As risky as it it is nowadays, dining out with friends is just such a welcome relief. Eating at a restaurant is now a fun and big event. Will it continue? Possibly - until November when the weather gets cooler and it's too chilly to eat outdoors.
I spent Saturday night with friends eating out at Fontana Tritone in Leonia New Jersey, a lovely old town right across the Hudson River from New York City. Eating there is always a treat. Leonia is a beautiful old town, with charming Victorian homes and a quaint main street. The restaurant chosen was a good choice and despite it all did take getting used to , especially with all the protocols. There had to be a reservation and then once we got there dined in the parking lot. It's nice eating outside, It always reminded me of dining out in Italy. From there we scanned our phones on a QR code. The menu came up right away and we were able to see what was offered. That was neat and this may be the new way to order, even after the virus has hopefully gone. Then the bread comes out with a server coming around with a basket of rolls and thick slices along with tongs. Everyone is masked. Some are gloved with protective plastic gloves. Despite the abnormal circumstances it still was a fun night out.
Dinner was the same as usual. I ordered Fontana Tritone's pollo scarpiello after their lavish antipasto Tritone. This was a wonderful mix of paper thin prosciutto and soprasetta and large pieces of artichoke hearts and roasted peppers. It was dotted with black olives. I would have just been happy with this and the company. The chicken was equally delicious, just being served on the bone with fresh rosemary and garlic in a white wine sauce. Buttery mashed potatoes and mixed veggies were served with it. I have to admit, I'm not a big mashed potatoes fan but these were superb.There was a creaminess to them that other versions I've had lack. The entire dish was just wonderful. It is exciting to eat out again, with getting dressed up and even putting on make up. Then just picking out dishes from a menu instead of foraging for the ingredients in a grocery store. No cooking. No washing up afterwards. There's something exhilarating about that, even though it's a relatively small deal. It's also nice to see other diners dressed up and enjoying themselves. Somehow being in or eating in your car just doesn't cut it.
If you can and it's safe, eat out. You are supporting your local restaurant but also lifting yourself out of a rut.It's a fun night , enjoying good food and good friends.Try to do so soon.
Showing posts with label antipasto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label antipasto. Show all posts
Monday, August 10, 2020
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Thanksgiving Antipasto
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the antipasto or first course.Many Northern and Southern Italian families celebrate the holiday with platters of delicious charcuterie along with tasty nibbles. It's actually a nice way to open up any holiday party or dinner.
One of the most important parts of an antipasto is the variety of cold cuts being served. Prosciutto is a must.It's a dry cured ham that lends a delicate salty taste to the course. Most usually pair it with a slice of cantaloupe but prosciutto shines when it's served on a slice of crusty Italian bread or rapped around grissini, the super thin breadsticks from Torino. Another antipasto meat is mortadella. This is a silky textured slice of heaven made from hashed or ground heat cured pork and lard.Pistachios, myrtle berries and black pepper give it its' unique flavor. Again it shines when it's highlighted on a slice of Italian bread. The classic salami is also featured in the first course. This is a crowd pleaser, because of it's strong ,salty flavor. It's usually made of pork but can be made of beef.The name comes from sale , the Latin word for salt., the meat being heavily salted to preserve it. It's good on its' own but can be served with crackers and flatbread.Certain wines go well with pork based charcuterie. Remember to avoid wines with really heavy tannins. Try a white wine such as Pinot Grigio that also goes well with the vegetables Even though it's a German wine, Liebfraumilsch,a dry white wine originating in Rhine Valley , is another good choice, Its' taste complementing the charcuterie's dry saltiness.
Antipasto wouldn't be anything without the vegetables and other dishes. Marinated red peppers are always on an antipasto plate. They can be bought jarred at the local grocery or salumeria but they can also be made at home.It's just taking red pepper strips and marinating them in a brine of vinaigrette with the addition of basil and parsley. Artichoke salad can also be added, giving the course sweetness and color.Devilled eggs and stuffed celery are the nibbles that make antipasto festive. Devilled eggs are an easy cook. It's just hard boiled eggs halved and the yolks mixed with ketsup and mayo. The mixture can be piped back into the yolk hollow for a fancy look. Dust with paprika for an every fancier bite.. Stuffed celery is the perfect delicate foil for the rest of the antipasto's spiciness. The stuffing is a mix of hard boiled eggs with cream cheese mashed together. It's then stuffed into celery sticks for a tasty cool treat. No antipasto would be complete without olives. The pitted black ones are great nibbles but pimento filled green ones are also good. Bread is always served with an Italian antipasto,and a crusty Italian one is the best. Save the rolls for the turkey afterwards.
