Appetizer Recipes
Refried beans should not be eaten cold. There, I've said it. I don't usually put my foot down about food preferences, but cold refried beans are about as appealing as a cold hamburger. This is why I make 7-layer dip...
Have you ever heard of angels on horseback? Hank Shaw shares his recipe for this classic appetizer. ~Elise I first encountered this dish when I moved to Long Island in the late 1980s. It was at a wedding I attended...
Every fall we are blessed with a bounty of apples and walnuts. I grew up in what used to be a walnut orchard. At one time our home had 5 huge trees, covering both front and back yards, and yielding...
Yes yes I know it's June and it's not apple season here yet, but we make cooked apples every year and freeze them, we grow our own walnuts and thyme, and this was just plain good, so there. Remarkably it...
Looking for a last minute New Year's appetizer? From the recipe archive. Brie wrapped in pastry and baked until it has thoroughly melted inside is one of the world's easiest yet tastiest appetizers. In this recipe the brie is topped...
For most California girls, the idea of "digging for clams" isn't really part of our cultural makeup. But out in Rhode Island, and the beaches south of Cape Cod, digging in the sand for your dinner is apparently a regular...
Are you a risk taker? I think one has to be a bit adventurous to eat jalapeńos. You never know if biting into one is going to yield that wonderful flavor and kick that is the basis for so much...
Planning a gathering for a Fourth of July BBQ? Try these spicy hot wings from Hank. Watch out though, they're good; if you're not careful you might eat the whole batch! ~Elise Many years ago, when I was a cross...
The days are getting shorter, the zucchini beasts are slowing down production, and even the neighborhood kids are already headed back to school, signaling the looming end of summer. Our basil plants however, don't seem to notice that their days...
For those of you out there who cannot fathom even the idea of beets, fine. Truly, I'm a-okay with it. That only means there is more of this beet hummus for me. I ate this entire batch, save one teaspoon...
Ah, the bounty of summer. Italian bruschetta (pronounced "brusketta") is a wonderful way to capture the flavors of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and garlic. I had this the other night at my friend Suzanne's house where her friend...
Football (American) championship season. Sports bars, beer, and spicy things that make you want to drink more beer. Darts, pool, loud conversation, an either ill-spent or well-spent youth, depending on your perspective. Once in my early twenties I happened to...
Revised and updated, from the recipe archive. Original recipe posted in 2005. ~Elise Tucked away in funky Bernal Heights, my old neighborhood in San Francisco, used to lie an Italian trattoria which served exceptional Italian food. The restaurant is long...
I've always been a fan of onion dip, have you? Especially with ruffled potato chips. Most of the flavor in the onion dip with which many of us are familiar comes from a package of dried onion soup, which works...
A little while ago, on a visit to Annisquam, Massachusetts, my friends Ann and Nick hosted an "Impress the Food Blogger" dinner at their home. Guests were encouraged to bring a favorite dish, and we all got to vote on...
Still on vacation visiting friends here and here. Not much time to cook, too busy lollygagging. In the meantime, here's another favorite from the archives, ceviche, one of the best possible things one can prepare with a fillet of fresh...
To make cheese puffs, first you make a pâte a choux dough (pronounced "pat ah shoo"), which, if you've never made it before, can seem a little weird. Weird because most of us who bake are used to mixing dough...
My friend Michelle loves to throw big parties, with plenty of food and plenty of friends. I think it must be the large Italian family thing, one is never at a loss for food or great company at her house...
Chicken liver pâté. Looks atrocious. Tastes great. In fact, this is one of those instances where you pity the fool who refuses to eat something because it doesn't look appetizing. And then you're secretly happy because that means there's more...
When I put the call out a few weeks ago for July 4th grilling suggestions, Simply Recipes reader Chuck mentioned bacon-wrapped shrimp. I'm sure this is a standard fare for many of you, but I can't remember ever eating bacon-wrapped...
Stuffed mushrooms should be in every home cook's repertoire. They're easy to make, they're great for parties, and the variations are endless. Just regular button mushrooms, or the brown creminis, are perfect for stuffing. You can get as creative as...
Winter is fresh crab season here in Northern California. When our local Whole Foods gets in a shipment, we're first in line for the biggest (anything greater than 2 lbs) fresh, cooked crabs, already cleaned and broken. Dad calls it...
My friend and neighbor Molly passed along her mother's recipe for crab fondue the other day. It's a tradition in her family to prepare this hot crab dip while everyone is gathered for the holidays. Garrett and I whipped up...
Cranberry-glazed turkey meatballs. Holiday party anyone? I don't know about you, but I love party appetizer meatballs. These are particularly fun, in that they are sweet, sour, spicy, and savory, all at once. Cheerful little flavor balls in a festive...
