appetizers Archives - Very EATalian

Small Bite Party Appetizers

December 31, 2015 By very EATalian Leave a Comment

2016 is almost here! Whoo-hoo!!

My plans for New Year’s involve staying home with my family, preparing TONS of stuzzichini (small bites), eating zampone and lentils (for good luck), fiercely playing tombola to possibly win some money, let my cousins and uncles scare me to death while they set off firecrackers, drink a glass or two of fine Franciacorta, and shamelessly do the conga around the table to 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s music. Oh, and I failed to mention my favorite part: lighting sparklers!!

What about you? How are you going to ring in the new year?? If you’re hosting dinner or you’re participating in a potluck, I’d like to inspire you with some of the small bite party appetizers I made for our NYE party. They’re pretty, refined, and elegant — suitable for any party and especially perfect for New Year’s Eve!

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Crispy Fried Zucchini Blossoms

July 12, 2015 By very EATalian 6 Comments

When summer comes around, zucchini blossoms are among the most exciting veggies you can find at the local farmer’s market or in the produce aisle of a grocery store. I picked the ones you see featured in this post from my mom’s garden. I gotta say, if they didn’t spoil so quickly, they’d make a nice little bouquet! Not only are they beautiful, they also make a sweet and colorful addition to a risotto or a pasta dish.

Zucchini blossoms can be enjoyed in so many ways, but “their best death”, as Italians say, is in the frying pan – you’ll get a nice, crispy, sweet, and delicate fritter. Some people like to add sugar to the batter… I personally like to skip the extra sugar and add, instead, a final sprinkle of salt to contrast their natural sweet flavor.

They’re perfect as appetizer or side dish. If you want to splurge, stuff them with a little piece of mozzarella before you dredge them in batter and fry them. Then remember to thank me.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Crispy Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

18 mins

Recipe type: Appetizer

Serves: 4

Ingredients

12 zucchini blossoms
1 egg
½ cup milk
flour, as needed
a pinch of baking soda (or, even better, 2 tablespoons of beer - if you have it)
peanut oil
coarse salt

Instructions

In a small bowl, beat an egg. Whisk in milk and a pinch of soda (or beer). Add enough flour to achieve a dense consistency (think pancake batter). Whisk batter until most lumps are gone but do not over-whisk.
In a large pot, heat about 1 inch of peanut oil to 350°F (175°C).
Dredge each blossom in batter, shaking off the excess and lay it in the oil (it's better to fry few at a time). Once they have cooked on one side, flip them with a slotted spoon, until golden brown.
Drain them on dish lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with coarse salt and enjoy them while they're hot!

Prosciutto and Burrata Cheese Crostini

June 8, 2015 By very EATalian 3 Comments

Hey guys–I’m back! Moving overseas is NO JOKE. I’ve done it before but this time was definitely more …”intense”. We had to deal with lots of sorting, tossing, packing, cleaning all kinds of stuff and arranging all the details to make this move happen — in a VERY short time. Thankfully, I survived all the craziness and I can formally announce I’m writing you from my favorite place in the world: ITALY. Oh yeah. I wish I could tell you I’m nothing but happy to be here in my homeland, but the truth is a big part of me is sad. It will be a loooong time apart from my husband. *big tear*

OK. Switching back to happier thoughts… how about I give you an easy and quick recipe? What if it was an appetizer that could also become a light dinner? The magic word is CROSTINI! The ones you see in the pictures are very fresh and quite satisfying. I LOVE dining off appetizers–they’re more fun to eat than a regular meal and they’re SO easy to prepare. You’ll only need 5 main ingredients, one non-stick pan and 15-20 minutes of your time.

You already know how much I love prosciutto crudo, but I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I love burrata cheese. Oh my. It’s creamy cheesy goodness. You absolutely need to try it. Burrata is simply a shell of mozzarella holding a soft, buttery heart of fresh cream, mixed with soft stringy flecks of curd (scraps of mozzarella bits, also called rags). It’s just plain delicious.

The ingredient sequence to prepare these crostini is as follows:

toasted bread + burrata + prosciutto (from San Daniele!!) + seared cherry tomato + basil + balsamic glaze.

How simple is that?? Little effort for a delicious and quick dinner. I love that.