Appetizer

Mexico

Frijoles puercos estilo Jalisco is a traditional dish originating from Jalisco. These refried beans have a number of varieties, and this is the Jalisco-style preparation that's usually served as a snack with drinks. The dish is usually made with a combination of cooked beans, chorizo, olives, jalape&ntilde;os, bacon, lard, and shredded cheese such as queso ranchero or romano. The chorizo is crumbled and cooked with chopped baon in lard, then set aside. The beans are then cooked in the remaining lard, mashed, and mixed with the bacon, olives, chili peppers, and chorizo. The top is sprinkled with cheese, and the mixture is then served with toasted tortillas.

Frijoles puercos estilo Jalisco

Italy

Frisceu is a traditional Ligurian appetizer or a snack made with flour, fizzy water, salt, yeast, and olive oil. The batter should be fairly firm, and once prepared, it is fried in boiling oil until the fritters rise to the surface and puff up. Before eating, they are often sprinkled with salt and served hot. These fritters are also called cuculli and can be additionally enriched with ingredients such as whitebait, dried cod, shallots, or oregano.

Frisceu

The Frittata is an Italian egg-based dish that is often compared to an omelet or a crustless quiche, yet it possesses a distinct identity and culinary technique that sets it apart. The word 'frittata' derives from the Italian verb 'friggere', meaning 'to fry', hinting at its preparation method. Unlike an omelet, where the eggs are cooked quickly and folded over a filling, a frittata incorporates the ingredients directly into the beaten egg mixture before cooking begins. This results in a thick, hearty, and custardy dish that is sliced into wedges like a cake.

Traditionally, the frittata was a humble dish, a clever way to use up leftovers such as pasta, vegetables, or meats from the previous day's meals. Today, it has evolved into a versatile canvas for culinary creativity. Common additions include sautéed onions, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, potatoes, and various cheeses like Parmesan, cheddar, or feta. The key to a perfect frittata lies in the cooking process: it starts on the stovetop in a skillet (preferably cast iron or non-stick) over low heat to set the bottom, and is often finished under a broiler (grill) or inverted onto a plate to cook the top, ensuring it is cooked through without burning the bottom.

Frittatas are incredibly versatile in terms of serving. They can be enjoyed hot, warm, or at room temperature, making them ideal for picnics, packed lunches, or varying meal times. In Italy, cubes of frittata are sometimes served as part of an antipasto platter.

Nutritionally, it serves as a protein-packed meal that can be adapted to be low-carb or vegetarian. The texture should be creamy and soft, never rubbery. Whether served as a quick weeknight dinner, a brunch centerpiece, or a savory snack, the frittata embodies the Italian spirit of simplicity, resourcefulness, and deliciousness.

Frittata

Frittata ai fiori is a traditional egg-based dish that's especially popular in Calabria. The frittata is made with a combination of eggs, fiori di sambuco (elderflower blossoms), olive oil, salt, and pepper. The eggs are whisked with salt and pepper, then mixed with the blossoms. The combination is cooked in a pan with olive oil until the eggs begin to set around the edges, and the pan is then transferred to the oven and the dish is baked until the center starts to rise. The frittata is served at room temperature, sliced into wedges, then garnished with the remaining elderflower blossoms.

Frittata ai fiori

Frittata al formaggio or cheese frittata is a traditional dish and probably the most commonly made type of frittata in the country. It's often made with a combination of eggs, butter, salt, pepper, and cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano and Emmentaler. The eggs are whisked, seasoned with salt and pepper, then beaten with the addition of grated cheese. Once the butter in the pan has started to foam, the egg mixture is poured into the pan and cooked over low heat until the eggs set and the top is still runny. The frittata is then placed under the grill and cooked until it's set, but still tender. This cheese frittata is served hot, warm, or at room temperature and makes for a great appetizer or a light main course.

Frittata al formaggio

Frittata di cipolle is a traditional frittata dish prepared with onions. The dish is made with a combination of beaten eggs, olive oil, onions, salt, and pepper. The onions are cut into thin slices and cooked in olive oil over low heat until soft and golden. The eggs are beaten, seasoned with salt and pepper, then poured over the onions. The dish is cooked until it becomes golden brown and set on one side. It's then turned on the other side and the process is repeated until the frittata is done and ready to be enjoyed.

Frittata di cipolle

Frittata di peperoni e patate is a traditional egg-based dish originating from Rome. The dish is usually made with a combination of eggs, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The sliced peppers are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil over medium heat until soft, and then mixed with sliced onions and potatoes. The mixture is cooked until the onions are soft. The eggs are beaten, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then poured over the vegetables. The dish is cooked over low heat until golden brown on both sides. Once done, frittata di peperoni e patate is served warm.

