Appetizer

Italy

Concia di zucchine is a traditional dish originating from Roman Jewish cuisine. The dish is usually made with a combination of Roman zucchini (characterized by a slightly bitter flavor), olive oil, parsley, mint, garlic, and white wine vinegar. The zucchini is thinly sliced, fried in oil until golden, and sprinkled with salt. Next, the fried slices are layered in a baking dish and topped with chopped parsley, mint, a drizzle of olive oil, sliced garlic, and a sprinkle of white wine vinegar. The process is repeated until the dish is full, and it's then chilled overnight. Concia di zucchine is typically served as an appetizer in the summer or as an accompaniment to meat and fish dishes.

Concia di zucchine

This clear soup is made from rich, clarified stock. It is a time consuming, luxurious, and expensive dish that results in crystal-clear, full-flavored liquid broth devoid of any trace of fat. It is believed that the ancestor of consomm&eacute; was a rich Medieval soup which eventually evolved into the clear, flavorful dish we know today. Since it requires expertise and time, consomm&eacute; is often served at formal events as an appetizer, and it is garnished exclusively with mild-flavored ingredients which do not overpower the delicate soup, such as egg yolks or sliced vegetables. Consomm&eacute; can also act as a base for numerous other soups, such as double consomm&eacute;, Brunoise, and French onion soup. There are also popular varieties known as chilled or jellied consomm&eacute;. Both varieties are served cold, thickened by gelatin which is extracted from the bones during the preparation of the original stock.

Consommé

Originating from T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s Aegean region, &ccedil;&ouml;p şis is a kebab variety which, in modern Turkish, could be translated as trash shish or garbage shish. Despite the indecent connotations, this delicious dish is made with roasted lamb scraps and fat, the leftovers from trimming the meat for the classic shish kebab. The meat is traditionally flavored with garlic and tomatoes, marinated in a combination of olive oil, oregano, and black pepper, then placed on split wood skewers and quickly roasted. And that translated name mentioned earlier, garbage shish, is believed to refer either to the small wooden skewers or the fact that the dish is made with scraps and leftovers. This kebab variety is typically served as an appetizer before the main meal, preferably with spicy green peppers on the side.

Çöp şiş

Cozze alla Tarantina is a delicious seafood appetizer consisting of delicate, meaty mussels served in a spicy tomato sauce. It is important that the mussels are as fresh as possible. The tomato sauce is typically flavored with garlic, parsley, chiles, olive oil, white wine, and pepper. For the best experience, it is recommended to serve the dish with toasted bread or croutons, which can be used to mop up all of the flavorful juices. Pair it with Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Chardonnay, or Riesling.

Cozze alla Tarantina

United States

Crab Louie is an American salad dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. The salad is prepared with a combination of Dungeness crab meat, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, asparagus, hard-boiled eggs, and Louie dressing (based on chili sauce and mayo), while olives, green onions, and bell peppers are optional, but can be added if desired. The origins of the dish are quite murky, but many sources claim that the dish was served as early as 1914 in a San Francisco restaurant called Solari's. This tasty salad is mostly served as an appetizer.

Crab Louie

Crabmeat Dewey is a traditional dish originating from Maryland. The dish is usually made with a combination of crabmeat, butter, mushrooms, bell peppers, scallions, sherry, hot peppers, half-and-half (equal parts whole milk and cream), parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. The bell peppers, mushrooms, and scallions are saut&eacute;ed in butter, and then mixed with the sherry. The mixture is simmered until the liquid is reduced by half, and it's then mixed with the hot peppers and half-and-half. The mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper, the crabmeat is added to the pot, and the dish is stirred over low heat until everything is blended. It is placed into buttered ramekins, sprinkled with cheese, baked until golden brown, and served as an appetizer. Crabmeat Dewey was invented at a Maryland yacht club as a tribute to Commodore George Dewey's victory at Manila Bay in the Spanish-American war.

