there happened to be an Italian restaurant in our hotel serving a beautiful buffet dinner every evening.  

We went inside to check it out.  I took one look at the peperoncini’s and I had to have them.  I previously had no craving for them. 

The peperoncini’s sat on the buffet table in a beautiful crystal dish with a slotted spoon, I swear there was even a light shining down on them.  I scooped up every last one onto my plate and told the bus boy the bowl was empty and to have it refilled.  He did.  I went back at least two more times.

Every night, for ten nights, we went back to the same restaurant.  Due to nausea, I had pretty much not eaten anything for the previous three months.  I think this is why the Wild Boar agreed to return to the same place every evening.  I was finally eating something, even if it was peperoncini’s.

I did not look pregnant and was very thin.  The waiters watched and wondered why this woman was devouring plate fulls and plate fulls of peperoncini’s with such an incredible appetite.  Of course they said nothing as they continually removed plates and plates of peperoncini stems from the table. 

We were paying twenty-five dollars per person so I could sit and eat those peppers every night.  On our last evening there, we walked in the restaurant and the head waiter approached me with this deer in headlights expression. 

He very nicely said, “Madame, I am sorry to say but we have no peperoncini’s this evening.”  I sadly asked why and he quickly replied, “With all do respect, you ate them all”.  I could have died.

We left and went to Duke’s on the beach.

Anyways, yesterday I was craving peperoncini’s with a vengeance.  There was a jar in the cupboard but I wanted something with them.  Something crunchy, something cheesy.

After checking the pantry and cheese drawer I put together these Italian Medallions.  They are simple but full of flavor and are a cinch to throw together.

Let’s make them together.

You will need:  A baguette. mozzarella cheese, fontina cheese, tomatoes, peperoncini’s, extra virgin olive oil, fresh oregano, fresh marjoram and salt.

First thing you want to do is cut your bread into 1/2″ inch slices and paint with extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle the bread with 1 teaspoon of salt.
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake bread for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

When the bread comes out of the oven, take mozzarella and fontina cheese and sprinkle generously on each slice.

Now turn the broiler on low and place the bread with the cheese on top on the oven rack, about six inches down for three minutes. 

DO NOT, AND I REPEAT, DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE BROILER!  KAY!

Because, if you walk away from the broiler when your kids ask you to reset their Playstation 3, this is what happens.  No one was happy with the fifteen smoke alarms going off.  The house still stinks.

But if you don’t walk away and actually pay attention to what you are doing, your cheese will be warm, gooey and melty as you sprinkle the bread with chopped tomatoes, sliced peperoncini’s, fresh oregano and fresh marjoram.

The fontina and the mozzarella together make this a wonderfully melded dish.

The peperoncini’s and fresh herbs really take this dish up in flavor.

A little tangy, a little salty and then heightened by the fresh herbs.  Simplicity at it’s best.

Italian Medallions

1 baguette sliced into 1/2″ inch pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1-1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup peperoncini’s, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice baguette into 1/2″ slices and place on a baking sheet.  Paint each slice with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until slices are crispy and golden brown.

Top each slice of bread with fontina and mozzarella cheese.  Turn the broiler on low and place bread back in the oven 6″ from the heating element.  Broil for three minutes or until cheese is bubbling.  Watch carefully and do not walk away.

When out of the broiler transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle bread with tomatoes, peperoncini’s, fresh oregano and fresh marjoram.

Serve immediately.

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Comments

  3. That’s a funny story. I can’t believe that you ate at the same restaurant for all those nights in a row. That’s good though that you had your appetite back. I hope you got to try some other places around here for lunch! đŸ™‚

    Reply

  4. That is too funny. I’m not sure if I’d laugh or die on the spot if a waiter told me I hate all of the pepperoncini in the restaurant.

    Hope the only bread is these delicious looking rounds and not the bun in the oven. They look great and maybe the craving was just due to the inner feeling that you were going to make Italian Medallions very soon and how nicely they would go with pepperoncini.

    Reply

  5. I’ve never had a pepperoncini! I’m not a big pepper person as they tend to…repeat on me. So to speak.

    Re: your smoke alarms – we have a joke in my family – when my sister’s smoke alarm goes off, dinner is ready!

    Reply

  7. everything is so beautiful..i would be needing some of this for my cocktail party tonight đŸ™‚

    ps, i agree with you never be distracted while cooking..i had similar disaster in the kitchen too đŸ™‚

    Reply

  8. That is why I always buy two loaves of bread at the store. In case I mess one up in the oven, I can still try again! I am a famous arsonist in the kitchen when it comes to broiling bread. These look yummy and I must have some soon.

    Reply

  9. What a hoot of a story–priceless. Your recipe looks divine! I’ve been known to burn bread, too. In many cases of bread and cookies (shock … gasp), I’ve been known to grate off the burnt portion if it’s not a lot and I can’t taste “burnt” after I’ve used the grater. Your forgotten ones were too far gone though. LOL

    Reply

  17. No way am I making these. You said the word ‘pregnant’ – you jinxed the recipe, I know it, everyone who makes it will be pregnant!! * does a sign of warding off evil with her fingers * Where is your MIL??! She would agree!!

