Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Jason Denton is involved in some of New York City's most successful restaurants. First on the panini scene was 'ino. Broadening the 'ino concept of bruschetta, tramezzini, and panini, 'inoteca added the authentic Italian small plates for which it has been critically praised. Along with Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich, Denton is a partner in Lupa Osteria Romano, one of New York City's best Italian restaurants, as well as the newly opened Bar Milano. Food & Wine, in their annual tastemaker awards, dubbed Denton an "Italian food emissary." He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and sons, Jack and Finn, in New York City.

Kathryn Kellinger is the coauthor of the James Beard—and IACP-nominated The Balthazar Cookbook and George Foreman's Indoor Grilling Made Easy. She lives with her husband, Lee Hanson, and two daughters, Maya and Reid, and one Labrador retriever in New York City.

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Americans are embracing the small plate craze. They are serving bite-size mini meals—tapas, bar snacks, antipasti, skewered vegetables—whenever they entertain. Simple Italian Snacks shows how to plan a menu for any gathering in the informal yet chic way that Italians have mastered. Here are recipes appropriate for an afternoon by the pool, a fireside get-together with friends, an intimate dinner for two, or a party for a crowd. The dishes, which can be served as hors d'oeuvres or presented as a meal, are easy to prepare, and many can be made ahead of time.

The authors of the wildly successful Simple Italian Sandwiches include all-new bruschetta, tramezzini, and panini as well as classic Italian snacks such as Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce and Rice Balls. They show us how to make any party an event and even include sparkly cocktails. The recipes in Simple Italian Snacks are quick yet incredibly sophisticated and, as always, delicious.

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Simple Italian Snacks

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Bruschetta of White Beans with Egg Yolk Vinaigrette and Tomato

Makes 8 bruschetta

This is as fast and stylish as a Fiat. Freshly cooked white beans are the scenic long route; canned beans are the rush-hour shortcut. Both roads lead to a bruschetta of an egg-enriched vinaigrette over creamy white beans.Makes 8 bruschetta

Ingredients:

2 hard-boiled eggs, yolks minced with a fork, whites finely chopped
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into a medium dice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 baguette slices, cut ½ inch thick on the diagonal, toasted

Instructions:

Combine the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the olive oil and whisk together. Put the beans and the tomatoes in a bowl, and pour the mixture over them. Add the chopped egg whites and the lemon zest. Toss gently to combine while adding the remaining ¾ cup olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Top each toast with a layer of white beans. Give each bruschetta a turn of a pepper mill before serving on a large platter.

Taleggio, Apple, and Pistachio Panini

Makes 4 panini

I think of this as a cheese board packed into a sandwich—there's the rich and runny cheese, the sweet and crisp apple, and the salty crunch of nuts. This is a great way to enjoy Taleggio, a full-flavored cow's milk cheese that melts into a silky tang.

Ingredients:

½ cup shelled unsalted pistachio nuts
½ crisp, sweet apple, such as Macoun or Fuji, unpeeled, very thinly sliced
4 ciabatta rolls, domed tops sliced off, rolls sliced in half horizontally
8 ounces Taleggio, rind removed, at room temperature
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they are aromatic, 3 minutes. When they have cooled, roughly chop them.

Preheat a panini grill.

Arrange 4 apple slices on the bottom half of each ciabatta roll. Top with the sliced Taleggio. (This cheese will spread in the panini press, so don't go to the edge of the bread.) Top with 4 more apple slices and a sprinkling of toasted pistachios. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the top half of the ciabatta on each sandwich.

Grill the sandwiches for 3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.

Slice each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Excerpted from Simple Italian Snacksby Jason Denton Copyright © 2008 by Jason Denton. Excerpted by permission.
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