One of the best things about Mediterranean cooking is the ingenious uses it seems to provide for stale bread. You don’t need to wait until the bread is past it for this dish, as you can make it crispy by toasting it first. A golden rule if you prefer your olives pitted: never buy the tinned, pitted variety, which are a crime against food. How do you make an olive taste of mouthwash? Instead, buy them loose from the deli counter at your supermarket.