Fantastico Little Italian Plates and Antipasti from Rick Tramonto's Kitchen

CHAPTER 1 The Glory of Italian Food Small bites, little plateswhatever you call them, these delicious tastes of assertive, mouthwatering foods are endlessly appealing. Whether you plan to serve an elegant first course, a meal made up of small dishes, or finger foods for a cocktail party, the recipes on these pages will blow your mind! Okay, no lack of modesty there, but it's true. I have prepared these little dishes for years and never tire of them. For this book, I assembled a collection of recipes that celebrate all that is best about Italian food and Italian ingredients. I tailored them for the American home cook, who I hope will find them inspirational as well as accessible. Some are refined versions of the antipasti of my childhood, while others were motivated by frequent eating and drinking trips to Italy. (By the way: Is there any other kind of trip to Italy?) I doubt I would get much argument when I say Italian food is universally loved. Everywhere. And why not? Think of fatstreaked cured hams, lightly pickled fish, and goldengreen olive oil. Or how about pungent, earthy mushrooms; chubby, glistening olives, both green and black; syrupy balsamic vinegars; crumbly, salty cheeses; plump, juicy tomatoes; and crusty bread with a crumb so soft and pliant it mops up every last drop of goodness on a plate? If you are salivating by now, read on. It gets better. As I put these and other ingredients together, the flavors conspire to explode in the mouth and make you hunger for more. The "more" may be another small, savoryassaggioorcrudo, a second glass of wine, or it may be the pasta course that comes next. Regardless, these treasures will prime your taste buds for all sorts of culinary adventures, regardless of their sophistication or simplicity. Bruschetta, panini, bocconcini, and antipastiheck, all categories of recipes in the bookcan be made with nearly any ingredient that catches your fancy. Good news for the curious cook who eyes the jar of imported white anchovies or can of Italian tuna on the shelf and wonders what to do with it. Exhilarating for the intrepid shopper who is tempted by ruddy Parma ham, crumbly trufflespecked Sottobosco cheese, or Black Mission figs. And equally thrilling for the cook who sees baby artichokes, cans of white ceci beans (also called chickpeas and garbanzos), wild mushrooms, fresh fava beans, and other more mundane foods in the markets and yearns to cook with them. I have divided the book into nine recipe chapters. While it's tricky to categorize these little plates precisely, I explain the differences as I see them in the introductions to each chapter. But, if elsewhere you come across a recipe similar to one of mine that, say, is called a cicchetti rather than a crostini, no one iswrong. There is ample room for crosspollination among these dishes. Whether you indulge in a crostini,cicchetti, or a plate of fine Italian cheese, you will want a glass of wine to savor alongside it. These foods are nothing if not wine-friendly, and I am grateful to my friend and one of my sommeliers, Belinda Chang, for her spirited, thoughtful wine notes that accompany the recipes. Belinda shares my passion for all things Italian and my sense of fun when it comes to eating and drinking. I count on her to pour only the best wine for the food--and she succeeds every time! go for excellence The only hardandfast rule for these small taste treats is that the ingredients be the best you can find. This goes for meat and fish as well as for fruit, vegetables, and pantry items such as olive oil, vinegar, canned beans, canned tomatoeseven salt! Find a reputable butcher for prime or highlevel choice beef and top-grade pork. Buy fish wherTramonto, Rick is the author of 'Fantastico Little Italian Plates and Antipasti from Rick Tramonto's Kitchen', published 2007 under ISBN 9780767923811 and ISBN 0767923812.