Cicchetti are snacks - often small open-faced sandwiches - served in neighborhood bacaris (bars) in Venice. The fun part about the cicchettis is you can't predict from one place to the next or even in the same place, the combination of things that are going to be on their cicchetti. The variations of vegetable mousses, cheeses, meats, pickles seem endless. I searched flickr for a pic of cicchetti, this is all I found, I'm sure there must be others. One of my all-time favorite bacaris is on Fondamenta Rezzonico, aim for Fondamenta Gerardini but overshoot it by 1 tiny canal and turn right. Order a variety plate of cicchetti and 2 glasses of local wine (for total snack cost about 15€), and you'll fall in love with Venice!
My cicchetti are French-influenced, where I experimented in my tiny Paris kitchen with my hand-held blender. In France, they're called tartines (spreaded breads). Any of these tartines/cicchetti recipes below can be made vegetarian by leaving off the meat.
Mash the asparagus with a fork. Cut the bread, cutting each long slice in half. Tartinez (spread) each piece of bread with the asparagus, top with ham, then with tomatoe, then the basil, then the onion, then the cheese. Grill lightly in oven just until the cheese is melted.
Steam & drain the carrots. Purée them with either a blender or fork with the milk. In a small skillet, grill the spices, stirring constantly, just until they're lightly brown & aromatic. Mix them in with the carrots.
Cut the red peppers in quarter, take out the seeds & membranes, grill in a hot oven until the skin is bubbly & black. Take out of oven & put inside a paper bag, let them rest a few minutes, then remove skins & cut the peppers into slices.
Cut the eggplants in half, grill with the onions, mushrooms, & artichoke hearts in the oven on a lightly oiled baking sheet until eggplant is tender.
Cut the bread, cutting each long slice in half, grill lightly. Tartinez (spread) the toasts with carrot purée, then cover with vegetables, then sprinkle the cheddar. Grill lightly in oven just until the cheese is melted.
I'm translating this recipe from Alain Ducasse and Eric Keyser's picnic supply store near Parc de Monceau in Paris. Boulangépicier (known to locals just as "B-E", 73 Boulevard de Courcelles, 75008). Not quite a tartine, in the US these can be served alongside other appetizer sandwiches. Alternatively, the separate ingredients can be packed easily into a picnic basket & assembled "sur place", for a summer picnic anywhere.
Note: in France this is allowable picnic faire only. It's considered strange to eat any kind of "lidded" sandwich in your own home; you should only eat such a thing if you're actually walking or riding the metro, and only then with a pained look on your face like "look at me, I don't have time to sit down to a 3-course regular meal".
Using a serrated knife, mince the chives as small as you can. Push about 3 tablespoons into the soft spreadable plain cheese. Mix well. If preparing for picnic, bring the chives, knife & cutting board with you, so you can chop them directly into the cheese tub & mix on site.
Prepare the vegetable slices, set aside. If you're preparing for a picnic, you can put these into a big plastic baggie or sealable plastic container.
When you're ready to assemble, cut the croissants in half lengthwise. Spread 1 side generously with the chive cheese. Layer the vegetables on top of the cheese spread in this order: 1st the cucumber, then radishes, then sucrine, then fennel, then carrots. Put the croissant lid on top of everything, press down slightly. Cut in half or quarters. If cutting in quarters, might need to stick a toothpick into each small sandwich to hold it together.
This is such a classic cicchetti, I almost feel like I shouldn't bother writing down the recipe. The quality of the ingredients are what can take this cicchetti from an anyday snack to a gourmet party.
Spread the bread with the red pepper arrabiata. Lay a slice of prosciuto down, then a slice of mozzarella on top of that. Sprinkle lightly with fresh ground black pepper. Cut the cicchettis into bite-size squares. Garnish with basil. So easy!
Here's a no-brainer when it comes to French or Italian taste combinations on bread.This one's super good on "pain aux olives" (olive bread). Beware in France & Italy, olives in sandwiches might still have pits!
Cut the bread into medium thick slices.
Tartinez (spread) the bread with the arrabiata. Slice the olives or just push them down into the sauce (depending on how fancy your event is where you're serving). Cut into bite-size squares. Top with a handful of chopped arrugula. Voila! you're finished.