Simple Italian appetizers for your holiday party

Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Stir with a fork and let sit for 10 minutes to soften. Add the minced onion, garlic, parsley and parmigiano-reggiano to the breadcrumb mixture and stir with a fork to combine. Add the meat, the beaten egg, and the salt and pepper. Use a fork at first to combine, and then use your hands until the mixture is well blended. Roll into eighteen 1-inch meatballs. Transfer to paper towel lined tray (the meatballs can be refrigerated at this point up to 1 day in advance). Preheat a grill or the broiler to high heat. To make the spiedini, thread a meatball, following a square of onion and a square of bay leaf. Lightly coat each with olive oil. Grill or broil skewers for a total of 8 minutes, turning them halfway through.

For the polenta squares, butter a 9 x 13 inch pyrex or ceramic baking dish and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the milk, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper and the water. Heat over a medium-high flame until foamy, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream stirring it constantly with a wooden spoon in a slow figure-eight motion. Like pudding, the mixture will begin to thicken. Stir it every two minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Taste the polenta; it should be smooth and not at all grainy. Add a few tablespoons of water, up to ½ cup, if all the liquid has been absorbed but the polenta is still grainy, continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed, 20-30 minutes. Stir in the thyme leaves and add salt to taste. Pour the polenta into a prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or leave overnight. Cut the firm polenta into squares and lift them out with a spatula.

Preheat a grill or a panini grill. If you are using a grill, brush the hot grill rack with olive oil. Brush olive oil over both sides of the polenta squares, and grill until they are warm and show grill marks, 4-5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the polenta to a serving platter. If you are using a panini press, brush olive oil over both sides of the polenta squares and the stationary part of the grill. Grill them on the press, without closing it, until they are warm and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the polenta to serving platters.

Heat the ¼ cup olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium high flame. Add the radicchio leaves and toss with tongs to coat the leaves with the oil. Cook until the radicchio has softened and the color has brightened, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top each grilled polenta square with 2 pieces of wilted radicchio. Sprinkle crumbled gorgonzola over each. Drizzle with aceto balsamico and serve immediately.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the greens on a large rimmed backing sheet, arranging them in 8 small handfuls. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over each handful, add a sprinkling of sea salt, and top with a crushed garlic clove. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, fluffing each handful of greens after 5 minutes. Scoop the greens into a mixing bowl and let them cool to room temperature, then use tongs to transfer the greens to a cutting board, leaving any liquid behind. Roughly chop the greens and transfer them to a clean bowl. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. Spread a tablespoon of the wilted greens over each toast. Top with a grating of ricotta salata and a light sprinkling of sea salt. Serve the toasts on a platter.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cider, spices, and orange zest. Steep the cider over low heat for 30 minutes, until the cider and the kitchen are aromatic. Strain into a ceramic coffee pot, add the grappa, and serve steaming hot.