Appetizer

With the bacon craze finally starting to lose a little momentum, we thought it was time to remind you of one more way you can put a little piggy goodness into your day. Although the act of cooking popcorn in bacon fat is far older than we are, it isn’t a common practice anymore in most homes. This method of cooking gives those light and fluffy kernels a little something extra and we dare you not to eat the entire bowl.

The last time I went to the grocery store with my husband he stopped in the deli area and picked up a packet of miniature toasts. “Aren’t these cute?” he said. “I bet you could do something awesome with these.” How could I resist that?See? Aren’t they cute?And he was right: These miniature toast bites are one of the best little aids to easy appetizers that I’ve found in a long time.

We were blown away with our success at making extra-crispy potatoes the other week simply by parboiling them and tossing them with salt before roasting. Crispy oven-baked sweet potato fries have been another on-going obsession of ours, so we immediately wondered if the same technique could work again.Really good sweet potato fries are a surprisingly difficult thing to achieve. Even in restaurants, they often arrive limp, soggy, and the exact opposite crispy.

The other day I thifted the amazing canapé cookbook pictured above (circa 1934) for just a few dollars. At first the book’s design drew me, with its deco cover and amusing black drawings. But then I started reading the fascinating recipes with names like Devil’s Knapsack, Diamond Cut Diamond and Rainbow’s End. Intrigued, I set out discover more about the canapé, a retro cocktail mainstay.

Even those of us who used to (or still do) snack on those microwaveable bite-sized pizza snacks have to admit: they don’t taste much like pizza. Coupled with their lack of nutritional value, there’s really no reason why they’re still one of America’s highest-selling frozen snack foods. Especially since making pizza poppers at home is surprisingly easy — plus they freeze perfectly for a post-work snack!

Late summer tomatoes finally turning red and orange, check. Basil plants still producing loads of leaves, check. Garlic cloves and fruity extra virgin olive oil, check and check. These are the only ingredients you need for the easiest and tastiest 5-ingredient tomato sauce of all time. The results are simple and spectacular. How is it that when tomatoes meet olive oil, garlic, and basil, gastronome poetry is created?

When Jason Dobrowner of Thirsty Scientist, a Los Angeles-based bar/mixology service, contacted us with two inventive Halloween cocktails, we jumped at the chance to share them with you! Here’s the first — stay tuned for another spooky cocktail from Jason next week!Kick start the holiday season with the Jack-O-Lantern, a Manhattan with hints of pumpkin, apples, and fall spices.

Last week we gave you a cocktail recipe for The Jack-O-Lantern from Jason Dobrowner of Thirsty Scientist, a Los Angeles-based bar/mixology service. Here’s one more spooky cocktail from Jason — a grownup drink for a grownup Halloween.Halloween is my favorite time of year. It’s the official start to holiday season and fall harvest brings a plethora of delicious ingredients to create some beautiful seasonal cocktails.

You get two recipes for the price of one today! First we have cashews tossed with brown butter and sage, and then there are cocoa-dusted cashews for those of us with a sweet tooth. Neither recipe takes more than a few minutes to bring together, making this our new favorite snack for holiday get-togethers. We started out wanting to do something with sage and brown butter — two flavors we love this time of year that also love each other.

There’s something magical about desserts that look like they took an eternity to make, but really don’t. This recipe can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes and perfect for kids to lend a hand with — plus it puts to use specialty cookie cutters (like this turkey) that only see the light of day a few times a year!Ingredients1 recipe pie dough (we won’t tell if you use store bought, it works fine)1 bag chocolate chips (peanut butter and butterscotch are great too!

These have to be the most unusual cookies we’ve ever made. Improbable, even. Gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy free, they just don’t seem like they should work. And yet, they do. And what’s even more strange, they are some of the most delicious little treats we’ve ever tasted.The first time I made these cookies, trying out a recipe for Popcorn-Oat Cookies from the Columbus Dispatch, I had no idea what to expect. I had a vague mental image of something akin to rice cakes.

On weekends, I occasionally get distracted with projects and errands and forget to eat lunch, leaving me a quivering mass of low blood sugar and belly rumbles by 2PM. As our parents knew all too well, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a perfect pick-me-up for moments like these, offering a quick hit of protein and a satisfying touch of sweet in every bite.

Caramelized onions have such a great flavor: we’ve often sung their praises here at The Kitchn. Why not use them in a flavor-rich appetizer course to start off your next dinner party?