Ah, egg salad. Is there anything easier or more unpretentious? Chop up some hard boiled eggs, add a little mayo and voilŕ! Instant sandwich filling. Or salad fixings. Add some chopped celery for crunch, and maybe some chopped chives or...
Planning a holiday party? Consider putting these empanadas on your to-do list for appetizers. If you are not familiar with empanadas, they are basically turnovers, usually stuffed with a savory minced meat filling, and popular throughout the Spanish and Portuguese...
Back in 7th grade home-economics, the cooking segment consisted of learning how to make pizza with English muffins, some spaghetti sauce, a little cheese and a toaster oven.
Deviled eggs. Easter egg hunts and summer picnic potlucks. I have been known to devour a dozen of these in one sitting. These were quick and easy. If you want them to be a little prettier, put the egg filling...
Edamame (eh-dah-MAH-may) are nothing more than fresh soy beans. Typically cooked in heavily salted water, they are usually found in the shell served at Japanese restaurants. Having first encountered them in bars when I lived in Japan, I've always thought...
Updated, from the recipe archive. Originally posted in 2005. Here in the San Joaquin Valley, the eggplant season is in full swing. At our local farmers market last weekend one could find eggplants of every variety - globe, Japanese, striped...
Fresh fava beans require patience. You have to shuck them twice, once to remove the thick shell, and then again, after cooking the beans, to peel the outer skin. Are they worth the effort? You tell me. Fresh favas, or...
Spaghetti just seems lonely without garlic bread, and it's so easy to make. There are several methods and twists for making garlic bread, the most simple being just rubbing a cut clove of garlic over slices of Italian or French...
I found this recipe in the weekend edition of the Wall St. Journal as good "noshing" food for New Year's and had to give it a try, with a few minor changes. It comes from chef Michael Symon of the...
One of my favorite ways to eat oysters (especially those strongly flavored big ones) is grilled. Guest author Jaden shares a personal lesson from the Shuckmeister on how to do it. Enjoy! ~Elise Even though I live all the way...
Winter. Dungeness crab season. Super Bowl. Need I say more? It's been raining and in the 40s for the last month now (okay, no need to tell me that I'm a California wimp, I know it's probably worse where you...
Please welcome guest author and cheese fiend Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic as he walks us through how to put together a fabulous cheese plate. ~Elise Whether served as an elegant appetizer, a palate cleansing course between courses, an impressive...
This basic hummus recipe calls for using canned garbanzo beans. I've made hummus using dried beans, soaking them, cooking them, etc. but the results just weren't as good. The canned beans actually mash up pretty well.
I love baked liver pâté, or "pâté maison" as it is sometimes called. It is especially good with French bread and sweet pickles.
Whoever came up with the term "mushroom caviar" must have been in marketing. Mushroom caviar just sounds so much more catchy than "mushroom spread" or "minced mushrooms and shallots sautéed in butter", even though that's basically what it is. Pretty...
Nachos are considered more "Tex Mex" than Mexican, being an invention of one Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, a restaurateur serving American servicemen in the 1940s. At their essence, they are simply a layer of tortilla chips with melted cheddar cheese and...
Here is a quick and easy appetizer, tasty and fun to make. Preparing these today for an afternoon barbeque I was assisted by my sous-chef Alden, of Carlisle, Massachusetts. Aldie is just about 6 years old and loves to help...
When I was a kid growing up in Los Angeles, my grandmother used to take me to the farmers market in Miracle Mile. After the market, we would walk over to Bob's Big Boy and order a serving of fried...
My mother grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and remembers fondly what she calls "Sonoran Quesadillas" - large, thin, flour tortillas, toasted with butter and cheese, and often topped with strips of mild green chiles. The quesadillas are called "Sonoran" because...
Recipe accompanies the recipe for Beef Bouillon Soup from Oxtails and is from a recipe in the December 1993 issue of Gourmet. Once making the bouillon, you can use the cooked oxtail meat to make a delicious oxtail pâté. I...
Escabeche is a dish of Spanish origin in which fish is marinated in an acidic marinade. Somewhat similar to ceviche, but the fish is cooked a bit first. Because of the acidity of the marinade, the dish lends itself to...
One of my most favorite breakfasts is a poached egg on toast, with a side of papaya and lime. Including some prosciutto with the papaya just takes it up a notch further. Papaya is filled with enzymes that help digestion...
Guacamole, a dip made from avocados, is originally from Mexico. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words - ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). The trick to perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently...
