I always serve the Little Mushroom Pinwheels on this site, by inpatskitchen. I have reached the point where I have at least one roll frozen and ready to thaw and slice for any occasion. The cranberry and cheddar gougeres from NYTimes is also a favorite. I make these, freeze them, and pull out to reheat about a half hour before I want to serve.
The Gringo Goose makes a delicious pepper relish that you can mix with cream cheese. They have a spicy and a mild it is called Goose Poop and you can find it on www.foodideasllc.com
Pie shaped slab of brie, 3 oz packaged cream cheese, 3 sundried tomatos packed in oil (drained)and pesto sauce.
Slice brie horizontally, whip cream cheese on tomatoes in mini blender.
"Ice" one slab of brie with mixture and put the top slab on top and then
pour warmed pesto sauce over the top and watch the brie start getting gooey and dive in with Ciabatta bread cubes. This appetizer has the colors of Christmas and is absolutely delish!!!
This is not new by any means. My college room mate always made this because her mom made it. We graduated from college in 1980 so somewhere way back before then I think it was a thing. I went to a party once where it was served and the host would have been about our mother’s age. Every time I make it people love it and marvel about what is in it which is a blast because it’s so simple.
I would call it a spread. It’s best on dense bread or seedy crackers although I’ve served it with crudités.
So here’s the crude recipe just as it was given to me-
Shred a bunch of Swiss cheese (I use the largest on my box grater)
Snip a bunch of green onions so that they are distributed and give the cheese some color
Moisten with enough Hellmann’s Real Mayo (never that other stuff) to hold it together
It’s better if it sits for awhile for the flavors to marry.
We like to smoke salmon on cedar planks over charcoal. Top Triscuit, or French toasted rounds with cream cheese, capers and the wonderful salmon. Great with Savingnon Blanc or bubbly!
And, if you can still find them, fresh figs with chèvre on crackers, drizzled with honey. Both are heavenly!
Anchovy-stuffed green olives! Had them in Spain, with ice-cold glasses of fino sherry. Can't find these olives here any more! If you find them, also put out Spanish peanuts. The perfect trio.
One that I've made that has elicited more than a fair number of raves & requests for repeats? "Checkerboard Baby Potatoes" - sour cream & red & black caviar (roe, actually) topped baby potatoes.
Boil Ping-Pong-ball size baby potatoes until JUST tender. Cool, halve, & slice the tiniest bit off the bottom ends so that they'll stand upright. (If you wish, scoop out a little bit of potato from the top of each half, although that isn't absolutely necessary.) Top/spread each half with a little sour cream & a small dollop of red or black caviar/roe. The inexpensive shelf-stable jars of lumpfish roe you can find in any supermarket is just fine for this. Arrange potatoes in a checkerboard pattern (which you can line with greens if your wishe) on a neutral-colored platter & serve
The frozen tiny philo cups. Fill with Gorgonzola Cheese and top with fig jam, bake til cheese melts and jam warms. Delicious!
Fill these with just about anything and they look elegant.
Easy Peasy!
For the last few years, I've been all about the cheese ball. I love this one: https://food52.com/recipes/32975-cheese-ball-with-pecans-and-dried-cranberries
Just to say I've also had success with BB's selections.
And there are a million (ok, many) ways to easily garnish olives that make them even better than straight from the store. Use black or green olives, to taste, and add one or more of these:
soft herbs, chopped (I like thyme, but basil, fennel fronds, parsley, cilantro and oregano also work well),
garlic
orange or lemon zest
capers
dried figs.
All except the capers need to be chopped or shredded and mixed in.
Yes! The olive bar and stuffed grape leaves are a wonderful short cut. Warming the olives in some good olive oil and an anchovy has been my go to all summer.
Fresh ricotta on either toasted baguette or crisps. Use different toppings, sauteed mushrooms, honey & lemon zest, pear walnut, sun-dried tomato, fig prosciutto. Well, you get the idea. Use good fresh ricotta. Good luck!
I became totally obsessed with this recipe for kombu celery- sounds kind of crazy and is difficult to stop eating! Great as a crunchy appetizer and as a bonus really economical too
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kombu-celery?intcid=inline_amp
This crazy simple recipe for sautéed dates is a surprise winner, i use regular dried dates that are pitted. For an app just serve in a dish with toothpicks along side. Excellent warm or room temp
https://food52.com/recipes/33892-renee-erickson-s-sauteed-dates
Grougeres are always a crowd pleaser, the same with those twisted puff pastry cheesey sticks.
These dense seedy crackers are a favorite of mine, they come together easily. It’s fun to cut them into little diamond shapes or longer thin rectangles. Ignore the suggestion to use dried figs- they burn! I like adding rosemary and thyme with lots of black pepper and a good sprinkle of kosher salt on top just before baking. Would be a great addition to a cheese board, or serve topped with a bit of cream cheese and chives
https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/07/the-life-changing-crackers/
21 Comments
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/cranberry-glazed-meatballs-recipe/
Slice brie horizontally, whip cream cheese on tomatoes in mini blender.
"Ice" one slab of brie with mixture and put the top slab on top and then
pour warmed pesto sauce over the top and watch the brie start getting gooey and dive in with Ciabatta bread cubes. This appetizer has the colors of Christmas and is absolutely delish!!!
I would call it a spread. It’s best on dense bread or seedy crackers although I’ve served it with crudités.
So here’s the crude recipe just as it was given to me-
Shred a bunch of Swiss cheese (I use the largest on my box grater)
Snip a bunch of green onions so that they are distributed and give the cheese some color
Moisten with enough Hellmann’s Real Mayo (never that other stuff) to hold it together
It’s better if it sits for awhile for the flavors to marry.
This is my go to and has been since then.
And, if you can still find them, fresh figs with chèvre on crackers, drizzled with honey. Both are heavenly!
Boil Ping-Pong-ball size baby potatoes until JUST tender. Cool, halve, & slice the tiniest bit off the bottom ends so that they'll stand upright. (If you wish, scoop out a little bit of potato from the top of each half, although that isn't absolutely necessary.) Top/spread each half with a little sour cream & a small dollop of red or black caviar/roe. The inexpensive shelf-stable jars of lumpfish roe you can find in any supermarket is just fine for this. Arrange potatoes in a checkerboard pattern (which you can line with greens if your wishe) on a neutral-colored platter & serve
Voted the Best Reply!
Fill these with just about anything and they look elegant.
Easy Peasy!
And there are a million (ok, many) ways to easily garnish olives that make them even better than straight from the store. Use black or green olives, to taste, and add one or more of these:
soft herbs, chopped (I like thyme, but basil, fennel fronds, parsley, cilantro and oregano also work well),
garlic
orange or lemon zest
capers
dried figs.
All except the capers need to be chopped or shredded and mixed in.
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kombu-celery?intcid=inline_amp
This crazy simple recipe for sautéed dates is a surprise winner, i use regular dried dates that are pitted. For an app just serve in a dish with toothpicks along side. Excellent warm or room temp
https://food52.com/recipes/33892-renee-erickson-s-sauteed-dates
Grougeres are always a crowd pleaser, the same with those twisted puff pastry cheesey sticks.
These dense seedy crackers are a favorite of mine, they come together easily. It’s fun to cut them into little diamond shapes or longer thin rectangles. Ignore the suggestion to use dried figs- they burn! I like adding rosemary and thyme with lots of black pepper and a good sprinkle of kosher salt on top just before baking. Would be a great addition to a cheese board, or serve topped with a bit of cream cheese and chives
https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/07/the-life-changing-crackers/