Antipasti and The Crescent City
With the Thanksgiving festivities behind us and with Christmas fast approaching I am dedicating this missive to one of my favorite parts of a meal, antipasto. That said, I must take a delicious detour for a review of our recent Fall visit to the fascinating city of New Orleans. We traveled to the Crescent City for a variety of reasons, all pleasurable, but for this blog’s purpose I must comment on the city’s unique and varied cuisine, especially Creole and Cajun. Our brief five day visit did permit us plenty of time to sample the wonderful array of dishes at restaurants such as; Emeril’s, NOLA, Commander’s Palace, Pascal Manale, Chochon and the iconic Wille Mae’s for her famous fried chicken. The menu selections at all these eateries are inspired by the Cajun and Creole influences of chefs such as Anthony Scanio, Philip Buccieri, Stephen Stryjewski and Tory McPhail at Commander’s Palace. Tory McPhail followed the trails blazed by Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme.
Before discussing the unifying theme of the Cajun/Creole spice blends that flavor so many of the dishes that can be found throughout the city’s restaurants some historical context is in order. Especially as it relates to the Italian influences on the cuisine of the Big Easy.
Historians tell us that in 1850 Italians in New Orleans numbered some 915. Interestingly enough this is approximately 100 more than lived in New York City at that time. Following the American Civil War Italian immigrants working in Louisiana’s sugar and cotton plantations exceeded 16,000! Most were Sicilians. They not only brought their labor they brought their foods. It became normal in the early 20th Century to find spaghetti, macaroni, sardines, olives and a variety of food products including gelato that were foreign to Louisiana’s native populations. Like any other evolutionary history of a country’s or a region’s cuisine cultural influences eventually blend and churn, the result is fascinating. Dr. John Mariani, author, professor and Esquire Magazine’s Food and Travel correspondent, points to the very popular Macaroni a la Creole as a perfect example.
Before leaving Cochon I noted another example of shared culinary influences. Their porchetta, fatty, savoury, roasted to perfection is of course an Italian tradition.
So what of these savory spices that constitute the “flavors” of Cajun and Creole. In this recipe by DiamondLil we find a milder version of a “hot” spice mix made with common spices from your pantry. I prefer it hotter by adding the optional crushed red pepper flakes often used in a variety of Italian and Italian American recipes.
Ingredients (typical in both creole and cajun)
· 2 ½ tablespoons paprika
· 2 tablespoons salt
· 2 tablespoons garlic powder
· 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 1 teaspoon onion powder
· 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
· 1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
· 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
· 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
Stir together salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes until evenly blended. Store in an airtight container.
Starting in 1956 this delicious version of a cajun seasoning was marketed by the Walker family. It contains salt, red and black pepper and garlic. It was a gift from one of my daughters who also likes a little “kick”!
Antipasti
While not exclusively Italian, starting a meal with small portions such as salad or cold vegetables or bitesize savories is common in many cultures. Aperitivo translates to “stir the appetite”. The Italian custom of enjoying an aperitivo beverage before meals is a ritual . In ancient Rome Apicius describes the common enjoyment of Mulsum or honey wine and eventually the application of Acetum or honey and vinegar to certain recipes necessary for preparing the appetite. More on the use of vinegar for preparation later!
During the Renaissance, with its rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman traditions in art, culture and yes dining, we note the reintroduction of the “credenza”. It is a sideboard separate from the dining table. It is on this table that the first course of the meal would begin. Eventually, this first course became what we commonly call the hors d’oeuvre.
In Italy it is the antipasti. It is based on the belief again noted by Apicius in describing the ancient Roman dining habit of preparing the stomach for foods.
One of the simplest and delicious is the pinzimonio. It is a Florence Renaissance dish comprised of raw vegetables, typically celery, fennel and when available the small, tender raw artichoke. The term pinzimonio derives from the verb pinzare “to pinch”, that is to eat with the fingers, “pinching” and eating the vegetables by hand. It should be noted that the use of the fork as an eating utensil became common and in fact essential in Italy during this period. Eating with the hands became unacceptable. So to return to the use of the “fingers” for eating was only tolerable for certain antipasti preparations such as pinzimonio.
To prepare the vegetables for this simple antipasto use the small fresh leaves of the celery as they are best for catching the “sauce”. For the fennel simply slice into long, thin sticks after removing the leaves. When in season add the tender raw artichoke (difficult to find in typical American markets). For this dish the “sauce” consists of ¼ cup of the finest EVOO, 1 heaping teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper. Saltiness is essential! At each setting place a small bowl of the sauce.
A wonderful substitute for the simple olive oil sauce is the more complicated and intensely salty and flavorful bagna cauda or warm sauce. Here the anchovy is used as the essential salt ingredient and garlic for savory. This is served as a fondue for the purposes of dipping the vegetables. Here olive oil and butter are combined with garlic and anchovy always a welcome combination.
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 salt-cured anchovy filets, rinsed, boned and finely chopped
Kosher salt
Heat oil and butter in a pot over medium-high heat until butter begins to foam. Add garlic; cook for 10 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low and add anchovies. Cook, stirring and mashing anchovies with a wooden spoon, until anchovies are broken into very small pieces and dip is cloudy, 3–4 minutes. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately as a dip for an assortment of the raw vegetables. You can add radicchio, carrots to the celery, fennel and artichoke.
Italian antipasti plates typically feature a variety of vegetables fresh, grilled and packed in olive oil or pickled in vinegar and spices.
Another ancient Italian favorite is La Giardineria (mixed vegetables) It consists of seasonal pickled vegetables. These vegetables (celery, carrots, cauliflower, peppers, etc.) are cooked and brined, flavored with herbs and spices and served as part of an antipasto. The pickling brine consists of white wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, pepper and fresh bay leaves.
In my childhood home our holiday (Easter, Christmas, New Year, etc.,) feasts would always begin with another traditional antipasto platter consisting of an assortment of salumi, prosciutto crudo, cheeses, together with olives, tonno, anchovies and pickled vegetables, giardineria, including artichokes. Many of these items are of course available in cans and glass containers. This holiday antipasto platter is a tradition that remains with our family.
Merry Christmas….buona mangiata.
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