TIP OF THE DAY: “Leftovers” Antipasto Plate
We can’t wait to get to Seattle to eat at Chef Ethan Stowell’s restaurants. Until then, we visit the websites and drool over the food photos.
And we get ideas. After spotting this asparagus antipasto plate, we thought of different approaches to antipasto. Antipasto means “before the meal” in Italian—meaning before the main meal. It’s the traditional first course of multicourse Italian dinner. Most of us have had one along the way. The contents vary greatly by region, but Italian restaurants in the U.S. often have cured meats, marinated artichoke hearts, mozzarella or provolone, olives, peperoncini and pickled vegetables (giardiniera). Our mother’s typical antipasto consisted of artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, Genoa salami, giardiniera, a slice of cantaloupe in season wrapped with prosciutto, olives and our childhood favorite, BQ brand sesame breadsticks. But back to Ethan Stowell and his team of chefs: |
An asparagus-based “antipasto.” Photo courtesy Ethan Stowell Restaurants. |
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His asparagus plate inspired us to create a “whatever” antipasto with foods we had on hand—which happened to include leftover steamed asparagus. We tossed them in a vinaigrette, and placed them on individual plates with: |
Assorted Greek mezze. Photo courtesy Murray’s Cheese. |
AMUSE-BOUCHE, ANTIPASTO, HORS D’OEUVRE, MEZZE & TAPAS: THE DIFFERENCES Different but similar: Here’s the scoop on these popular foods:. |
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