Posted on: Saturday, August 24, 2002

Make delicious Greek pupu with day-old bread

By Wanda Adams
Advertiser Food Editors

If you've got day-old bread in the house and company on the way, try these thrifty and palate-piquing "meze" ("MEZ-zeh," Greek for pupu).

The recipes are from Rosemary Barron's "Meze: Small Bites, Big Flavors from the Greek Table" (Chronicle, $18.95).

• Sesame bread meze: Place 2 cups bread chunks (1 1/4-inches square) on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Toast 8 to 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Turn and again brush with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with the same amounts of sea salt and sesame seeds. Bake 6 minutes or until golden.

• Cheese bread meze: Place 2 cups bread chunks (1 1/4-inches square) on a foil-lined baking sheet. Make a blend of 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and a good splash of red wine vinegar. Brush half of this over bread. Toss together 1/4 cup finely grated kasseri or pecorino romano cheese and 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano. Scatter half of this over bread. Toast 8 minutes at 325 degrees. Brush with remaining oil and vinegar, scatter remaining cheese and oregano; toast 6 more minutes or until browned.

Serve scattered on a platter with Greek olives, fresh tomatoes, radishes, cucumber chunks, watercress sprigs and chunks of cheese, or use as croutons in a Greek salad.