Italy in Small Bites

the long version

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner may mark the beginning, middle, and end of the day, but for centuries Italians have eaten two small, informal meals that come in between. This is the first-ever collection of recipes for these bite-size treats, known as spuntini and merende, the soul food of Italy. The best-known merende in America are pizza and focaccia, but there's an entire universe of appealing food revealed in this book. Though the recipes are tied to centuries of tradition that go back to a time when merende reinvigorated laborers in the fields, they're singularly perfect for contemporary eating in America and are as versatile as they are delicious. Merende make perfect impromptu meals because they are stunningly simple foods meant to make life easy. Some--bruschetta with various toppings, frittate, vegetable tarts, polenta crostini--may be familiar, while others are totally new discoveries.--From publisher description.