/ Our magazine / Tasty appetizers: Italian art of creativity at the table.
/ Our magazine / Tasty appetizers: Italian art of creativity at the table.
The art of appetizing starters is decidedly Italian. It brings together our country from north to south with different nuances but always with extremely creative ideas and proposals. If you go to Venice, the consumption of cichèti has been repeated for centuries, pieces of bread on which vegetables, cured meats, cheeses, and especially, small fresh catches of the day are placed.
The art of cichèti took place inside the Bàcari, ancient taverns of fishermen and sailors. Between streets and canals in Venice at mid-morning, but especially at dusk, these delicious simple preparations were enjoyed that blended with the products of the many fritoèri (fish fryers) scattered along the canals.
The tradition of the Italian appetizer still perseveres today, especially in the south. In Puglia, if you ask for an appetizer, you will receive 11 exotic dishes of seafood and land cuisine. A long series of preparations that should precede the meal but that, most of the time, make it more difficult and at times unnecessary.
Nowadays, street food is in fashion, Sicily is a striking example. From Scaccia to Stigghiola, from Sfincione to Arancino, from bread and Panelle to Pani Cunzatu, etc. Once they were snacks to take away hunger and, at the same time, poor recipes that were taken to the fields.
First of all, we need to think about what type of people they are addressed to. 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, you can have fun. Lastly, if they love typical Italian food and want to go up and down the Italian cuisine… you are lucky! In any case, it is always necessary to put in a bit of creativity.
The classic plate of cured meats and cheeses is too 80s-90s. Today, it is important to arouse curiosity. You need to step out of the banality. You have to surprise and delight the palate. If you can, it would also be great to evoke emotions.
A small platter that tells the Italian story of cheese and cured meats with a bit of imagination. For example, if we want to include Prosciutto Crudo, choose one that is a bit aged so it becomes more savory and pleasant. If possible, differentiate with some wild boar cured meat, from the black fleece. Use different, typical, and ancient cured meats that are strongly interpretative of their territories. For example, an Alpine Crudo, an organic Parma DOP, some Capocollo al Vincotto, a Coppa aged in Amarone, a spicy spianata, a zibaldino salami or strolghino, some Bresaola di Bufala.
With cheeses, you can truly unleash your creativity with ideas ranging from cow's milk cheeses fresh, goat cheeses aged, sheep cheeses aged, drunken blue cheeses, aged in spices, enriched with the natural aromas of the mountains, and so on.
The essential Italian appetizer is something we must learn from the farmers of Puglia or Sicily. Bread slightly toasted, a rub of garlic (if you like), some fresh tomato or whole canned and a drizzle of oil. Another delight of the palate that is taught to us by the sailors of the Mediterranean is buttered bread with a filet of anchovies in oil spread on top.
To maintain the Sicilian tradition, here is the Pani Cunzatu, bread seasoned with oil, fresh tomatoes, oregano, anchovies, salt, and pepper. Also in Trinacria, the arancino with rice, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, ragù, eggs, and salt.
A gourmet Italian appetizer is one that combines creativity with pleasantness while passing through the quality of the ingredients. A few examples?
The zucchini flowers, for instance, stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and anchovies. A nice pear salad with diced celery and Monte Veronese DOP. A fennel salad with bresaola and orange. A bruschetta with Provolone topped with a tartare of Taggiasca olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Some Cous Cous with Red Shrimp from Mazara and Cacioradicchio diced mixed with fresh vegetables and IGP balsamic vinegar from Modena.
Bernardo Pasquali
S&M
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