Appetizer/Hors D'Oeuvre/Starter Ideas

[ElfWorks]

and here is the other one....

Lisa's Mustard Cheese Crackers

these two crackers are in big demand among my pals. if i dare have a soiree and dont make em, all hell breaks loose!

xo

Edited May 9, 2004 by ElfWorks (log)

[snowangel]

While not "finger food" AlexP's White Gazpacho is the ultimate. Do not decide that the peeled grapes are too much work. This is a serious wow-factor dish.

[Jason Perlow]

Shrimp Toast.

Also, home made pigs in a blanket. Rachel makes these by cutting good quality hot dogs on a bias into like 4 peices and wrapping each peice in a small triangle of pastry dough (like the ones you get out of the Pillsbury can to make croissants or biscuits) and baking them. They go like crazy everytime we have served them

[mags]

If you A) wanna get fancy, and B) wanna combine ideas, you could serve dainty little portions of gazpacho IN the cucumber cups. Actually, I think that would be very swanky.

[bleudauvergne]

Yes! and garnish the white guacamole in cucumber cups with fresh new herb leaves or blossoms.

I like to cut anchovy fillets lengthwise (leaving them whole's too salty) and lay the anchovies on rectangles, twist and bake. These don't have to be warm.

Scoops of guacamole on thin sliced raw zuchinni slices with corainder leaves stuck in them.

Edited May 9, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[Marlene]

well, if i did this right.....

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=90&t=42538

xo

Almost Elfworks This is RecipeGullet. If you go to the top of a page, you'll see the link for it, along with The Daily Gullet, ImageGullet and eGullet Store.

You posted your recipes in the recipe.com centre which we use mostly to discuss recipes in the archive, or ask questions.

Not a problem. I've added your recipes to RecipeGullet, and I will remove them from recipe.com once you've had a chance to edit your link above.

Blue Cheese and Pecan Crackers

Lisa's Mustard Cheese Crackers

[Cleo]

Also, home made pigs in a blanket. Rachel makes these by cutting good quality hot dogs on a bias into like 4 peices and wrapping each peice in a small triangle of pastry dough (like the ones you get out of the Pillsbury can to make croissants or biscuits) and baking them. They go like crazy everytime we have served them

We make these with Hebrew National cocktail franks. No matter what else we serve, people just can't get enough of these!

[ElfWorks]

well, im an idiot, sorry. hope thats all better and than yall get some enjoyment out of them.

xo

Edited May 9, 2004 by ElfWorks (log)

[Marlene]

well, im an idiot, sorry. hope thats all better and than yall get some enjoyment out of them.

xo

Not an idiot, new . And I need to add the actual archive to my signature as well, sorry! And I'll be making these this week, they sound awesome

[ElfWorks]

they are awesome!

let me know how you like em. i also have a chive and blue cheese cracker recipe, but i didnt think i ought to just post a zillion recipes what with my newbieness and all...... :D:D:D

xo

[Marlene]

they are awesome!

let me know how you like em. i also have a chive and blue cheese cracker recipe, but i didnt think i ought to just post a zillion recipes what with my newbieness and all...... :D:D:D

xo

Oh no. The more recipes the better! Post away!

[callalla]

Something that I do that's really fast but tastes great is pumpernickel (you can sometimes get 'cocktail' size slices, or just cut the bigger slices down into bite-size pieces), with a folded piece of rocket on top, a piece of goat's cheese on top of that and then half a cherry/grape tomato on top, all held together with a cocktail stick.

They're handy in that they're vegetarian and good for people who have to avoid cow's milk. They also look very cheery.

[bleudauvergne]

Hey callalla, welcome to eGullet!

That's a really good suggestion!

[browniebaker]

My favorites are crisp, zesty cheese straws. Delicious, not too filling, and neat to eat.

Anything with cheese, actually.

And how do you make cheese straws? And you gotta try the cheesecake thing. It's incredibly addictive

Marlene, your savory cheesecake sounds dangerous for me -- must try this!

These cheese straws are a Southern classic. Can't have a gathering without these. Very more-ish. Simple to make and simply good. Here's the recipe:

Cheese Straws

[Marlene]

I made the cheesecake thing for a snack for us on Saturday, using Red Pepper Jelly, and it was awesome.

Thanks for the cheese straw recipe, although your link seems to bring up my cheesecake recipe!

[chickenlady]

Some of the things that are most popular at the parties we cater:

Fresh spring rolls--rice paper filled with rice noodles, strands of marinated carrot and egg yolk, enoki mushrooms, cilantro, mint, etc. You can alter ingredients (except cilantro & mint, which are required in my opinion) or add chicken breast, crab or shrimp, too, but I usually keep them as my vegetarian option. Serve with peanut dipping sauce. I usually cut them in half and stand them on end as otherwise some people are wary of what may be inside of them.

Scallops wrapped in smoked magret--just like the bacon wrapped scallops, but with slices of smoked duck breast instead. Assemble ahead of time and cook at last minute. YUM!

