Antipasto
Antipasto is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Usually made of bite-size small portions and served on a platter from which everyone serves themselves, the purpose of an antipasto is to stimulate the appetite. (Yes, got this from Wikipedia)
Origin: Anti (before) Pasto (meal)
Antipasto is singular while Antipasti is plural, so I will talk about the plural version of it…
There’s nothing I like more than “Antipasti” because it’s very easy to prepare and it gives you the possibility to eat many different things and “Stuzzicare” (tease) your appetite and taste buds.
Also a great way to start a meal and great for mingling... You can totally entertain with just one table of Antipasti (see pictures on top) and not worry for the rest of the night to enjoy!!!
I can totally make a meal out of an Antipasti platter…
There are so many ways to create Antipasti Platters…
Cold cuts, cheese and fruit is the more traditional way to serve it, now a days you can get very creative depending on the season and what is available in the markets and specialty stores.
There is really no cooking involved unless you are one of those people, like me that will prepare and do preserves, canned vegetables, Jams, Jellies, Butters, Pates, Rillettes, etc. (see my Faux Gras Pate in the past recipes) Making these while in season to then use for the any occasion the rest of the year…
I personally hate to throw away food or buy ingredients that are not in season, since the flavors are definitely not the same than when in season so I try to utilize seasonal produce, and for me, that's the secret of great flavors, taking advantage of the ingredients at their peak moment for better flavor, texture and quality…
The Ingredients you can use for Antipasto platters are endless…
Any type of Cold Cuts or Lunch Meats (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch_meat), Variety of cheeses, Pâtés, Rillettes, Jams, Jellies, mustards, Pickled and Preserves (sweet, tangy, vinegary, and savory), Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables (fresh, grilled or roasted) without leaving out the great variety of homemade Breads and Crackers now a days you can find in the markets!!!
Discover a wide variety of flavor combinations…
A wonderful combination is a classic Italian Summer Antipasto...
When the heat of the summer comes around and you don’t really feel like cooking. You can create “Antipasti” for anytime of the year utilizing the ingredients available to you as well making it French, Spanish or any ethnicity that you desire… Here are some example of Antipasti that will help you open up your creative side:
Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Fresh Figs, Smoked or Cured Salmon, Beef Carpaccio this is a magnificent combination and it’s practically a meal to be accompanied with a variety of breads and a cold bottle of White Wine or Prosecco.
A very simple one is White Pizza (Roman everyDay Bread), Parmesan Cheese in chunks, some Soft Salami and Olives to hold you up until the meal is ready...
A nice combination to try is also Aged cheeses like Brie, Ash ripened Cheese, aged Manchego, Hard Salamino, Smoked Salmon, Octopus Cold Cut (yes, you read correctly “Octopus”) and a Variety of breads…
The real important part of these dishes is to search good quality products and let yourself become the Artist!!!
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