Burrata Toast — The Simple Truth on a Slice of Bread

I did a podcast interview this week — my first, a food and culture show hosted by a young woman in Brooklyn who read the book and who asked me questions about Ashkenazi cooking and the chain and Sylvia and the Grand Concourse. I was nervous for approximately thirty seconds and then I was Ruth Feldman, and Ruth Feldman has been talking about food and literature to rooms full of people for forty-three years, and a podcast is just a room with one person and a microphone, and the microphone is less intimidating than a roomful of sophomores who haven't done the reading.

The host asked me, "What is the one dish that defines the Jewish kitchen?" I said, "Chicken soup." She said, "Not brisket?" I said, "Brisket is the statement. Chicken soup is the truth. You make brisket for occasions. You make chicken soup for survival. The chicken soup is the kitchen. The brisket is the performance. I love the performance. But I live in the kitchen." The host was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "Mrs. Feldman, that's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said about soup." I said, "I've been saying beautiful things about soup for nine years. The blog has the receipts."

I made chicken soup after the podcast — the three-hour version, the Sylvia version, the truth. The soup was golden. The truth is always golden. I brought a container to Marvin. He ate it slowly. The truth arrived. The truth was received. The chain holds.

The podcast reminded me that the most honest food is never complicated — chicken soup is golden water and a bird and time, and the truth of that simplicity is what I have tried to live by in this kitchen for nine years. I couldn’t very well serve the podcast host a pot of soup through the microphone, but when I sat down afterward to write, I wanted something that carried the same spirit: fresh, unadorned, and real. Burrata toast is exactly that — good bread, good cheese, good oil, and the courage not to add anything unnecessary. Sylvia would have approved.

Burrata Toast

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices sourdough or country bread
• 8 oz fresh burrata cheese
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Toast the bread. Brush both sides of each bread slice with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toast in a skillet over medium-high heat, on a grill pan, or under the broiler for 2—3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp at the edges.
2. Rub with garlic. While the toast is still warm, rub the cut side of the garlic clove firmly over the surface of each slice. The warmth of the bread will coax out the garlic’s flavor without sharpness.
3. Prepare the tomatoes. In a small bowl, toss the halved cherry tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Let them sit for 5 minutes so they release a little of their juice.
4. Top with burrata. Tear the burrata and distribute it evenly over the four toasts, allowing the creamy interior to spread naturally across the surface.
5. Finish and serve. Spoon the marinated tomatoes over the burrata. Scatter the torn basil leaves, flaky sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Serve immediately while the toast is still warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 330 | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 430mg