For the Cataláns, making pan catalán (tomato bread) is a way of life. With a few simple strokes of the hand, the addition of a little garlic, oil, tomato and salt transforms crusty, crunchy bread into something sublime. My Aunt Carmen is from Catalonia. She cuts the ends off a loaf of bread, scoops away the inside and then rubs away with garlic and tomato. In restaurants they often use toasted bread and bring the tomato to the table, allowing the guests to do the squeezing and rubbing themselves. It is essential that only the ripest and sweetest tomatoes are used. In Catalonia this recipe is simply known as pa amb tomaquet (bread and tomato).