Unique Serving Platter

Any party or formal function will start well with a tray of hors d’oevres being passed round the room. These delicacies will break the ice and give guests a choice of tasty starters. Italian cuisine embraces this tradition too and antipasto platters, as they are known, are an opportunity to present the best Italian ingredients. They can appeal to meat eaters, vegetarians and those fond of fish. There are several variations, but they all have one thing in common and that is flavor and freshness. Antipasto translates as ‘before the meal’.

Typical ingredients include cheeses, cold cuts, cured meats, vegetables and herbs, such as basil and oregano. Marinades are often used with spices and peppers to add a little heat. Fortunately, Italy has an abundance of tasty meat products and vegetables. Italian cheese is popular all over the world. There are no rules about Antipasto platters, as long as the food complements each other in taste and texture. Good presentation is appreciated and a little bit of color will please the eye.

Dry cured ham, which is not cooked, is a popular ingredient. One of the best varieties is prosciutto and it is often folded round a breadstick, such as grissini. Sometimes, in warm weather, it is placed round slices of melon. Culatello is a type of prosciutto that can be cured with wine. The saltiness of ham combines well with salad in Antipasto platters. Iceberg lettuce is often used for its crispy texture and a cheese, such as provolene goes well with an Italian salad dressing.

There are many versions of antipasto salads. These can be meat free or combined with ham, salami or pepperoni sausage. Any preferred macaroni could be added too. Cheese is often parmesan and mozzarella. Other ingredients are typically olives, cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepper and salad dressing. A more substantial antipasto platter salad could also contain vegetables, such as broccoli florets or chopped cauliflower.

Salami and Italian sausage is often included, accompanied by artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red peppers and olives. Cheese can also be added, such as parmesan, mozzarella and gorgonzola. Antipasto platters can feature skewers. Ingredients are threaded on to the skewers in colorful combinations.

Other common foods include celery, cucumber, carrots and eggplant. Pickling spice is good for marinating and tomato paste can add flavor in the preparation. For fish lovers, tuna is an ideal choice. Food can be prepared in advance and put in the freezer and taken out later for perfect finger food for a party.

Most people have a turkey on Thanksgiving and then they never look at turkey again for the rest of the year. I am not one of these people. I generally have turkey on Thanksgiving and then have another sometime in the spring. No matter how well I plan, I always end up with more turkey that I know what to do it. I get a bird that is much bigger than what we need and the leftovers seem to be overwhelming. Perhaps this is why most of us only have a turkey once or twice a year. Knowing what to do with the turkey afterwards can be tricky, but all you need are a few good recipes for turkey.

You might be surprised at the number of recipes for turkey there are out there. If you search through some of the cooking web sites on the Internet, you are going to find a lot of great ideas. The problem is that many times after we have had a large turkey dinner we don’t want to look at turkey anymore. You have to freeze some of your turkey meat and then set aside some recipes for turkey to use in a couple of weeks. You might also want to find out how to safely freeze turkey and how long that turkey will be good.

When it comes to recipes for turkey in my house, there are just a couple simple ones that I use. My husband absolutely loves cold turkey sandwiches. There are two different recipes for turkey sandwiches that I use. One is so simple that my five-year-old can do it. All you need is two pieces of bread, a layer of mayonnaise and some turkey. You put it together in a sandwich with a little salt and you have a great meal. You may also make turkey salad much like you would make chicken salad. This is something that my husband handles, so I really couldn’t tell you how to make it.

One of the other recipes for turkey I use is one to make turkey and biscuits. This is much like chicken and biscuits, but you use turkey instead a chicken. There are many other great recipes for turkey out there, all you have to do is look. What you want to make will depend on your cooking skill and how much time you’re willing to put into the endeavor. Remember that you don’t have to use all of your turkey up right away, as it is safe to freeze turkey for a period of time. As long as you can do so safely, you have some great turkey ideas for months after you’ve cooked the actual turkey.