Bresaola e Mellone
1 6-ounc can bresaola (smoked beef)
1 melon (canteloupe, honey dew, etc.)

Prosciutto e Mellone
Ham
Melon

Bresaola e Mellone/ Dried Beef and Melon

Drain the bresaola and separate into slices.

Cut the melon into wedges and remove from the rind.

Arrange on plates with 2 slices of bresaola on each.

Serves: 4-5.



Prosciutto e Mellone/Ham and Melon

Substitute prosciutto for the bresaola.

Note: For an unusual cocktail accompaniment, cut the melon into cubes.

Wrap a piece of bresaola or prosciuto around each cube and secure with a cocktail pick.

The recipe in this entry was taken from "The Pleasures of Italian Cooking" by Romeo Salta, with an Introduction by Myra Waldo, photographs by Roberto Caramico, assisted by John Ciofalo. The book was published in New York by The MacMillan Company in 1962. For the complete copyright-free cook book visit www.archive.org.... The author notes in his introduction to Antipasti/Appetizers "Antipasto (to use the singular form) is merely the Italian equivalent of the French hors d'oeuvre, or appetizer, in English. These may be as simple as you wish, or as elaborate and extensive as the particular occasion dictates. The traditional selection of antipasto includes some of the following: a few slices of salami and mortadella (that delicious type of bologna), several shrimp, slices of cheese, olives, stuffed eggplant or peppers, prosciutto, bresaola, baked clams, radishes, sardines, but of course, these are only suggestions. The various antipasti which appear in this section of the book may be served as separate first courses, if you wish. Some of them are ideal for serving to guests with a pre-dinner drink, should you desire. It is of particular interest to mention the origin of the word antipasto. Pasta is the Italian word which covers all of the various dough preparations (like spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli, and so forth) that form an integral part of so many Italian meals. Antipasto, thus, literally means "before the pasta," the appetizer served before the pasta course. Image: 1908 Italian Menu, retrieved from the New York Public Digital Library.

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