Tasty appetizers: Italian art of creativity at the table.

The art of appetizing starters is decidedly Italian. It unites our country from north to south with different shades but always with extremely creative ideas and proposals. If you go to Venice, the consumption of cicheti, pieces of bread topped with vegetables, cured meats, cheeses, and especially, small fish of the day, has been repeated for centuries. The art of cicheti took place within the Bacari, ancient inns of fishermen and sailors. Between alleys and canals in Venice, around mid-morning, but especially at dusk, these delightful simple preparations were enjoyed, mixing with the products of the many fritto e (fish fryers) scattered along the canals.

The tradition of Italian antipasto persists today especially in the south. In Puglia, if you ask for an antipasto, you will receive 11 delicious courses of seafood and land cuisine. A long series of preparations that should anticipate the meal but which, more often than not, make it more difficult and sometimes unnecessary. Today, street food is in vogue, Sicily is a glaring example. From Scaccia to Stigghiola, from Sfincione to Arancino, from bread and Panelle to Pani Cunzatu, etc. Once they were snacks to satisfy hunger and, at the same time, poor recipes that were taken to the fields.

How to prepare delicious Italian antipasti

First of all, we must consider what type of people they are intended for. If we have people who eat little during meals, it is not worth filling them with too much food. If they are curious and willing to try a bit of creativity, it can be fun. Finally, if they love typical Italian food and want to roam around Italian cuisine... you are lucky! In any case, always put a bit of creativity into it. The classic plate of cold cuts and cheeses feels too 80s-90s. Today it is necessary to spark curiosity. It is essential to move away from banality. We need to surprise and delight the palate. If you can, it would also be great to evoke emotions.

Italian antipasto of cold cuts and cheeses

A small cutting board that tells the Italian story of cheese and cold cuts with a touch of imagination. For example, if we want to include some Prosciutto Crudo, let’s choose a slightly aged one so it becomes more flavorful and pleasant. If possible, differentiate with some wild pork cold cuts, with black fur. Use different, typical, and ancient cold cuts that strongly interpret their territories. For example, a Crudo Alpino, an organic Parma DOP, Capocollo al Vincotto, a Coppa aged with Amarone, a spicy salami, a zibaldino salami, or strolghino, as well as Bresaola di Bufala.

As for cheeses, you can really let your imagination run wild with creative ideas ranging from cow’s milk cheeses to goat cheeses, sheep’s milk cheeses, drunken blue cheeses, aged with spices, enriched with the natural aromas of the mountains, and so on.

Essential Italian antipasto

The essential Italian antipasto should be learned from Apulian or Sicilian farmers. Bread slightly toasted, a rub of garlic (if you like), fresh or canned tomato, and a drizzle of oil. Another delight of the palate taught to us by the Mediterranean sailors is buttered bread topped with a anchovy in oil laid on top.

To maintain the Sicilian tradition, here is the Pani Cunzatu, a bread seasoned with oil, fresh tomatoes, oregano, anchovies, salt, and pepper. Still in Trinacria, the arancino with rice, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, ragù, eggs, and salt.

Gourmet Italian antipasto

A gourmet Italian antipasto is one that combines creativity with pleasantness through the quality of the raw materials. Some examples?

Stuffed zucchini flowers, for example, filled with buffalo mozzarella and anchovies. A beautiful pear salad with diced celery and Monte Veronese DOP. A fennel salad with bresaola and orange. A bruschetta with Provolone and a tartare of taggiasche olives and dried tomatoes. Some Couscous with Gambero Rosso di Mazara and Cacioradicchio diced mixed with fresh vegetables and balsamic vinegar IGP from Modena.

Bernardo Pasquali