Frittata di peperoni e patate

Frittata di ricotta e menta is a traditional egg-based dish. The frittata is usually made with a combination of eggs, onions, olive oil, ricotta, salt, pepper, and mint. The onions are saut&eacute;ed in oil until soft, then removed from the pan. The eggs are whisked and mixed with ricotta, pieces of mint, salt, pepper, and saut&eacute;ed onions. The mixture is fried in oil until the frittata is almost set and slightly wet on top, and it's then inverted upside down and fried on the other side for a bit more. Once done, it is served in small slices as an appetizer or in larger wedges for lunch or dinner.

Frittata di ricotta e menta

Frittata di vitalba is a traditional springtime dish that's a specialty of Garfagnana. It's made with eggs, garlic, olive oil, and vitalba or young clematis, which grows wild in the Tuscan woods. The tips of clematis (vitarbini) are washed, chopped, blanched, and floured, then cooked with olive oil, garlic, and eggs. In order to make sure that the frittata will be soft, the egg whites need to be beaten separately, then mixed with the yolks, salt, and pepper.

Frittata di vitalba

Frittata di zucchine is a traditional egg-based dish originating from Tuscany. The dish is usually made with a combination of eggs, thin slices of zucchini, olive oil, salt, pepper, sage, and minced parsley. The zucchini slices are cooked in olive oil over high heat until soft and golden. The heat is reduced, and the mixture of beaten eggs, parsley, sage, salt, and pepper is then poured into the pan and cooked until the frittata is golden brown on both sides. Once done, frittata di zucchine is served warm.

Frittata di zucchine

Frittedda is a flavorful vegetable stew originating from the Sicilian capital, Palermo. Prepared with fresh broad beans, peas, and artichokes, this luscious dish is extremely seasonal, and can truly be called "spring on a plate". The vegetables are slowly saut&eacute;ed, and gently shaken rather than stirred in order to preserve the textures and flavors of each ingredient - the sweetness of the peas, the pleasant bitterness of the artichokes, and the nutty flavor of broad beans. These flavors are rounded with the addition of agrodolce sauce, made with caramelized sugar and vinegar. Frittedda can be enjoyed as an antipasto, a side dish, or a vegetarian main course. It is often paired with panelle - Sicilian chickpea fritters.

Frittedda Siciliana

These traditional Italian fritters use salt cod as the star ingredient and couple it with a thick, leavened batter that is usually seasoned with parsley. When soaked in water or milk, the fish is either flaked and incorporated into the batter or cut into pieces that are later merely dipped in the mixture. Both versions are fried until golden and crispy and can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a light main course. The dish is usually associated with Liguria region and is traditionally enjoyed on Christmas Eve.

Frittelle di baccalà

Frittelle di pomodori are traditional tomato fritters originating from Italy. The dish is usually made with a combination of tomatoes, flour, eggs, baking powder, oil, salt, and basil leaves. The tomatoes are cut into slices, seasoned with salt, and patted dry. They're dredged in flour, dipped in a batter consisting of flour, baking powder, eggs, salt, and chopped basil, and then fried in hot oil until puffed and golden on each side. The tomato fritters are seasoned with salt and served piping hot as an appetizer or a side dish. There are many variations on the dish so it's not uncommon to add grated cheese, oregano, or speck for extra flavor.

Frittelle di pomodori

Fritto misto is one of those dishes that differs widely across the country. Along the Italian seaside, it will always include crustaceans and mollusks, typically shrimp and squid, and often paranza, which is a collective name for very small whole fish such as fresh anchovies, sardines, baby mackerel, or mullet. In northern parts of the country, particularly in Piedmont, fritto misto is mostly made with vegetables and, depending on the season, includes semolina, veal brain, brochettes of cheese and prosciutto, sometimes even apples and amaretti biscuits. In the Marche region, every frittura mista includes the famous olive ascolane, green olives stuffed with finely minced meat, often accompanied by fried semolina, squash blossoms and lamb chops; while in the Neapolitan area fritto misto is prepared with no fish other than a few anchovies, crumbed fried mozzarella, and various seasonal vegetables such as cauliflower and artichokes in winter, eggplant and zucchini in summer. Moreover, the Naples-style frittura will sometimes also include sweetbreads, brains and liver with some vegetables and local specialties such as the deep-fried ravioli called panzarotti and Sicilian arancini, fried rice balls. The fritto misto alla Fiorentina contains no fish or fruit, but lambs' brains, crumbed lamb cutlets, rabbit legs, batter-dipped and deep-fried cauliflower florets, whole artichokes, zucchini batons, chicken thighs, and animelle or sweetbreads instead of the aforementioned ingredients. Also depending on the region, fritto misto is sometimes batter-fried, but the simplest method of preparing it is lightly coating the food in flour and quickly deep-frying it in hot oil until it forms a nice golden brown crust.