Rice balls--mix cooked Japanese sushi rice or sticky rice with rice vinegar, pickled ginger, cucumber, sesame seeds, other small diced veggies. Form into walnut-size balls and coat in sesame seeds. (This hors' d'oeuvre was a happy accident when someone cooked sticky rice for my rice salad )

Deviled eggs--always popular, especially if you use small eggs.

Shrimp cocktail with unusual dipping sauces.

Smoked salmon on blini or cracker, topped with creme fraiche mixed with lemon oil and a dollop of caviar.

Marlene, I'm definitely trying the pepper cheesecake--it sounds awesome & I have a ton of pepper jelly I made last summer.

[sabg]

Some of the things that are most popular at the parties we cater:

Fresh spring rolls--rice paper filled with rice noodles, strands of marinated carrot and egg yolk, enoki mushrooms, cilantro, mint, etc. You can alter ingredients (except cilantro & mint, which are required in my opinion) or add chicken breast, crab or shrimp, too, but I usually keep them as my vegetarian option. Serve with peanut dipping sauce. I usually cut them in half and stand them on end as otherwise some people are wary of what may be inside of them.

Scallops wrapped in smoked magret--just like the bacon wrapped scallops, but with slices of smoked duck breast instead. Assemble ahead of time and cook at last minute. YUM!

Rice balls--mix cooked Japanese sushi rice or sticky rice with rice vinegar, pickled ginger, cucumber, sesame seeds, other small diced veggies. Form into walnut-size balls and coat in sesame seeds. (This hors' d'oeuvre was a happy accident when someone cooked sticky rice for my rice salad )

Deviled eggs--always popular, especially if you use small eggs.

Shrimp cocktail with unusual dipping sauces.

Smoked salmon on blini or cracker, topped with creme fraiche mixed with lemon oil and a dollop of caviar.

Marlene, I'm definitely trying the pepper cheesecake--it sounds awesome & I have a ton of pepper jelly I made last summer.

i love the rice paper rolls...how far in advance can you make them...will the rice paper dry out?

[sabg]

if you are looking for something hot...i make the chicken marbella from the silve palate for most parties...i use small drumettes

prunes, capers, green olives, brown suger, white wine, lots of oregano...marinadeand bake...no one whats in it but everyone loves it...if you are interested i csan get the particulars (measurements) and post for you

you can make ahead, it only gets better and it can be hot or room temperature

[Toasted]

Lately I've been bringing teeny tiny pizzas to parties and people have gobbled them up. I just roll out the pizza dough and use a shot glass (you could of course use a cookie cutter!) to cut out the circles. Then I just top them with anything yummy laying around like spinach and goat cheese and asparagus tips and brie. Easy to make and to pick up and eat with one hand.

[memesuze]

When I make spring rolls, I've been able to carry them over one day with a wrung-out dishtowel laid on top to keep them a bit damp and to prevent the air in the fridge from drying out the wrappers.

[kiliki]

Thank you all, there are some FABULOUS ideas here (especially the cucumber cups with gazpacho! I love that idea! And the mini pizzas! And crackers!). I will also check out the Martha book.

I make those fresh salad rolls all the time for myself, but haven't tried keeping them soft with a wet towel. I'll try that.

[little ms foodie]

I love making brie en croute, I put a layer of raspberry jam mixed with rosemary and black pepper on the top, wrap it up and bake it. Yum! You can also make them mini sized by making them into bite sized individual servings.

Most of the time when I have people over for dinner I like to do just the basics, pate with cornichons and mustard, spanish almonds in olive oil, marinated small mozzerela balls, olive jam, etc. A little mish mash of noshing with my kir!

:)

[gus_tatory]

you can make a little cornet out of a strip of smoked salmon (let the air dry it out a bit), and pipe it full of caper-dill softened cream cheese. then put the cone on a whole-grain biscuit. or sth.

and whole-wheat pita crisps (brush them with olive oil and garlic and dry out in 200 degree oven, break into shards) with anything: salsa, guacamole, hummus, baba ghanouj, labneh, etc.

have fun!

[dlc]

I dreamed this up last weekend because I had all the ingredients on hand. It was a big hit. Smoked trout & basil pesto crostini. Slice good french bread on diagonal, drizzle with olive oil and bake til crisp. Top with home made basil pesto and a slice of freshly smoked rainbow trout. I also topped some of the crostini with a coarsely pureed mixture of Nicoise olives and ventresca tuna (oil packed).

[lray]

Please help--- friends are throwing a fun weekend away and have rented a house 6 hours away. A fun casual-ish dinner on saturday night and I offered to help, an offer that then turned into me handling all of the hors d'oeuvres. Which normally would mean ecstatic fun for me but...The dilemma is that I dont want to be cooking all day long Saturday, I have to travel 6 hours, so anything pre made must be kept, and these people eat like wolves.

Was thinking frozen spinach puffs, etc.

any ideas?? it is very much appreicated!

btw. I am new here and I cant see how I missed this site for so long--ITS FANTASTIC!

Edited August 5, 2004 by lray (log)