The Art of Food: whole foods

In Italy, Antipasti translates as "before the meal. " It's a way to whet the appetite for the food that will follow: pasta, primi piatti, insalata, dolci. {pasta, main course, salad and dessert}.

Nowadays, antipasti is not just an appetizer. It has become a way we eat.

{The Art of Antipasti}

It's all about big, bold flavors and small bites. Different textures. Different tastes. Wines are often paired with each dish to enhance the eating experience.

Antipasti are meant to be shared by everyone at the table. It's festive and a great way to gather a small group for a casual social gathering, or entertain with cocktails for a crowd.

Traditionally, antipasti includes a selection of salumi meats, artisan cheeses and a variety of olives. We've created a list of our favorites. We call it Ten Tips for Easy Entertaining. With a few easy additions, you can turn it into a meal!

This week we perfected our favorite recipes for holiday entertaining with our enthusiastic {and experienced!} class at Whole Foods Salud! cooking school.

From individual small bites to beautiful platter presentations, every recipe was elegant enough for entertaining and ready to dive in family- style.

And dive-in we did!

Here's what was on the menu:

- Warm Artichoke Dip

- Cranberry Brie wrapped in puff pastry
- Pane Insalata with Arugula and Olive Pesto
- Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Brown butter Fried Sage
- Chocolate Orange Walnut Tartlets
- Preserved Lemon Poundcake with lemon cream

For more easy entertaining recipe ideas + inspiration, be sure to sign up for our here.

If you are interested in upcoming cooking classes at Whole Foods Salud! cooking schools and events at the retail store, be sure to sign up on Facebook and Twitter.

Buon appetito! copyright 2010 Alisa Barry

The Italians love to grill over hardwood. In the summertime, they typically cook over an open fire pit just off the kitchen. In the winter, they place a grill in their fireplace. {I have never seen a gas grill in Italy!} . One of the most interesting grilling techniques I have seen in Italy is cooking poultry under a brick. The Italians call this method of cooking under a brick "al mattone". Whether you use an actual brick or not is not important. The idea is to flatten out the chicken so the skin gets a nice crispy texture and the meat cooks fast and stays tender, juicy and moist. It's really easy from start to finish and a great staple for the seasonal summer menu repetoire.

TUSCAN LEMON + ROSEMARY CHICKEN

1 whole chicken, preferably organic + free range
4 wedges preserved lemons
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, needles removed from stem
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon crushed pepperocini chili flakes
1/2 Tablespoon sea salt
1/8 Tablespoon cracked black pepper

Cut the chicken lengthwise through the breast bone {versus down the back} or have your butcher prepare it for you. {The butchers at Whole Foods are great at these kinds of things and are usually very glad to help.} To prepare the marinade for the chicken, place the lemons, garlic, rosemary and olive oil in a blender. Blend the ingredients on low speed, just until coarsely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to use. {This can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.}

To prepare the marinated chicken, open up the chicken and place in a shallow platter,skin side down. Rub the chicken with 1/3 of the marinade. Season with 1/2 of the chili flakes, salt, pepper. Turn the chicken over and rub the remaining 2/3 marinade over the chicken to coat the skin. Season with the rest of the chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, prepare your fire for the grill. The fire should be hot, but the flames should have subsided.
Place flattened chicken on grill, skin side up. Make sure it is placed on a lower heat side of the grill, as you don’t want the chicken to burn before it is thoroughly cooked.
Top with tinfoil covered bricks {you will need about two} or a heavy weight lid or ceramic platter to flatten the chicken. {a cast iron pan will work nicely}.

Cook about 8-10 minutes. Carefully remove bricks, turn the chicken over and cook on the other side, placing bricks back on top of the chicken. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes. The skin should be lightly charred and the chicken should be flattened. Test the temperature at the thigh if you are unsure about the doneness. The temperature should be about 160 degrees.

Carefully remove from the grill and let rest 5-10 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

NOTE:
I especially like cooking this recipe over the hard wood Tuscan grill because it add so much flavor to the dish. The high heat creates a crispy-textured skin. The hard wood adds lots of flavor throughout the entire chicken. This is a great recipe for easy entertaining, too. {p.s. great father's day gift!}

The Art of Antipasti

Tuscan Lemon + Rosemary Chicken under a brick