An Italian antipasto is a delicious way to start any holiday meal. The array of flavors and extures hets the appetite for what's to come. Enjoy it with a good bottle of wine.
One of the most important parts of an antipasto is the variety of cold cuts being served. Prosciutto is a must.It's a dry cured ham that lends a delicate salty taste to the course. Most usually pair it with a slice of cantaloupe but prosciutto shines when it's served on a slice of crusty Italian bread or rapped around grissini, the super thin breadsticks from Torino. Another antipasto meat is mortadella. This is a silky textured slice of heaven made from hashed or ground heat cured pork and lard.Pistachios, myrtle berries and black pepper give it its' unique flavor. Again it shines when it's highlighted on a slice of Italian bread. The classic salami is also featured in the first course. This is a crowd pleaser, because of it's strong ,salty flavor. It's usually made of pork but can be made of beef.The name comes from sale , the Latin word for salt., the meat being heavily salted to preserve it. It's good on its' own but can be served with crackers and flatbread.Certain wines go well with pork based charcuterie. Remember to avoid wines with really heavy tannins. Try a white wine such as Pinot Grigio that also goes well with the vegetables Even though it's a German wine, Liebfraumilsch,a dry white wine originating in Rhine Valley , is another good choice, Its' taste complementing the charcuterie's dry saltiness.
Antipasto wouldn't be anything without the vegetables and other dishes. Marinated red peppers are always on an antipasto plate. They can be bought jarred at the local grocery or salumeria but they can also be made at home.It's just taking red pepper strips and marinating them in a brine of vinaigrette with the addition of basil and parsley. Artichoke salad can also be added, giving the course sweetness and color.Devilled eggs and stuffed celery are the nibbles that make antipasto festive. Devilled eggs are an easy cook. It's just hard boiled eggs halved and the yolks mixed with ketsup and mayo. The mixture can be piped back into the yolk hollow for a fancy look. Dust with paprika for an every fancier bite.. Stuffed celery is the perfect delicate foil for the rest of the antipasto's spiciness. The stuffing is a mix of hard boiled eggs with cream cheese mashed together. It's then stuffed into celery sticks for a tasty cool treat. No antipasto would be complete without olives. The pitted black ones are great nibbles but pimento filled green ones are also good. Bread is always served with an Italian antipasto,and a crusty Italian one is the best. Save the rolls for the turkey afterwards.
An Italian antipasto is a delicious way to start any holiday meal. The array of flavors and extures hets the appetite for what's to come. Enjoy it with a good bottle of wine.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Holiday Antipasto
Holiday meals should always start with a good antipasto. The word means before pasta in Italian however it could come before any meal, whether Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. The problem is there are so many different dishes. What goes well with a full meal? What happens if your guests get stuffed on them and not the main meal? There are some easy solutions.
A true antipasto usually consists of cold cuts and cheeses along with the dressed vegetables. You can have all of this if you serve small amounts. Most first courses have a wide array of meats from prosciutto to mortadella, Instead of having five or six varieties of cold cuts have one or two such as a salami and maybe a thinly sliced ham. Have a green and black olives along with thin,crunchy bread sticks..A nice touch is artichoke hearts as well along with some peppers.
If you're having a bigger crowd, then think about serving a bigger antipasto. Many cooks offer up a plate of easily made devilled eggs along with stuffed celery. At this point you can also serve more meats and even tuna if you want (although some diners my question this with their turkey).You can also take chicken and turkey livers and make a pate .Put different kinds of breads on the table along with crackers for simple sandwiches. Cruets of oil and vinegar can also be added, to be poured onto the meats or any raw veggies you may have set out for guests.
A holiday antipasto is a nice way to introduce the Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. You can make it either as simple or elaborate as you want, depending on your dinner and guests. Try different plates for fun and variety.
A true antipasto usually consists of cold cuts and cheeses along with the dressed vegetables. You can have all of this if you serve small amounts. Most first courses have a wide array of meats from prosciutto to mortadella, Instead of having five or six varieties of cold cuts have one or two such as a salami and maybe a thinly sliced ham. Have a green and black olives along with thin,crunchy bread sticks..A nice touch is artichoke hearts as well along with some peppers.
If you're having a bigger crowd, then think about serving a bigger antipasto. Many cooks offer up a plate of easily made devilled eggs along with stuffed celery. At this point you can also serve more meats and even tuna if you want (although some diners my question this with their turkey).You can also take chicken and turkey livers and make a pate .Put different kinds of breads on the table along with crackers for simple sandwiches. Cruets of oil and vinegar can also be added, to be poured onto the meats or any raw veggies you may have set out for guests.
A holiday antipasto is a nice way to introduce the Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. You can make it either as simple or elaborate as you want, depending on your dinner and guests. Try different plates for fun and variety.
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