Crabmeat Dewey

Crabmeat ravigote is a traditional dish originating from New Orleans. It's usually made with a combination of fresh crabmeat, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, scallions, salt, pepper, capers, and parsley. The mayonnaise is mixed with mustard, scallions, salt, and black pepper. The crab and capers are folded into the mixture until evenly coated. Crabmeat ravigote is garnished with parsley and served on individual endive leaves, iceberg lettuce, or slices of French bread. The dish is traditionally served as a cold appetizer. There are many variations on crabmeat ravigote, so it's not uncommon to include lemon juice, dill, tarragon, chives, garlic, and shallots in the mixture as well.

Crabmeat Ravigote

Crab rangoon is an American-Chinese dish consisting of a deep-fried dumpling that is stuffed with crab meat, garlic, scallions, and cream cheese. It is believed that the first crab rangoon was invented at Trader Vic's bar in either Oakland or San Francisco, although some claim that it was invented in Missouri for the World's Fair in 1904. Regardless of the origins, today this appetizer can be found in numerous Chinese-style restaurants throughout America, where it is often served with dips such as mustard, soy sauce, or plum sauce on the side.

Crab Rangoon

Australia

Crab stuffed with crayfish is a New Caledonian dish that can be served either as an appetizer or as an entr&eacute;e. The crab is first mixed with vegetables and fried, while the crayfish is cooked separately. Once they have cooled down, the crayfish and crab are combined and poured into buttered tins. After twenty minutes of baking in the oven, this dish is served hot and ready to be consumed.

Crab Stuffed with Crayfish

Cracked conch is one of the most popular Bahamian dishes &ndash; conch meat is breaded in a batter made with flour, then deep-fried until golden and crispy. The name of this dish refers to a method of tenderizing the tough, chewy meat with a meat mallet or a frying pan. These golden conch nuggets are typically paired with french fries or peas and rice. When paired with french fries, the dish is usually served on a sweet bread roll with ketchup or hot sauce on the side. It can also be consumed as an appetizer, when it is served with fresh lime juice and goat pepper sauce.

Cracked Conch

Popular throughout the Veneto region, this deep-fried delicacy is a classic street food item that is traditionally enjoyed during Christmastime and the Carnival season. However, in the regions of Marche and Emilia-Romagna, these deep-fried pieces are the essential part of a classic appetizer, a mixed platter that also includes deep-fried vegetables, olives, and meat. Translated as fried cream, the dish couples well-chilled blocks of egg custard, usually flavored with vanilla and lemon, which are breaded and deep-fried until crispy. Traditionally cut into square or diamond shapes, pieces of fried custard can be served lukewarm or well-chilled, and if enjoyed as a dessert they are best accompanied by a glass of sweet Italian wine.

Crema fritta

Crescentina modenese is a traditional, disk-shaped Italian bread that is crispy on the exterior and soft on the interior. It is traditionally baked in special stones called tigelle (the reason why the flatbread is sometimes called like that), and usually slathered with a spread made from lardo, rosemary, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The stones often have a decorative symbol on both sides, which is embossed on the dough as it bakes. It is believed that crescentina modenese was invented by the poor people from the Apennine Mountains near Modena, where farming families would gather around the hearth to bake their evening bread.

Crescentina modenese

Hailing from the Aosta Valley, crespelle alla Valdostana is an Italian specialty that consists of savory, stuffed cr&ecirc;pes smothered in gooey Fontina cheese and b&eacute;chamel sauce. The batter for the cr&ecirc;pes is made with a combination of flour, milk, eggs, melted butter, salt, and pepper, while the filling typically includes diced or sliced Fontina cheese, cooked ham (such as gran biscotto ham), and (sometimes) mushrooms. Once fried to perfection, the cr&ecirc;pes are filled, then rolled or folded into a fan shape and placed snugly into a baking dish before being baked with additional cheese, b&eacute;chamel sauce, and knobs of butter on top. This traditional dish can be served on its own or as an accompaniment to grilled meat, and it pairs well with wines such as Blanc de Morgex or Erbaluce di Caluso.

