Have you ever had a real Italian antipasta

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

My family is from the mountains of northern Italy. My grandpap had blue eyes ! Anyway his sisters - my great aunts - came from Italy to the USA as teens so they still had many old ways of doing things. In the summer when it was too hot to eat hot food they would make antipasta - OMG a tray about 3 ft across covered - and I mean covered til you couldn't see the tray underneath - with sausages , cheeses, peppers , pickled vegetables and fresh vegetables and fruits.Esp. figs - my favorite but also grapes , cherries & melon slices. And lots & lots of bread cubes. Good tuscan hearty bread. In the center - a bowl of seasoned olive oil which everyone would drag their vegetables through and esp their hot peppers. You would eat the bread to cut the heat of the peppers and the sausages or dip it in the oil and eat it. By the time you were done eating you had olive oil dripping all over your face and clothes. Everyone drank wine - grandpap watered ours down with soda water. Then would come out a tray of desserts - usually cookies.

I made an antipasta for DH & I yesterday , because it was so hot & humid yesterday I didn't want to light the stove. My DH is delighted when I make this. Usually I make it when we are in Pittsburgh because I can get better Italian sausages & cheeses there.But I did my best. Don't need much for just 2 of us anyway. I think most Americans have probably never eaten an authentic antipasta, and honestly , I can't imagine many Americans sloshing down tons of wine, with olive oil soaked food , oil dripping off their chin while everyone else eats from the same bowl of oil , everyone talking and carrying on and laughing. My dad (Irish) hated this and would make himself a plate to eat from - grandpap & his sisters would just shrug. My Mom was right in there with her family though.My Dad called it pigs at the trough.

IlliniGirl88 · ‎06-20-2010

Yes, and it's wonderful! I spent some time in Italy and a family member is from Italy and will make this on occasion.

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

Yes, I've visited Italy many times, big cities and little towns. I could live on the cheese, fruit, veggies, and bread soaked in wonderful olive oil all washed down with vino tavoli!

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

makena · ‎10-29-2016

No, but I've had Antipasto.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

Actually, it's antipasto.

Anti meaning before, pasto meaning meal.

Bri36 · ‎02-20-2017

Yes, I've had and made antipasto.

I've never seen anyone with oil dripping down their faces and all over their clothes though

wishmoon · ‎08-14-2013

I never traveled to Italy and my relatives and ex-husbands were all German but I can dream. What a delicious description...I can almost taste the bread and olive oil, oops, it's on my chin!