Crostini e Peperoni Bagna Cauda

Bagna Cauda has its origins in Piedmont, Italy.  There are many different Piemontese recipes for bagna cauda.  The three required ingredients for bagna cauda are olive oil, garlic and anchovy.  Bagna cauda is always served hot as a vegetable dipping sauce or tossed with roasted bell peppers.  For a shared bagna cauda, serve like a fondue in a heated pot on the center of the table.  This recipe is a traditional artichoke bagna cauda.
     Bagna Cauda Recipe:  Boil an artichoke in water. 
     Add lemon juice and sea salt to the water while the artichoke cooks. 
     When the artichoke is cooked tender, drain off the hot water and cool the artichoke under cold running water. 
     Peel all the leaves from the artichoke. 
     Save the artichoke heart and bottom for another recipe. 
     Scrape the meat from the artichoke leaves.  Discard the scraped leaves. 
     Finely chop the artichoke meat and set it aside. 
     Simmer a handful of whole garlic cloves in a virgin olive oil over medium heat.  (Use enough olive oil to cover the garlic cloves.)   
     When the garlic is cooked to a light golden color, add the artichoke meat and some cream. 
     Add a couple pinches of black pepper.
     Add a generous amount of anchovy paste.  (About 2 spoonfuls is enough.) 
     Simmer the bagna cauda over low heat while stirring occasionally till the bagna cauda reduces to a medium heavy consistency. 
     Mash the whole garlic cloves into the bagna cauda with a spoon. 
     Pour the hot bagna cauda into a serving dish and set it on a plate.
     Crostini Recipe:  Brush some thin sliced italian bread with olive oil.
     Place the crostini on a baking pan.
     Bake the crostini till they become very lightly toasted and crisp.   
     Peperoni Recipe:  Toss red and yellow bell pepper strips with olive oil in a roasting pan pan under a broiler set on high heat. 
     When the pepper strips become tender and very lightly caramelized, set the pepperoni on the bagna cauda plate with the crostini. 
     Garnish with some Italian parsley.
     Simply dip the peppers and crostini in the bagna cauda and enjoy!  Bagna cauda is a traditional fall season appetizer in Piedmont Italy.  The flavors are very rich and warming.  Bagna cauda is a healthy feeling recipe too.  Peperoni translates to sweet bell peppers, not spicy dry sausage pepperoni in Italy.  Raw vegetables can also be served with bagna cauda but pepperoni is classic.  Roasted and peeled red bell pepper is nice with bagna cauda too. 
     This is the first bagna cauda recipe I learned while working in a great Italian seafood fine dining restaurant.  I haven't found a richer bagna cauda since.  The artichoke meat in the bagna cauda adds a traditional classic touch.  This is a great lunch, appetizer or "dinner party" recipe.  Yum!  Ciao Baby!  ....  Shawna