This meal all started with the bread. I came across it in my internet travels and couldn't stop thinking about it. While walking the dog, I puzzled over what to make with it. The idea of antipasto salad stuck with me, so I looked up a recipe (Giada seemed like a good place to start, and lo and behold she had one). To combat the excess of cheese and meats, I decided a sorbet for dessert would be best.
Unfortunately we were so caught up in the food that none of us took any pictures!
Italian Antipasto Salad
The lettuce and beans make you almost forget that you are eating a salad filled with fatty meat and cheese :) I enjoyed this salad a lot, but would individually dress each portion next time. The dressing decimated the lettuce as it sat and made for leftovers with a bunch of really soggy, wilty lettuce. Ew.
Modifications: I used just romaine and butter lettuce and left out the iceberg. I see no reason to eat iceberg lettuce (even though my dad contests that is the only TRUE lettuce). I bought a Trader Joe's appetizer pack that had prosciutto, salami, and capicola, and augmented with a bit more salami. I think that the combination of meats was a lot better than just using salami -- the prosciutto in particular added great flavor.
Herb Cheese Bread
I liked this bread a lot, although I think it could have been well served by reducing the amount of cheese by half. I wished that the herb flavor would have come out more. It is a nice alternative to garlic bread, though.
Modifications: Omitted garlic, per usual. I used a par-baked ciabatta from TJ's, since it had to bake to melt the cheese filling anyway.
Cantaloupe Basil Sorbet
When I was planning the meal, I kept thinking that cantaloupe was the green melon. Of course when I got to the store, I realized I had been thinking of honeydew, and that cantaloupe was the orange melon. I am not a huge fan of cantaloupe, but charged forward regardless. I think I would have preferred a honeydew/mint or a watermelon/basil combination, but this was fairly refreshing and inoffensive. Not great praise for a dessert. There's a lot still sitting in my freezer, which is telling.
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