Antipasti

In Italian Jewish cooking, antipasti, the small bites of food traditionally served at the start of the Italian meal, are meant to stimulate the appetite, just as they are on every Italian table. This chapter includes assorted spreads for crostini, little filled pastries called buricche, polenta fritters, and vegetable pies. The pies could, of course, be served as the centerpiece of a lunch or supper, but they are customarily offered at the beginning of a meal. Along with the fritters and pastries, one might set out slices of polpettone di tonno cotto, tuna loaf accompanied with a lemon-caper mayonnaise.