Tag Archives: italian food

Foodgasm of the Moment: Il Tagliere

Posted in Foodgasms by

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Il tagliere is a cutting board of local and regional carnivorous delights, usually served at the beginning of a meal as an antipasto.  As part of the classic Italian menu, it’s obviously classified as an antipasto di terra (land), as opposed to those di mare (sea).

Similar to the aperitivo, there is no one distinct way to prepare it; the selection is dictated by the region where you happen to be, as well as which products are in season.

Packed with a variety of sliced meats, cheeses, olives, and more – it’s always fresh, always flavorful, and always fantastic.

Facciamo l’aperitivo?

Posted in Culture, Foodgasms by

What’s so great about the Italian aperitivo?  Um, everything.  It makes the American happy hour look like a sad, starved, alcoholic mess.

Aperitivo time is my favorite time of day in Italy.  Served from around 6-9pm, it’s the pre-dinner practice that’s the trendiest part of the typical daily Italian food ritual.

Cool, chic, and ever-evolving, you never know what you’ll get from one place to the next.  Originally intended to merely entice the appetite with a refreshment (either alcoholic or non) and light snack before dinner, establishments are now doing their best to out-do the competition.

So, when a friend asks,  ”Facciamo l’aperitivo?”, it can mean anything from grabbing a quick drink, like the infamous “Spritz” cocktail (prosecco and Aperol):

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To a drink plus snack, like this:

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Or, an all-out buffet:

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The craziest part about the aperitivo is that the food is actually included in the price of the drink.  So, essentially for €10 or €15, you have the chance to (once again) eat like a king on a pauper’s budget.  Plus, many locales have live entertainment or a DJ in the later hours, so you can literally hang out all evening and make a night of it with friends.

What’s not to love?

Passing couple on the sidewalk:

Husband says: ‘Amore, vuoi una goccia d’acqua?’ (Honey, do you want a sip of water?)

And the wife (totally seriously) replies: ‘Ma noooo – ho ancora il sapore del gelato in bocca!’ (No way – I still have the taste of gelato in my mouth!)

Yep, it’s that good.