THE ITALIAN DINING EXPERIENCE—HOLIDAY STYLE
To the extent that you want to be authentic in your presentation of a multi-course meal in classic Italian style, here are the courses that would typically be expected:
APERITIVI This describes the liquid refreshments that lubricate the appetite. Often times you will find this to include a spritz (white wine and Campari (bitter) or Aperol (sweet), a bellini (prosecco and peach juice) or just prosecco. May be augmented by stuzzichini/cicchetti which are snacks that are typically handled with toothpicks.
ANTIPASTI This is the appetizer course and consists of cold cuts (prosciutto, mortadella), crackers, cheese, crostini/croutons, or small portions of what might otherwise be considered a main dish, e..g. polenta and sauteed funghi/mushrooms. Don't forget the wine...
PRIMI This is the first of the main courses and typically consists of a pasta dish, a rice dish (like risotto), or a soup. Don't forget the wine...
SECONDI This is the main entree...as if the primi wasn't enough. Here you are hitting your gastronomic stride and will usually find a meat or a fish offering--think steak, grilled fish, grilled meat, roasted veal (or if you are in Who-ville, you can expect Roast-Beast), duck, venison, goose, pheasant, wild boar, veal/pork shank (pretty much anything except chicken and turkey). With the secondi, you will find the CONTORNI. This is the nominal vegetable dish that consists of something like shredded carrots, cabbage, potatoes (pan-roasted in duckfat), mushrooms, roasted vegetables (like zucchini), fennel, verdura cotta (sauteed chard), etc. And now that the diner feels some redemption for having eaten vegetables at this point of the gluttony...
...Now I'm starting to get hungry...
It is time for the dessert, or DOLCI. This is not too much of the focus of the meal, especially given the button-bulging indulging that led to this point. You might find that there is gelato or, during the holidays, there might be sweet bread stuff like Panettone or Pandoro or if someone was feeling particularly festive, there may be a tray of a variety of small pastries (mignon) from the pastry store, or nougat/torrone. The pastries are usually pretty good, but it is even more important that they are just pretty to look at (presentation is, indeed, everything).
DIGESTIVI If you are not anticipating heartburn at this point, you did it wrong and should start all over. If, however, you do get the sensation of a big ball of comestibles in your gut, the only remedy is to drink...and in this case, doctor's orders amounts to grappa in all of its wonderful variety--there is the sweet, fruity kind or the bitter, herbal kind, or the just plain bizarre like asparagus grappa. A great Veneto tradition is the sgroppino which combines prosecco, vodka, and lemon sorbet. Yum.
Lastly, but not least, there will be some smarty-pants that has the nerve to still be hungry at this point. Given that there is basically nothing but dirty dishes in the house after such a display of gluttony, there will be little left to do but eat roasted chestnuts, peanuts (frutta secca), or some other snack item that won't dirty the playing cards.
And just when you thought it was time for bed, please note that at around midnight or so, it will be time for a late-night refill that consists of a pasta encore in the form of pasta e fagioli or something light like carbonara.
Buon Appetito!
