lia huber { articles }

On my last trip to Italy, I was struck by how often bread turned up at meals. Not beside my plate, as I was accustomed to, but on it in various guises in an assortment of dishes. Crisp chunks mixed with a salad of juicy tomatoes plucked fresh from the vine. Crunchy, pebble-sized pieces mixed with a rustic pasta dish.

This seemed like the essence of wisdom to me. After all, who hasn't winced while tossing an almost-whole loaf of stale bread into the garbage and hearing it 'thunk' like a brick? I was impressed by how Italian cooks turned their spent bread into hearty, delicious meals.

Upon my return, I learned how other cultures dealt with old bread. I found that throughout the centuries, in countries where bread was a staple of the diet, people (especially those who couldn't afford to throw away nearly whole loaves just because they were a little stale) incorporated hardened bread into all kinds of rustic dishes. They used it to thicken soups or stews, as in garlic soup from Spain, or to add texture to a pasta or pan-fry. And the numerous versions of British bread pudding, both savory and sweet, meant that bread from Tuesday could be dessert on Friday.

Emboldened, I tried these techniques. Taking cues from abroad, and at home, I found nine tasty ways to use leftover bread. Once you master the techniques used here, you can make them yours.

Premature aging
To prepare these recipes with fresh bread, you'll have to dry the loaf first. Preheat the oven to 350º, break the bread as directed in the recipe, and toast in a single layer on a baking sheet until lightly toasted—10 to 15 minutes.

Day-old bread can be turned into crunchy breadcrumbs to top a pasta or serve as the base for a sweet-and-savory dressing.

Use a Hearty Loaf
We call for day-old Italian or French bread in these recipes, but you can use any type of hearty, rustic bread with a large crumb—ciabatta or sourdough boules, for example. (Avoid using soft white or sweet enriched breads, which aren't substantial enough to hold up in these dishes.) When large chunks are called for, peasant rounds work nicely. Long loaves are easier to cut into slices. The bottom line: Aside from the exceptions noted above, take a cue from the Italians and use whatever you have on hand.

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{ Roast Pork Loin with Savory Fennel Bread Pudding }

The bread pudding is similar in texture to a soufflé or stuffing. The pork and bread pudding both need to be baked at 350°, so start the bread pudding, then add the pork after about 30 minutes. To ensure that both the pork and the pudding brown evenly, switch pans on the oven racks once during baking. Serve with a green salad.

1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 (2-pound) pork loin
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced fennel (about 1 large bulb)
2 cups thinly sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
8 ounces French bread or other firm white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fontina cheese
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds

1. Combine sugar, water, and salt in a large bowl, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Add pork; cover and brine 2 hours to overnight in refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel, onion, and 2 garlic cloves; cook until golden brown (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup broth; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add remaining broth; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

3. Combine bread and fennel mixture. Stir in cheese. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown.

4. While bread pudding bakes, rinse pork and pat dry. Combine fennel seeds, 2 garlic cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub evenly over pork.

5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Place skillet in oven; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140° (slightly pink). Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve bread pudding with pork.

Serves 8

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