Where to begin with these? Hank and I got an inkling to do a more "retro" recipe, and somehow we ended up with ham balls. Pineapple glazed ham balls. Let's just say the jokes were flying today, Hank being the...
There is nothing like a plate full of crispy potato skins, filled with melty cheddar cheese, and topped with bacon bits, sour cream and green onions. The first time I had these I was 21 years old, at an outdoor...
A perfect summertime appetizer, prosciutto-wrapped melon is a delicious blend of salty and sweet flavors. Mozzarella balls adds another touch. You may want to serve some with the mozzarella, some without. Or, try wrapping some prosciutto around the mozzarella.
Easy to make liver pate recipe, made with chicken livers and pork sausage, wrapped in bacon, well seasoned with herbs and spices. Also known as "pâté (pate) campagne".
This is one of the quickest, easiest, tastiest artichoke dip recipes around. All it takes is 3 simple ingredients, plus salt and pepper if you want, heated quickly in the microwave. Dress it up if you want, with garlic, chili...
Years ago my pal Peter showed me how to roast garlic whole and eat the warm, toasty cloves right out of the head. How wonderfully simple! And perfect for garlic lovers.
You know, I think it's almost impossible to make salmon mousse look good. Let it be known that in this case, we tried. I used a fish mold, appropriate for the salmon fish mousse. If we use a mold like...
One of the tastiest appetizers you can prepare for a gathering is a simple salmon spread. Usually salmon spreads are little more than smoked salmon mixed with cream cheese. This spread uses a combination of smoked salmon and freshly poached...
Oolala. Say the word "sardines" around people and you get one of two reactions. Either they love them... or they don't. I haven't found many inbetweeners. Obviously, given the title of this recipe, we fall in the "love them" camp...
My father has had his thinking cap on. "It's football season. What your website readers need is something good to eat while drinking beer and watching the game." He's so right, isn't he? I love good finger food. In dad's...
A few years ago my father discovered scallops, not that he didn't know about them before, it's just that some light bulb went off in his head one day and he decided that he had to cook them. So for...
With the warm days of summer upon us, a great way to cool off is with ceviche. Ceviche is typically made with red snapper that is "cooked" by the acidity of lime and lemon juice (see this ceviche recipe.) This...
Please welcome guest author Jaden Hair of the oh-so-steamy SteamyKitchen.com as she shares an oh-so-spicy shrimp cocktail recipe she found on a trip to Asheville, North Carolina. ~Elise I’ll be honest with you, I never order shrimp cocktail at a...
In the world of party appetizers, there's a time for fancy, and there's a time for oh-my-gosh-I-only-have-10-minutes-to-make-something-that-I-wouldn't-be-ashamed-to-serve-to-guests. Usually I'm in the latter camp, having grossly underestimated the time it takes to get organized. For these times it's helpful to have...
Quesadillas have to be my favorite go-to food for lunch. They're just so easy to make! Especially when you have tortillas and cheese in the fridge, which we almost always do. Recently I had lunch with an old friend at...
These smoked salmon goat cheese toasts are among my favorite appetizers to prepare as they are so easy to put together, and taste fabulous. Always a huge hit with guests. One ingredient that makes a difference is the sliver of...
My dear friend, the ebullient, smiley, and somewhat wacky Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites has a new "schtick", namely, food on a stick. On a Stick! is Matt's new cookbook, aimed at the party crowd, and filled with every conceivable...
Called papas bravas or patatas bravas in Spain, this dish is essentially potatoes cooked in a spicy sauce and served as an appetizer, or tapas. Variations abound in both the cooking method—the potatoes are fried, boiled or roasted—and the sauce...
We first encountered these spicy chicken nuggets in a special issue of Gourmet (Sept 2007) that focused on Latin American cuisine. "Chicharrones" (cracklings) are usually made with pork, and in Mexico with pork rind. These chicken chicharrones are a specialty...
IKEA may have helped popularize Swedish meatballs in this country, but my first experience of them came in the form of room service at a hotel in Stockholm. I was traveling alone for business, holed up in my room in...
Tzatziki is a Greek dip made with yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and cucumbers. This version (from Martha Stewart Living) replaces the cucumbers with Swiss chard and is delightful with toasted pita. Dad announced a couple weeks ago that he didn't...
Do you like fried calamari? If so, just imagine the lightest, crispiest, melt-in-your-mouth-iest coating over the most tender squid, and this would be it. The tempura version. I love fried calamari, but you know what? After this tempura, I'm not...
When I first encountered a recipe for a thin-crust pizza using a flour tortilla as a base I was indignant. "That's not a pizza! That's a quesadilla!" But I soon got over my ire. This approach is actually rather brilliant...
