Antsy about Antipasti

I eat appetizers when I feel like not eating at all. I just want to be polite and instead of ordering some big entrée and not be able to finish it, I’ll just go for their antipasti. But I just don’t eat any ordinary antipasti. Of course it has to be good too.

I try to go to gourmet groceries so that I can buy my favorite antipasti. It’s too expensive to always dine out. And sometimes, I don’t like some restaurant’s list of their antipasti. I think only Italian restaurants really know how to make a good antipasti list. Not sounding, bias of course.

My favorite antipasti are those cured meats. Don’t you just love having a bite of melon wrapped in prosciutto? Or maybe you’ll go for the thin slices of pepperoni and salami, and some assortment of olives.

I love a plate of fresh Insalata Caprese. Thick slices of mozzarella cheese with basil and tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar. That alone is a meal in itself. Plus an order of Bruschetta with just lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan on top, I’m already in bliss land.

Italian food is basic. They rely on the quality that’s why Italian food is simple. They let the ingredients speak for themselves. Almost all Italian restaurants serve Focaccia bread on their tables. They don’t accompany it with jams or jelly, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar will do. Why, because the bread itself can stand alone.

In American restaurants they’re often referred to as Cheese sticks, but if you’re going Italian, you’ll have to order Fried Mozzarella sticks. I know fried food’s not good for the body, but I don’t eat it every day and if ever I order it, I don’t finish the whole thing, even though I can.

It feels like all I do is talk about food, I’m not hungry all the time. I just think that I would rather talk about food, than something foolish.