With the growing numbers of enoteche (wine bars), tapas restaurants, and other establishments specializing in "small plates," antipasti's time has come. Like tapas, antipasti are small plates of savory appetizers or small first courses that tempt the appetite and prepare the palate for the meal to come. What could be better suited to a cocktail party than a selection of grissini (breadsticks), caponata (pickled eggplant), and baccala (salt cod) on toasted polenta? Joyce Goldstein is an expert on Italian cuisine. Chapters explore the different types of antipasti available, including eggs and cheese, savory pastries, grains, vegetables, fish and shellfish, and meat and poultry varieties.