Setting
the Tone!
~Blog Post
#3~
April 17th,
2015
By: Brandon Dechter
By: Brandon Dechter
In Italy, a colorful and delicious way to set
the stage for a friends and family dinner is a tradition called Antipasti. It is a social event and Italian ritual that
involves a changing of attitudes and atmosphere because it excites those that
are a part of it. In America, of course,
we call this an appetizer, although it has a larger meaning in Italy. Specifically, an example of food that would
be served and is used in traditional cooking would be called Bruschetta. It displays various colors and flavors all on
top of toasted bread or crisps.
A
prepared bruschetta prepared with chopped olives, vegetables, and herbs make
excellent pre-meal Antipasti. For
example, slices of toasted Italian bread with roasted peppers or chopped olives
along with meat and cheese- or even fresh tomatoes and basil is popular.
Olives, specifically, offer an excellent
array of color and taste to enhance an Antipasti platter and can be marinated
with herbs, stuffed with nutty almonds, spicy fillings, or dark purple olives
adding their own unique flavors and colors to it. Olives are harvested by hand in Italy, offering
a fresh tradition, which is healthier due to the pure nature of it. Used in many Antipasti platters, or
appetizers, the olive is grown on land and has a long beloved history in Italy
so much as some olive trees almost seem holy in early mythology. Italy is the world’s biggest exporter of
olive oil. Below are images of an olive
tree, typical colorful Antipasti, as well as a map of popular olive trees in
Italy.
"DeLallo.com |
Antipasti: Meal, Social Gathering or Both?" DeLallo.com. Web. 17 Apr.
2015.
<http://www.delallo.com/articles/antipasti-meal-social-gathering-or-both>.
Web. 18 Apr. 2015.
<http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51dae291e4b03b00fe4ba667/51dafc4ee4b08f20257f55b8/51dafd3be4b0bc8869a0badf/1373306172521/olives-tuscany-italy.jpg>.
Web. 19 Apr.
2015. <http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/files/file30873.jpg>.
Web. 19 Apr.
2015.
<http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc98/PROCEED/TO300/PAP275/P2751.GIF>.
The antipasta seems to be a very social event, even here Italians continue that tradition. I have a big Italian family and bruschetta makes a very common appearance in my family. Being with family and friends is a very big part of the Italian culture and it's interesting how food can connect so many people.
ReplyDeleteGreat job putting an image in my head about the different toppings of bruschetta, I only kind of wish I could see them. All your post really needed was some pictures of what you were talking about and then I would have known a little better exactly what you were talking about. Otherwise, nice job.
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