When I was in college, I took a spring break scuba-diving trip off the coast of St. Eustatius, a tiny little island a hop-skip-and-jump away from the better-known St. Martin. It was a carefree week of exploring long-lost shipwrecks, sipping on homemade piña coladas, and nursing a serious sunburn. I was staying in the guest house of a local woman who hosted divers from around the world. Her accommodations were relaxed and hospitable, as if it was your own grandmother’s house.

It might not be the prettiest, but this puréed soup more than makes up for its homely appearance with the deep flavors of roasted broccoli and extra-sharp cheddar cheese, and a creamy yet cream-free texture. Best of all, it all comes together in about 30 minutes, making it a quick and easy weeknight dinner option. This soup was born on a hungry weeknight, when I was looking for a meal made with ingredients I almost always keep on hand.

A few months ago, Megan’s post on savory granola got my wheels turning. A truly savory, unsweetened granola seemed like a unique, gluten-free alternative to croutons on top of soup. And indeed it is — but it is also a light, addictive snack I can’t stop eating by the handful. The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe for savory pumpkin seed and rye granola on CHOW.

When everything now seems to be made from scratch, or else, why oh why do people never make crackers? These are easy! Promise! And they’re surprisingly, gloriously un-cracker-like. They look pretty cute on a cheese board, too, all cheesy-colored and toasty-tasting.And while I’m not the biggest fan of serving crackers with cheese, somehow that all changes when the crackers are homemade. (And seriously addictive.

My very, very favorite kind of bread to pair with cheese is one that’s studded with dried fruit and nuts. There’s something about the sweet-savory combination of elements in a loaf of this variety that’s versatile enough to match any type of cheese. And match it well, to boot.But so often, a good fruit and nut bread is either hard to find, or just not that great.So I figured it was about time to start making my own.

The Super Bowl is fast approaching. You may have heard me mention my love for football before, but to be honest I’m much more of a college fan than pro. It’s just what happens when you grow up in an SEC town. That being said, I never need an excuse to come up with fun new appetizers. This beer and cheddar dip is the culmination of many other recipes I’ve made over the years: beer cheese soup, stove top mac and cheese, and nacho sauce.

A couple of years ago I developed a recipe for a nacho cheese sauce that I now use as a template for many an extrapolation on a theme, subbing in different spices and add-ins for variation. It is so, so good. But first, you have to understand that great nachos begin with an even better cheese sauce. This one starts with a bechamel and combines two cheeses, plus spices, fresh tomatoes, and beer.

I’m more of a savory girl than anything else. It’s not that I never eat dessert, but I like a sprinkle of sea salt on my chocolate and herbs steeped in my ice cream. So after a kick of eating savory oatmeal for breakfast — olive oil, parmesan, cracked pepper — I asked myself what would happen if I tried making an oatmeal cookie that was more savory than sweet? Not as a dessert, but as a snack, or something to serve before a meal?

I’ve been in the middle of a crazy recipe organization spree, which has included weeding through years worth of magazine tear-sheets that I’ve obsessively filed in color-coded binders, complete with plastic page protectors and printed labels. It’s one of those systems that makes me feel on top of the world when I’m keeping up with it. But when I’m not, let’s just say it’s not pretty.

Dinner parties deserve snacks, too. And while dips and chips and veggie spreads are all fine and good, there’s something quite wonderful about spicy roasted chickpeas. We had a housewarming party this past weekend and made these roasted chickpeas to set out on the table right when folks arrived. They were such a hit that I barely got to sneak a small spoonful before they were gone. The reason?

The recipe to make when you have many mouths to feed.

If appetizers were scored like professional ice skaters, most of them would get high marks for technique but low marks for presentation. It’s surprisingly difficult to create good-looking appetizers! The ingredients may be stellar, and the end result something incredibly tasty, but sometimes the plate setting is… kind of underwhelming. Here are 10 appetizers that are pretty and tasty. High marks all across the board!

Dreading the appetizer prep for your next party? Why not plan ahead for your next gathering and stock up your freezer? These apps make it easy to pull together a stellar spread in a hurry without skimping on the homemade touches.

I think I’ve found my new go-to appetizer for the next couple of months. And based on the reaction it provoked on its debut last weekend, I don’t fear that it’ll get played out. This combination of creamy burrata, crisp toasts, and a mountain of fresh peas and fava beans is seriously tasty, and it seriously screams spring. The trick here is to get excellent burrata.

