Easy Italian Appetizers by Ruth Paget
Giada de Laurentis writes in her cookbook Giada at Home (Available on Amazon Kindle) that she studied Italian cooking in Rome and worked as a personal chef before becoming a Food Network personality.
Working as a personal chef seems to be a good gig job that can become a full-time career for people interested in working in the food and beverage industry. Getting a first job is probably tough as it is most industries, but de Laurentis provides a clue as to where to start: appetizers.
Just based on my personal experience, I know that I buy and like tortilla chips and pico de gallo salsa as an everyday appetizer. De Laurentis writes that many people buy chips and dip like me, but with a little planning homemade appetizers can elevate meals, especially when entertaining.
Three of the appetizers de Laurentis describes make use of grilled baguette bread rounds as a base for spreadable toppings in appetizers called crostini. (Very hard crostini are called bruschetta.)
Three crostini appetizers that make great use of produce, which you can find at all six of the farmers’ markets in Salinas, California include:
*Roasted Eggplant Crostini
-these are made with roasted eggplant puréed with white cannellini beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper as a topping
*Artichoke Crostini
-these are made with puréed artichoke hearts, white cannellini beans, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper This purée is spread on top of the bruschetta with crumbled pieces of roasted prosciutto sprinkled over the bruschetta.
Rome is famous in Italy for its artichokes according to de Laurentis. Just outside Salinas, Castroville (California) has become the US capital of artichoke production. Castroville holds an annual artichoke festival. Marilyn Monroe was one of the artichoke festival’s queens for some local gossip.
*Pea Pesto Crostini
De Laurentis uses frozen peas in this recipe and purées them with Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and olive oil to spread on top of the crostini. Halved cherry tomatoes are placed on top of the pea pesto for added color and flavor.
These three crostini are good to make at home and can be part of a personal chef’s portfolio of items to offer potential clients.
Giada at Home by Giada de Laurentis contains many clearly written recipes that make use of seasonal produce, which both help home cooks and aspiring personal chefs keep costs down.
The link below has information about working as a personal chef. Check if you need a safe food handling course, insurance, and any permits with local governments.
https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/03/personal-chef-information-to-consider.html?m=1
Happy Cooking!
By Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France + 6 Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games and Classical Western Civilization War Games (8)
