[1] We use sweet italian basil. The leaves are large and green, but if you get some with a slimy feeling on them, chop off the discolored and slimy bits and use it anyway.
[2] Roma tomatoes are smaller and more oval than hothouse or regular tomatoes. I think the flavor is better in Romas. During the winter, I'd suggest baking the romas before using them to concentrate the tomato flavor, or adding some sun-dried tomatoes.
[3] Good parmesan cheese does not come in a plastic (or cardboard) tube!
[4] This is part-skim, low moisture mozzarella shreds. Not the expensive broncconi stuff that I use everywhere else.
[5] You'll want about six slices of bread.
[6] My oven turns off the broiler when the internal temperature hits a certain temperature, so I leave the oven door cracked when I broil things.
[7] To chiffonade, stack the basil leaves with the big ones on the bottom, roll them up like a funny green cigar, and chop through the roll parallel with the rolling direction to make thin strips of basil.