Carmela Soprano’s Appetizers

Summer is coming.

Celebrations and holidays are coming.

The family and friends are coming.

They must be fed.

Seriously.

Charmaine Bucco's chapter Cooking for the Whole Famiglia in her husband Artie's book The Sopranos Family Cookbook has some nice recipes that can easily feed a crowd.

There were other Soprano recipes that are also great for big get togethers.

So I've selected a few recipes for each course.

A big meal takes a bit of planning.

But, if you take it step by step, it can be done without any stress.

Let’s start with appetizers.

Appetizers, if done right, are a great help to the budget.

People take the edge off their appetites, leaving less room for the the more expensive main course and the super fancy dessert.

Clever, no?

Carmela Soprano's Antipasto

Carmela Soprano’s Shrimp Aragonate

Carmela Soprano's Stuffed Hot Cherry Peppers

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Bruschetta / Grilled Garlic Bread

Carmela Soprano's Stuffed Mushrooms

Carmela Soprano's Baked Peppers Au Gratin 

and Anna Sultana's Stuffed Green Peppers, Maltese Style (Bzar Ahdar Mimli)

Carmela Soprano's Neopolitan Style Stuffed Peppers

Carmela Soprano's Neapolitan Crostini l Melon and Prosciutto

Carmela Soprano's Caponata, Italian Style Eggplant Appetizer

Carmela Soprano's Green Bean, Potato and Red Onion Salad

Carmela Soprano's Cheese Puffs (appetizers)

Carmela Soprano's Little Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Fried Mozzarella Sticks and Anna Sultana's Appetizers

Carmela Soprano's Arancini (Rice Balls) / Saffron Substitute / Testing a deep fryer

Carmela Soprano's Antipasto

After a few days those commercials to join a gym can get to you.

I know we’ve all overindulged.

And now we all want to lose a few pounds.

But a salad just seems like such a letdown from all the fun holiday food.

In Entertaining with the Sopranos there’s a compromise.

Antipasto.

Yes, I know that basically it’s a salad.

But it just has a certain festive flair to it.

Back in 2010 I gave a quick rundown of what’s in Antipasto:

Cold cuts, cheese, olives, mixed pickled veggies and tomatoes.

Anchovies on a separate dish because Paul hates them.

Antipasto can be a pot luck dish of whatever you have in the house.

If you want to do it a la the Sopranos, here’s Carmela’s recipe.

If you want to go to a little extra trouble you can also prepare:

Carmela Soprano's Fried Mozzarella Sticks

and

Carmela Soprano's Asparagus and Prosciutto Rolls

                        Antipasto

Serves 8 to 12

On a large serving platter make a bed of

1 small head green leaf lettuce, trimmed, washed and dried

Loosely fold or roll up

4 ounces sliced hot or sweet capicola

4 ounces sliced soppressata or other Italian-style salami 

4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, such as prosciutto di Parma

Arrange them on the platter.

Add to the platter

4 ounces sliced mortadella

8 ounces sharp provolone, cut into wedges

8 ounces ricotta salata, cut into wedges

Garnish the platter with

black olives, such as Gaela or oil-cured cracked green Sicilian olives

Pickled peperoncini or other hot peppers

Giardiniera (mixed pickled vegetables)

Roasted peppers

Anchovy fillets

Marinated sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushrooms

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with Italian bread or breadsticks.

Carmela Soprano's Asparagus and Prosciutto Rolls and Anna Sultana's Appetizers

We weren't exactly thrilled with the Asparagus with Lemon I made last week.  

I don't know, maybe the lemon sauce was too mild to kill... uh... enhance the taste of the asparagus.  The leftover lemon-olive oil dressing was fine on a salad and on some fish.  

I still had some asparagus left.  Back to Entertaining with The Sopranos.

Carmela had another asparagus recipe - Asparagus and Prosciutto Rolls.  This time she parboils the asparagus, splits them into groups of 3 and wraps a slice of prosciutto around each bundle.  She then places each bundle in a buttered baking dish and tops each with a slice of Fontina.  After brushing them with some butter and sprinkling them with pepper, they're baked for 15 minutes at 350º so the cheese melts.  They are served hot.

The prosciutto and Fontina were a bit stronger than the lemon dressing and did the job.  If you don't have time to go to the store, ham and swiss might work just as well.

These are served as an appetizer.  Go figure.

Ma usually stuck to the tried and true Antipasto Platter.  Cold cuts, cheese, olives, mixed pickled veggies and tomatoes.  Anchovies on a separate dish because Paul hates them.  You could have what you wanted when you wanted.  None of this 'serve hot' business.

Hey, she put enough work into the main course.

Think I'll just walk past the asparagus.

  

Another recipe down.  Fifty-eight more to go. 

Carmela Soprano and Anna Sultana's Antipasto (Appetizer, Maltese Style)

Sometimes the recipes in Entertaining with The Sopranos are on a level with a recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  

They involve food and certain things are expected.  

The sandwich: bread, peanut butter and something fruity.

The Antipasto: cold cuts, cheese, olives, mixed pickled veggies and tomatoes.  Anchovies on a separate dish because Paul hates them.

But, I mean really, does anyone measure out how much peanut butter or jelly they shmear.  No one throws a hissy fit if someone uses marmalade or jam.  It's just a sandwich.

What's with Carmela's Antipasto?  She's got it measured out - 4 ounces of one kind of cheese, 8 ounces of another.  Same with the cold cuts and veggies.

Give me a break. 

Antipasto is the original pot luck dish.  What you got is what you get.  It's a simple thing to throw together for casual get togethers and holiday meals.  

Paul and I threw together a platter before our friends dropped in for my birthday.  We didn't measure anything.

Of course I'll make it again.

Another recipe down.  Sixty-three more to go. 

Happy Mother's Day.