Crespelle alla Valdostana

Canada

Cretons is a flavorful Canadian meat spread consisting of ground pork, lard, breadcrumbs, and milk. It is traditionally produced in Qu&eacute;b&eacute;c. The spread is typically flavored with garlic, cloves, ginger, celery, parsley, nutmeg, cinnamon, onions, and allspice. Its texture is fatty, creamy and tender, and it is often served for breakfast, when it is paired with toast. If the spread is based on veal, poultry, or any meat that is not pork, it is then called a cretonnade.

Cretons

This simple stir-fry from Togo combines shrimps and diced or sliced peppers - traditionally red, green, and yellow bell peppers. Other common additions include ginger, garlic, and onions that can be diced and fried, or optionally pur&eacute;ed into a paste which goes under the name n&rsquo;toutou. The ingredients are shortly stir-fried until the shrimps are thoroughly cooked. The dish can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a light main course, usually accompanied by cooked or fried sweet potatoes.

Crevettes aux poivrons

Crispy tadyang ng baka is a traditional meat dish originating from the Philippines. This type of pulutan (food that's matched with beer) is made with beef ribs that are first boiled in adobo sauce, and then deep-fried. The list of ingredients commonly includes beef ribs, garlic, soy sauce, star anise, bay leaves, sugar, peppercorns, and oil. The ribs are boiled, and then simmered again until tender with everything except the oil. Once tender, the ribs are refrigerated for a few hours and then deep-fried in oil until crispy, as the name suggests. Tadyang ng baka is typically served as an appetizer with a dip consisting of vinegar, garlic, sugar, shallots, black pepper, and hot chili peppers. The dish can also be served with white rice.

Crispy tadyang ng baka

Crocchette di patate e parmigiano are traditional Italian croquettes stuffed with potatoes and cheese. The dish is usually made with a combination of potatoes, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, salt, pepper, flour, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. The boiled potatoes are grated or passed through a ricer and mixed with grated cheese, beaten eggs, and seasonings. The mixture is molded into croquette shapes or cylinders, rolled in flour, dipped in beaten eggs, coated with breadcrumbs, and fried in oil until golden. Once drained, the croquettes are typically served with lemon wedges on the side.

Crocchette di patate e parmigiano

These traditional Spanish fritters are usually prepared with a buttery b&eacute;chamel base that is well chilled and formed into round or cylindrical patties, which are then coated in egg wash and breadcrumbs, and finally fried until crispy and golden. Spain abounds in various types of croquetas, and the most popular versions incorporate ham or shredded chicken in the b&eacute;chamel base, but other ingredients such as mushrooms, cod, or shrimp are also common. Though they originated as a frugal dish, which made use of leftover ingredients, today they are a classic that is often served as tapas&mdash;small finger foods that are usually accompanied by a few drinks.

Croquetas

Croquetas caseras de espinacas is a traditional croquette variety. It's usually made with a combination of spinach, butter, salt, flour, milk, crumbled blue cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. The spinach is cooked, drained, saut&eacute;ed in butter, and then mixed with the flour and milk until a creamy sauce forms. The crumbled cheese is added to the hot sauce until it melts. The mixture is chilled, shaped into croquetas, dipped in eggs, rolled in breadcrumbs, and then fried in hot olive oil until golden brown.

Croquetas caseras de espinacas

Croquetas con cecina is a traditional croquette variety. It's usually made with a combination of butter, leeks, cecina (air-dried beef), milk, flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. The leeks and cecina are saut&eacute;ed in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then mixed with a bechamel sauce consisting of flour, butter, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The mixture is chilled, shaped into croquetas, dipped in eggs, rolled in breadcrumbs, and then fried in olive oil until golden brown.