Our Thanksgivings usually begin a week before when family members begin the preparations for certain dishes, such as the turkey stock for the gravy or drying the bread cubes for the stuffing. On the morning of Thanksgiving we all chip in to begin making the appetizers. Our favorite appetizer are our deviled eggs. Originally, we […]
Fabulous Canapés To Start The Party
July 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Canapés are little slices of bread or toast topped with any variety of ingredients you like. The more effort you put into these appetizing crowd pleasers before the main event the more enjoyable your party. If I have 8 or more people over for a dinner I usually make 3 different canapés. Although I will […]
“Oh, Wonderful!” Sicilian Eggplant
July 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The Sicilian expression—although little known among contemporary Sicilians—sciàtara-e-màtara, is an exclamation of wonder–or contempt! It might be said like “Oh, wonderful!” or contemptuously as in “God! Great merciful God!” The expression derives from the Arabic shātirū yā mā tāra as in “oh, the cleverness that you see!” which Arabs say sarcastically when someone from whom […]
Easy Summer Party Appetizers Are Canapes
July 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The canape is such a perfect solution to party food appetizers and yet too often entertainers drop a bag of chips in a bowl instead. I wrote about canapes for New Year’s Eve and thought it was time to revisit the topic for the summer. Canapes are easy, but are best when made close to […]
4 Easy Seafood Canapes for New Year’s Eve
December 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
If you are throwing a small New Year’s Eve party, say for twelve people or less, one dilemma faced is what food to serve. The drinks are no problem since we all know champagne will be drunk. But food is another matter. It’s key that you, the host, does not find themselves stuck in the […]
Beignets for the Holidays
November 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A wonderful starter for a holiday dinner are beignets, the light and airy morsels of bake dough that can be stuffed with a variety of fillings. They’re easy to make and perfect to serve when family and guests are arriving and milling around having their wine, beer, or eggnog. The beignets themselves can be made […]
Simple Appetizer, A 4-Can Antipasto
January 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“Fresh is best” is usually a good rule to live by. But if you know how to find quality preserved items, a few well-chosen canned foods in your pantry can save the day, especially during the busy holidays. Healthy food is food that is minimally processed. All the foods’ transformation should happen when you turn […]
Juicy Figs Stuffed in Tomatoes Make a Summer Appetizer
August 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Our figs in California are so abundant and delicious that throughout the summer we dream all ways of using them. This particular preparation is wonderful as an appetizer to a barbeque party. The tomatoes I call for are a cultivar called Carmelo, but you can use any tomato which, when cut in half, could be […]
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