The little bites- Antipasti and Tapas

I live in Italy now and cook for a living. My current position is as a chef for my wife's catering company, Amore Sapore. Amore Sapore means to love flavors. Our primary chef is a Sardinian man who has experience with the regional foods and dishes of Tuscany, Umbria and Sardinia. He generally does the pasta (ravioli, penne, tagliatelle, and gnocchi), as well as grilling the lamb, pork, and fish over a wood fire in front of the guests. Elizabeth, my wife, manages the dinner, makes the salads and many of the desserts. I generally assist Melchiorre with the pasta, sauces, and meats and also make the antipasti for our catered dinners and cocktail parties. I am also responsible for grilling the chicken and making a number of side dishes such as Eggplant bolognese. I even make desserts including lemon curd with shortbread and berries, and a variety of sorbets and gelato. I have found that combining my love for cooking, my dietary requirements after my surgery and my attention to taste and presentation details provides me an artistic as well as a culinary outlet.

Antipasti and tapas (and dim sum) are all excellent-sized dishes for the person who has had weight loss surgery. They can be nicely spiced, in small bite-sized portions, and you can have a variety from which to select. They can also be quite pretty and eye-appealing. This makes them even better.

I will be providing some recipes as well as some ideas for these beautiful dishes. Some may not be for you, for example if you don't like chicken liver pate, don't make it. But my recipe is quite good and I have served it to a lot of my catering customers with no complaints. Most of the antipasti that I will be providing recipes and descriptions for have been prepared for our catering clients. Some can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator, others need to be made immediately before serving.

Several small serving of appetizers can be used effectively as a meal for the bariatric patient. They can be very flavorful and also provide the bite and the crunch that many people need and deserve. Over the years I have created a wide variety of appetizers and toppings which can be placed on crackers, lettuce leaves, on crunchy bruschetta (thick grilled bread slices) and on crostini (crispier small, thinner bread slices). They can be stand alone pieces such as the stuffed peppers, or artisan cheese slices with flavorful toppings and eaten with your fingers.

One of the foods that can cause you difficulties after surgery is breads. They are high in carbohydrates and because of their texture can cause pain and a sense of fullness. Breads are often a significant problem in the bariatric diet since they can add a lot of calories and can result in weight gain in the post-surgery period. Which if you have gone this far, you would rather not experience. That is not to say you shouldn't eat bread. A slice of bread as a carrier for a high protein topping can be a wonderful way to enjoy appetizers and provide you with the nutrition you need. Many of the recipes are really just toppings that are applied judiciously to a crispy bread slice.

Bruschetta and crostini

The difference between bruschetta and crostini is whether you want a thicker, chewy piece of bread that has been grilled to support the topping (bruschetta) or a smaller, thinner, and crispier piece (crostini). As a bariatric patient I prefer the smaller crostini to the larger bruschetta (frankly while bruschetta tastes great, the crostini provides fewer carbohydrates and still provides a healthy platform for the toppings). I usually take a composite approach in making the bread base. I cut ½” slices on the diagonal through a baguette, and then lightly brush the slices with olive oil and mashed garlic. I toast them in the oven at 375 degrees until they are done as you wish (crispy, soft, crunchy). A shorter time in the oven yield a softer slice with crispy crust, while a slightly longer time will result in a crispier base. I think you need to consider the toppings to be applied and plan the oven time accordingly.

Many appetizers are made without a bread base and can be a terrific addition to the bariatric menu providing unusual flavors and textures. The preparation of many of these will be self-explanatory based upon the ingredients. These bites are normally intended to whet the appetite prior to a meal, but in the case of the bariatric patient they are designed to provide a sufficient amount of protein and make the meal. I also want to provide some basic toppings that can be made easily and then mixed and matched with other toppings to create new taste sensations.

Basic tomato topping for bruschetta or crostini:

This topping while very flavorful, does not have any significant level of protein in it. It makes a great addition to an appetizer platter for a party, but the bariatric patient will require a more substantial topping to ensure they get the protein levels they need. Think about adding cream cheese or a slice of rare roast beef, or some cooked shrimp to the crostini when you prepare it.

Carefully chop 1 ½ cups of tomatoes into ½” dice, place in a bowl
Chop three cloves of garlic very finely, add to the tomatoes
Chop 1 cup flat leaf parsley finely and add to the bowl
Add 1/3 cup wine vinegar or lemon juice
Add 2/3 cup olive oil
Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mix thoroughly and allow it to sit for 30 minutes or more

Interesting modifications to the basic mixture:
Add ½ cup chopped basil to basic mixture
Add ½ cup finely chopped rucola, (arugola or rocket) and omit parsley
Drain the basic or modified mixtures to consolidate the topping and remove some of the accumulated fluids. This reduces soaking through the bread, on the other hand I like the soaked bread.

The topping should be served at room temperature. Place a tablespoon full of topping on a crispy slice of crostini and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and a bit of chopped parsley. This also goes well with some smoked fish (salmon or swordfish).


Basic cream cheese topping

This is an infinitely modifiable topping that can be used as the base for a wide variety of crostini. It can provide a significant amount of protein to the meal.

Mix 8 ounces of cream cheese with 8 ounces of Mascarpone cheese with a hand mixer
Add a few drops of milk if it is too thick
Add ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder
Add ½ teaspoon paprika
If you wish, a few drops of Tabasco can be added here
Mix thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Spread on a piece of crostini and top with a slice of roast beef, smoked salmon or some cooked shrimp.