Appetizer/Hors D'Oeuvre/Starter Ideas

**FrogPrincesse** · August 1, 2012

At the Heartland Gathering in Cleveland we had an appetizer that I enjoyed very much when we visited Lolita. I wrote down the ingredients mentioned in the menu and just yesterday realized that a recipe is available online - so here we have Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds and Chile. Quite a lovely combination of flavours.

Oh wow. Beautiful and could not be better timing. I have a bag of gorgeous dates that I just bought and was looking for something special to do with them. Thanks Kerry, I can't wait to try it!

Okanagancook · August 2, 2012

O'cook, any chance of suggested proportions? I'd love to make this for some friends that need impressing !

Basically it was equal weights of duck breast and pork shoulder cut up into two inch pieces and salted over night , washed and then ground.

1/2 this weight of duck leg (I used chix) (this is put in whole and then deboned after it is cooked) and 1/4 weight of poultry hearts/gizzard salted over night washed and then ground.

1/2 weight pigs foot which is deboned after cooked and the skin/meat chopped.

a bay leaf

1/2 c chix stock

duck/goose fat to cover after it has been in the pot awhile so that the duck fat has rendered and additional fat added to cover the meat.

So, cook all the meat for two hours. Drain and put the liquid in a fat separator. Debone the foot and leg meat, chop and add to the ground meat. Drain off the fat and reserve. Add the nonfat gelee to the meat and knead together. Put in jars and top with the reserved fat.

hope that helps

When I make this the next time I will brown the meat before packing in jars and then add the gelee...it just didn't have enough meaty flavour. You'll need to salt and pepper lots as you go and to taste.

good luck.

**FrogPrincesse** · January 15, 2013

I made Dorie Greenspan's mustard allumettes with leftover puff pastry dough. Rolled a long rectangle that I brushed with Dijon mustard. Folded in half, egg glazed, sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds (+ one version with poppy seeds). Baked for ~ 10 minutes at 400F. Delicious with a cocktail (XYZ aka rum sidecar).

**FrogPrincesse** · March 20, 2013

An assortment of little snacks to accompany pre-dinner cocktails.

Marcona almonds (I am completely addicted after discovering them last year at Manfred's in Copenhagen), home-cured duck prosciutto, homemade saucisson sec, Cypress Grove's "PsycheDillic" fresh goat cheese with dill pollen, sourdough baguette from Bread and Cie.

Plantes Vertes · March 26, 2013

Simple finger foods

Home-made tea-smoked nuts are beautiful.

I like to marinate olives at home as well; my favourites are a boscaiola preparation of pitted green Cerignola olives, oregano, sliced mushrooms and peppers, lemon juice and white wine vinegar in brine, or orange and lemon pieces with sliced garlic and tarragon for Alfonsos; cumin, turmeric, garlic, pearl onions and cornichons with Nicoises; garlic and basil with Bella di Cerignola....

Stromboli is more filling for a drinks party, or else polenta squares with rosemary.

A vegetable terrine, sliced and served on crostini, is beautiful-looking and impressive, or else vegetables in a savoury jelly served in little mason jars.

Gazpacho in shot glasses is refreshing during summer.

Marinated red pepper, aubergine and courgette, layered, cut into circles with a biscuit cutter and secured with rosemary is simple to make.

Pineapple dressed with a paste of peanuts, soy sauce, red chilllis, coriander and lemon and lime juice is very appetising.

I also love white beans cooked with onion, olive oil and lemon juice for tartines, with parsley over the top.

Borek can make a varied platter that is simple to prepare.

Savoury sorbets are a nice novelty (basil, tomato, beetroot, carrot, horseradish...)

And for the fishivores - oysters.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Plantes Vertes (log)

kayb · March 30, 2013

Some of my favorites -- fig and olive tapenade -- equal parts chopped dried figs, chopped olive, 1/2 part chopped capers, chopped fresh rosemary, balsamic vinegar, olive oil to make it the right texture. Wonderful on crostini over goat cheese. Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with either almonds or manchego. Fresh figs, quartered, stuffed with Stilton, drizzled with honey, broiled. My own oven--dried grape tomatos, skewered with fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vineger.

And those damned wasabi peas from the Chinese market!

AnneN · March 31, 2013

I like to use wonton wrappers for appetizer "bundles". I fill them with a variety of fillings and bake them in a mini muffin tin. Last week, I made buffalo chicken bundles and today, for Easter, I'm filling them with mushrooms, asparagus and goat cheese.

**FrogPrincesse** · April 2, 2013

More cocktail snacks: home-cured duck prosciutto, Norcino salame (Olli), pesto tartine on walnut & scallion bread. The pesto is Marcella Hazan's food processor pesto.

**FrogPrincesse** · June 4, 2013

A recent assortment. More pesto, housemade pâté de campagne with cornichons (this was the recipe fom La Regalade), and poached shrimp with olive oil and lemon juice as inspired by Soba's blog. The bread was a batard with caramelized onion (Sadie Rose).

**FrogPrincesse** · June 15, 2015

Cocktail nibbles: "flagrant seed" dried sausage from local company Meat Men, olives and mixed marinated vegetables, Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio, Manchego; another tray with Iberico de bellota ham and some grapes (everything was from Trader Joe's, except for the dried sausage). I also served homemade gougeres, and little onion tarts from Trader Joe's with a green salad.

We ended up making a meal out of this, with mini chocolate ice cream cones for dessert.

mgaretz · August 3, 2015

You've all heard of cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto. This gives you the same kind of flavor, without the prosciutto:

I have been playing with my latest toy, a chamber vacuum sealer, and compressing some melon, flash pickling cukes, etc. It can also be used to infuse flavors into the melon, so I decided to give that a try.

