the best garlic bread

I <3 carbs. I always have. pasta, risotto, and BREAD. bread is my weakness. don't get me wrong - sweets are good - but give me a hunk of crusty bread and call it a meal. too bad eating so much bread leads to a doughy exterior.

but I digress.

there are some great garlic breads in the frozen section. and hey, they're already prepared. I can't fault you for using them because I have too. however, if you want the ultimate garlic bread LISTEN UP.

1 french baguette [I love crusty bread. if you like a softer texture, opt for a french loaf bread instead]
butter
olive oil
garlic
parsley
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

1. preheat oven - 350 if you have nothing else in the oven. this can cook at any temp.
2. cut bread in half length-wise. [I portion mine first and freeze the rest. no need for a whole loaf to go bad waiting for two people to get around to it]
3. slather bread with desired amount of butter. hey - who am I to tell you how much fat to use?
4. crush garlic and spread over butter. again, it's your perfect garlic bread so use as much or as little as you want. [I use my garlic press to avoid large chunks of garlic. if you don't have one, chop it super fine or paste it with salt. just don't use any more salt if you paste it]
5. chop parsley and sprinkle liberally over bread.
6. season each half with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
7. put two halves back together and place on foil.
8. drizzle with olive oil.
9. wrap tightly and place in oven.
10. bake until tender and crunchy, all at the same time. [10-15 minutes in my oven at 350, but my oven runs a little hot]

serving suggestions: this makes a great side dish to any meal. really. italian, meatloaf, chicken, etc. it also makes a lovely snack. if you're feeling lazy you can always put salt, pepper, red pepper flake and parsley in a bowl and add olive oil to dip bread in. dried basil, rosemary, thyme or any herb can be added. enjoy!