Fritto misto

Hailing from Piedmont, fritto misto alla piemontese is a rich, traditional gourmet specialty that consists of a wide range of ingredients (both sweet and savory), which have been dipped in eggs and then breaded before being deep-fried until nicely colored and crispy. Typical food items used in this dish include meat and offal, chicken croquettes, porcini mushrooms, semolina fritters, amaretti di Monbaruzzo, and various types of vegetables and fruits such as apples, pears, zucchini, eggplants, and artichokes. Associated with the time of animal slaughter in the area, this specialty is believed to have been created as a flavorful way to use every single part of the slaughtered animals. This fried dish is typically enjoyed as an appetizer but it can also be eaten as a second course, and it is usually washed down with a glass of fine red or sparkling white Piedmont wine.

Fritto misto alla piemontese

Croatia

Fritule od tikvica are traditional Croatian fritters originating from Istria. They're made with a combination of flour, grated zucchini, eggs, white wine, salt, oil, and grated cheese. The flour, egg yolks, wine, cheese, salt, and grated zucchini are stirred together, then mixed with the egg whites. The mixture is shaped into small balls with a spoon, and the balls are then fried in hot oil. During the frying process, they should be turned over regularly so that they fry evenly. Once done, fritule od tikvica are sprinkled with grated cheese and enjoyed while still warm.

Fritule od tikvica

Slovenia

Frtalja is a rustic Slovenian dish that's especially popular in Primorska cuisine. It may look like an omelet or a pancake, but it's neither. This egg-based dish is prepared with a combination of beaten eggs, flour, herbs, vegetables, cured meat (optional), and salt. It's important that the herbs prevail, and they must be fresh. Frtalja is usually about 3 centimeters in height and it used to be a staple dish on May 1st, when it was related to the superstition that the first frtalja (usually made with fennel) drives vipers away. The dish is baked in a high pan, and it should always be flipped over until both sides are golden brown in color. It's recommended to serve it as an appetizer or a snack, ideally with a yogurt-based dip on the side.

Frtalja

A sweet fruit soup traditionally prepared during holidays and for various celebrations in Sweden, fruktsoppa is often served on the Swedish Christmas buffet. This dish is similar to a fruit compote, composed of a combination of dried fruits, usually prunes, apricots, and raisins, tart apple slices, lemon slices, water, cinnamon, tapioca, and sugar. Once cooked, the soup is poured into a bowl and traditionally served chilled, but it can also be served warm, at room temperature, or frozen, depending on the season. For added flavor, it can be drizzled with a small amount of rum or wine and flavored with a pinch of nutmeg or cloves. This delicious soup pairs well with whipped cream, ice cream, and a piece of pound cake. It is a dish regularly eaten in all Scandinavian countries, which is how several regional versions of it came about. The Swedish version usually calls for light fruits such as golden raisins, peaches, and pears, while the Norwegian version opts for darker fruits instead. Although it is generally considered a dessert, in Scandinavian countries, fruit soup is also commonly eaten as an appetizer, fruit salad, or even as a main course. In the past, Scandinavians regarded fruit soup as a nourishing and easily digestible bed food, making it a custom to present a new mother with a bowl of this dish to help her gain strength. Today, there are many different recipes for fruit soups, calling for various types of dried, canned, or store-bought fruit.

Fruktsoppa

Greece

This traditional Greek dish is prepared with pieces of beef or lamb liver which are seasoned and wrapped in mutton suet or caul fat. The liver is then skewered and grilled over charcoal. Frygadeli is traditionally associated with Ionian islands, namely Lefkada, and is typically enjoyed as an appetizer or a meze dish that is usually dressed up with a squeeze of lemon juice and country-style bread served on the side.

Frygadeli

Ful nabed is a traditional dish originating from Egypt. It's usually made with a combination of white broad beans (fava beans), onions, olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. The onions are fried until soft and pale golden, and they're then mixed with water and beans. The combination is cooked over low heat until very tender and falling apart. The beans are mashed into a paste, seasoned with salt, sugar, and lemon juice, then chilled before serving. When served, ful nabed is often dressed with a combination of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped dill or parsley, and often red paprika or cayenne pepper for color.