I cut a 1" slice from a golden honeydew (about 12" across), removed the rind and cut into 1" pieces. Then I mixed up 1/2 cup of cool water, 4 drops of liquid smoke (I used hickory) and a heaping 1/8 tsp of sea salt. Put about half of that (so 1/4 cup) into the bag with the melon and compressed. Came out very tasty!

Deryn · August 4, 2015

Now that is what I call smart thinking and a big moneysaver for a party! You can feed three times the number of people with that trick, mgaretz.

mgaretz · August 4, 2015

Now that is what I call smart thinking and a big moneysaver for a party! You can feed three times the number of people with that trick, mgaretz.

And lower calorie too (so you can eat three times as much!).

blue_dolphin · October 17, 2018

Two wrapped, low-carb appetizers from Russell Norman's cookbook, Polpo.

Bresaola, Rocket & Parmesan Wraps.

Very easy to assemble, these are little arugula & Parmesan salads, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, wrapped in paper-thin slices of air-dried, salted beef.

Smoked Salmon, Ricotta & Dill Wraps

Slices of smoked salmon are topped with a spoonful of a ricotta/lemon juice and zest/dill mixture and rolled up to "about the size of your little finger." That wasn't happening here, these are more like the size of my thumb.

Edited October 17, 2018 by blue_dolphin (log)

Kim Shook · October 17, 2018

57 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Two wrapped, low-carb appetizers from Russell Norman's cookbook, Polpo.

Bresaola, Rocket & Parmesan Wraps.

Very easy to assemble, these are little arugula & Parmesan salads, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, wrapped in paper-thin slices of air-dried, salted beef.

Smoked Salmon, Ricotta & Dill Wraps

Slices of smoked salmon are topped with a spoonful of a ricotta/lemon juice and zest/dill mixture and rolled up to "about the size of your little finger." That wasn't happening here, these are more like the size of my thumb.

These are brilliant! What great ideas for a party. If I thought that more than 4 people who come to my house for Xmas Eve would eat these, they'd go on my menu tonight!

gfweb · October 18, 2018

An old standard here...dates stuffed with Mexican chorizo and wrapped with bacon. Cook chorizo before stuffing the butterflied date...use a single layer of thin bacon..secure with a toothpick...broil till bacon is cooked, turning half way through.

Edited October 18, 2018 by gfweb (log)

Susanwusan · July 12, 2022

What's the easiest way to make mini pastry cases using a mini bun tray, but without having to roll out the pastry and cutting out lots of circles.

Edited July 13, 2022 by Susanwusan (log)

kayb · July 13, 2022

Put little balls of pastry in the cups, then use your thumbs to hollow them out and press them up the sides. Or use a muddler, if you have such a creature.

**MaryIsobel** · July 13, 2022

I have a wooden thingmabob that I beleive I got from Pampered Chef 25 years ago. It is for doing exactly as Kay decribed, ine end is for mini pans, one end for regular. I use it a lot more than I ever thought I would.

Margaret Pilgrim · July 13, 2022

5 hours ago, kayb said:

Put little balls of pastry in the cups, then use your thumbs to hollow them out and press them up the sides. Or use a muddler, if you have such a creature.

Thanks for the memory jog. I used this method decades ago for making "tassies".

Anna N · July 14, 2022

1 hour ago, MaryIsobel said:

I have a wooden thingmabob that I beleive I got from Pampered Chef 25 years ago. It is for doing exactly as Kay decribed, ine end is for mini pans, one end for regular. I use it a lot more than I ever thought I would.

I believe it is called a tart tamper.

Bernie · July 14, 2022

easy horses doovers

Button mushrooms (1~1.5 inch across) chop up jalapeno peppers mix with shredded cheese, about a teaspoon in each. pop in the oven till the mushrooms are cooked.

Variations are shredded bacon/ham/chorizo nice ripe tomatoes. Add a small knob of butter if you are using one of the harder cheeses that don't release some of their oil while cooking.

Even just a slice of cherry tomato on mushrooms with a little salt and pepper, put in the oven to cook the mushroom does for the "pepper wary"

Serve them warm to hot. They are still OK cold but better warm hot.

Its finger food but you could serve on 2 tooth picks (so they don't slip off) or a spoon (if you have enough) 😀

Surprisingly good with bubbles (we can't call it champagne anymore)😒

Bernie · July 14, 2022

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

I believe it is called a tart tamper.

I think you get arrested these days for tampering with a tart...🤫

JoNorvelleWalker · July 14, 2022

23 minutes ago, Bernie said:

easy horses doovers

Button mushrooms (1~1.5 inch across) chop up jalapeno peppers mix with shredded cheese, about a teaspoon in each. pop in the oven till the mushrooms are cooked.

Variations are shredded bacon/ham/chorizo nice ripe tomatoes. Add a small knob of butter if you are using one of the harder cheeses that don't release some of their oil while cooking.

Even just a slice of cherry tomato on mushrooms with a little salt and pepper, put in the oven to cook the mushroom does for the "pepper wary"

Serve them warm to hot. They are still OK cold but better warm hot.

Its finger food but you could serve on 2 tooth picks (so they don't slip off) or a spoon (if you have enough) 😀

Surprisingly good with bubbles (we can't call it champagne anymore)😒

Strange. Rather than horses I expected you to be serving up marsupials, snakes, or spiders. May I suggest as a beverage accompaniment methode rotuts? MR goes well with anything.

Or anyone.