    Reply

  26. gotta love the forgotten broiler
    I love pep’s so does my hubs and we never like the same things. I want to make this tonight. Thank you for sharing you life and mishaps (pepperoncinis and possible pregnancies) so we can have a nice apperativo tonight!!!

    Reply

  33. Those look simply luscious! I’ll certainly give them a try. My kids simply cringe as soon as they see me making garlic bread, as they know that awful look and smell of the burnt bread. Now I only make garlic bread under the broiler when we have guests over, as I’ve not yet done the full smoke alarm scene in front of others.

    Reply

  34. Those look really good, especially the pretty black ones (just kidding). I also see by the cheeses that you use that you still have access to a Nugget. Go Nugget! My new favorite breakfast is a baguette, roma tomato, salt, and Gruyere, 2 minutes under the broiler. I think that dish may be related to yours đŸ™‚

    -Greg

    Reply

  35. MMMMMMmmmmmmm! I’m not sure I have any peppers on hand (had five kids already, not “expecting” any more), but I’m envisioning all the rest of the goodies down there in the kitchen and my mouth waters as I write! Your photos are fabulous. (I’m picking up pointers.) I think I know what we’re having for lunch … ; )

    p.s. Loved the story of the peperoncini craving — CLASSIC! (Any news to share?)

    Reply

  39. I’m not really into peppers of any kind, with the exception of sweet bell pepper anyway, but that dish looks really yummy. As for your cravings while pregnant, if that waiter had walked up to me and said that I think I would have been to mortified to go eat somewhere else lol.

    Reply

  40. This is so funny ! Imagine the jokes about you the restaurant staff were sharing behind the scenes…..and then the obvious discussions about WHO had to tell you why there were no more pepperoncini. Maybe they were relieved when you left and then got out their ‘secret stash’ of pepperoncini. Though really, I bet you were very entertaining and charming and they were sorry to be out of your cravings ! KathyB.

    Reply

  43. I never would have thought to use these peppers this way. I know that sounds like totally dumb, but I rarely use those peppers for anything else but pizza and salads or straight out of the jar. I love these just as much as you do.

    Reply

  46. I hope you are! Another little hooligan would be very nice really, don’t you think? It really wouldn’t matter if it was a pink one or a blue one either; it would just be adorable.
    I am salivating over those medalions, so pray tell what shall we drink with them? And oh by the way what’s for desert?
    Your story about the buffet is hysterical.

    Reply

  51. I walked away from the broiler just yesterday. It was for toasting pita bread to use to dip in homemade hummus.

    Speaking of which, got a good hummus recipe? Cuz mine turned out crappy.

    Reply

  55. Oh when I saw that black bread I had to laugh out loud. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have burnt stuff like that without paying attention. These look delicious.

    Reply

  56. When’s the baby due? Your boy are so cute, I do hope you have a girl. đŸ˜‰

    In other news, I cannot broil bread…that black stuff??? I must have been vicariously in charge of it! Burn it EVERY time!

    Reply

  57. Bwahahaha! You poor thing! My Little Guy burned popcorn in the microwave three weeks ago and the smell has just disappeared. I’ve done everything to get rid of it.

    The recipe looks delicious. And pregnant? Maybe?

    Reply

  65. The recipe looks great, but what makes the post is the REALNESS of it. I don’t mean to relish in your pain, but the burned batch was just so GREAT – REAL. I hate when that happens.

    Keep up the good realness Cathy!

    Reply

  70. You definitely must have patience when it comes to broiling…have you had Muffaletto (spell?)–various olives chopped in olive oil..great spead on the crostini topped with melted cheese too….now I must go and make something to eat!

    Reply

  75. I am such an ignoramus! Bought a jar of these from my local Lidl store. They weren’t called peperoncini, can’t remember what they were called, however, didn’t know what to use them for, and as they weren’t that nice out of the jar, I THREW THEM AWAY!!! (sobs quietly into sleeve) Wish I’d come across your very funny and wonderful blog earlier. We get red peperoncini (sometimes stuffed with cheese) and they are sweet and hot, are these the same?

    Reply

  76. Soooo funny… I AM pregnant and have been eating JARS of pepperocinis…that is basically all that I have eaten since i just got past a rather unpleasant first trimester!! I actually stumbled across your site by googling “pepperocinis pregnancy” to make sure that I am not inadvertantly poisoning my unborn child with all of the vinegar LOL thanks to you and this recipe, i can at least mask my raging pepperocini addiction with a yummy recipe that others too can enjoy without burning thier tastebuds off and without sidelong worried glances in my direction as I inhale yet another bottle !! đŸ™‚ Thanks!!

    Reply

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