Let’s Get The Party Started!

Ready to ring in the New Year? No matter what your activities may be, joining others to party the night away or staying home catching up on Netflix movies, antipasti is a good choice. 

This version of antipasti is an easy appetizer that requires more skill in decorating a plate than cooking. Whether you lay out meats and cheese in precise order, slice upon slice, or spread on a cutting board randomly, it’s all good. The hardest part of putting an antipasti plate together is deciding which meats and cheeses to purchase. 

For the meat and cheese platters I used three types of salami (hard, peppered and Genoa), plus soppressatta, capocollo, prosciutto, New York white sharp cheddar, asiago cheese, and parmigiano reggiano. The olive platter was a combination of 7-8 types of olives marinated with pepperoni and feta, plus giardiniera (Italian pickled veggies) and peppers stuffed with cheese and prosciutto.

I toasted small pieces of bread and rubbed garlic on them while still warm – creating a mild garlic flavor to the toasts, a great accompaniment to this simple antipasti. I also made a sweet tart mustard for dipping or layering on the garlic bread before adding meats and cheeses – so the guests could create a mini open face sandwich or a version of bruschetta.

Providing bowls of grapes, crackers, and nuts nicely rounds out this pre-dinner course or party appetizers.

For more appetizer ideas, check out these posts on nuts, beans (for spiced chickpeas), hummus, pizza appetizers, and cheese balls. And don’t forget the drinks! Not my speciality, but a few I shared on previous posts may interest you this evening – holiday cocktails and limoncello drinks.

 

If you have leftover antipasti, you can make sandwiches with them the next day. I had some pizza dough in the fridge so I made a calzone with the meats, cheeses, olives (sliced), and mustard dipping sauce.