Toast

Anna Di Bene, Oltranti's grandmother, never let anything go to waste in her kitchen in Lucca, Italy. Whenever she cooked chicken, she saved the livers for this delicious antipasto. Spicy red-pepper flakes and salty capers cut through the richness of the topping.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book Jamie's Italy. I've always thought of crostini as small bruschette but this isn't completely correct, as they are usually made with white bread instead of sourdough. I'm told that in the old days the bread would have been so stale that it would have to be soaked in a little stock or juice to make it chewy and edible again, but don't worry. In this day and age you don't have to do this. In Italy they simply grill a half-inch slice of ciabatta, rub it with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle it with oil, and season it with salt and pepper.

In these spectacular cocktail-ring-proportioned bites, the date purée gives surprising depth to the silky richness of foie gras. Add pomegranate seeds—a gorgeous garnet crown—for a burst of sour-sweet juice and a little crunch.

Pistou—France's pesto—gives these simply poached eggs tons of flavor.

These little stacks of toasted and buttered bread, foie gras terrine, and Sauternes gelée—crisp, creamy, cool—will make you swoon and sigh. They provide such a rich reward for so simple an assembly: The only thing you make from scratch is the gelée; it’s like a sip of dessert wine on top of this extraordinary first bite.

The traditional crostini topping is a soft pâté, but the wild mushrooms with truffle oil served by chef Julian Marucci at Baltimore's Cinghiale are just as indulgent.

A Sicilian combination—artichokes and beans—becomes another creative variation on crostini at Cinghiale.

Polynesian-Style Hors d’Oeuvres A blend of crisp, soft, and chewy textures combined with a parade of flavors—sweet, salty, beefy—makes this playful platter an irresistible hit at parties.

Use small heirloom tomatoes in assorted colors for a pretty presentation.

The ciabatta slices make for man-sized crostini, perfect for a Super Bowl party. If you can, always cut the bread into bite-sized chunks for more manageable portions.