The Executive Editor of SAVEUR magazine, author Stacy Adimando draws from her Italian heritage and her love of Italy’s traditional abundant antipasti spreads to create 75 recipes for easy, generous plates and platters meant for grazing and sharing.

Organized by season and ranging in size from bites—such as Stuffed Mussels with Bacon and Garlic Breadcrumbs, Baby Root Vegetables with Vinaigrette, and Prosciutto and Pecorino Biscuits—to larger platters, like Baked Squash with Chile Oil and Crispy Seeds, Thinly Sliced Tuscan Pork Loin, and White Clam Pizzas with Scallion and Bacon, these are generous dishes to serve to family and friends for gatherings of any kind.

Filled with advice on how to easily plate and serve dishes for a range of occasions, this visually stunning book, with distinctive binding featuring a partially exposed spine, imparts what many cooks of Italy seem born knowing: the secrets to pulling off an impressive feast, without formality or fussiness, but with love, ease, and elegance.

 

Piatti: Plates and platters for sharing, inspired by Italy,
is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

 

 

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Six-Foot Sub Baguettes

 

SERVES 12 

When I was growing up, no backyard family gathering was complete without a monstrous, literally six-foot-long, sub from the Italian bakery. I’m still nostalgic for them. So, now I make my own using a toasted, open-face baguette and a homemade olive salad, which I season with an easy balsamic vinaigrette. Using a good-quality aged balsamic vinegar makes a significant difference in the flavour. 

1 baguette, halved crosswise sandwich style 

1 cup [126 g] mixed green and red pitted olives, such as Castelvetrano and Kalamata, coarsely chopped 

1 tsp balsamic vinegar 

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

1 Tbsp finely chopped red onion 

2 tsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 

¾ lb [340 g] mixed Italian salumi, such as soppressata, hot coppa, prosciutto, and bresaola, sliced as thinly as possible 

4 oz [115 g] thinly sliced, narrow pieces of provolone cheese (about 16 small slices) 

Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. 

Place the baguette halves in the oven and bake until lightly toasted and warmed, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the olives, vinegar, olive oil, red onion, and parsley. Stir well. 

Retrieve the baguette pieces and lay them cut-side up on a counter or board. Begin to layer the salumi and cheese onto the bread, scrunching up the salumi pieces as you go, then following with a slice of cheese. Repeat until both bread pieces are covered. Spoon some of the olive mixture and its juices into the crevices of some of the salumi pieces.

Using a large sharp knife, cut the open-faced sandwich into whatever size pieces you desire (avoid a “sawing” motion and instead press down hard to cut straight through). Serve.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Chronicle Books.