Empanadas are endlessly variable depending on region, season and how you’re grandmother may have made these delightful filled pastries. While traveling through Argentina, I sampled my favorite iteration of them all, “Empanadas Humitas” which translates to “Empanada with Corn”. During my week-long trip to Argentina, I sampled a different empanada every day; some were filled with salty cheese, others beef, occasionally the humita filling I describe here.

My favorite appetizers are simple affairs: easy to make, easy to eat. These elegant little cucumber cups fit the bill quite nicely, with the added bonus of making it appear as though they were much more difficult to make than they were. Paired with a gin & tonic, these are a total dinner party win. Cucumbers and soba are a classic pairing and one that never gets old for me.

When most people think appetizers, toasts, and crostini, they often turn to bruschetta, that classic Italian combination that usually includes juicy tomatoes, cheese, and herbs. But there’s a whole world of toasts out there that rely on seasonal ingredients and innovative flavor combinations, spanning the map from skirt steak to strawberries and everything inbetween. There is a restaurant here in Seattle, Dinette, that specializes in toasts.

Stuffed fried squash blossoms are easy to make. Promise. If you don’t mind frying, this is a 15-minute process from start to finish. Tops. There are also certain ways to ensure a most delicious outcome. And it mainly has to do with the cheese. I’ve been doing a lot of entertaining this summer. But nothing’s been met with more ooh’s than these ahh-inducing stuffed blossoms. They’re really that good. There’s a lot about this recipe that’s delicious.

It’s that time of year again, y’all! Football season is upon us, and I’m busy dreaming up new appetizers, dips, chilis, and stews to carry me all the way through the fall. If you’re like me, you have a few go-to appetizers that are simple to throw together and guaranteed to please. I am still always in search of the new best recipe, and holy smokes, I think I just found it!

Tender, flaky pastry pockets filled with everything from fresh corn to spicy beef? Yes, please. Empanadas are always welcome in my kitchen and on my plate. With a busy few months ahead, I’m planning on making a big batch and freezing them for quick meals when I need them. To freeze, lay unbaked empanadas side by side on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure they don’t touch, or the empanadas will freeze together. Freeze until solid, then transfer the empanadas into a freezer bag.

I could eat deviled eggs for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. These classy, slightly retro deviled eggs, which have a savory hit of smoked trout mixed into the filling, are fine additions to any of those meals, but I especially like them as cocktail-hour appetizers. Layering the irresistible flavor of classic deviled eggs with a beguiling smokiness, they’ll be the first to disappear at any party.

Time seems to speed up this time of year as we near the holidays. In preparation, I like to make and freeze a big batch of Asian dumplings This bold and savory recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who fills dumplings with a perfectly balanced mixture of tofu, cabbage kimchi, carrots, and bean sprouts, plus a little ginger and a lot of alliums – garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, the works. Toasted sesame oil and a couple of eggs bring it all together.

Call me crazy, but I love a good holiday potluck. Filling my plate with a taste of this, a scoop of that, one or two of those — hand me a fork and I’m in foodie heaven. But before that can happen comes the agony of deciding what to bring myself. Finding that perfect dish that will simultaneously please and impress, plus be easy to shuttle along in a car or on a bus, is no small feat. Perhaps one of these this year?

When I was growing up, my mom used to make a pasta from The Silver Palate cookbook with potatoes, rosemary, and dried apricots. There’s something that even a middle schooler can enjoy about the oddly effective combination of rosemary and apricots.You can make this cheese ball in advance — say, today — and keep it chilled. The flavors deepen the longer it sits, and it’ll hold its shape better the colder it is.

I recently visited Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, California. It’s a quaint little country store that acts as part gift and antique shop, part thirst quencher rest stop for bikers traversing wine country. In one case, they boasted a tasty-looking fig and olive spread for blue cheese.I figured that the Jimtown condiment couldn’t be hard to replicate, and would make a pretty thoughtful gift around this time of year, especially if accompanied by a healthy wedge of blue.

In the usual order of things, one decides to have a party, and then figures out which dishes to serve. But in this case, it was a stellar pomegranate and olive relish that got the ball rolling. “We have to throw a holiday party so people can taste this!” exclaimed my partner, and pretty soon we were discussing the guest list between bites.

Sometimes great recipes happen by accident, like this insta-classic black-eyed pea dip. This past weekend, I was planning on doing laundry and lounging around the house, but my fiancé seemed to have other plans. I strolled out of the bedroom dressed in my “sexiest” cleaning attire (i.e. disgusting t-shirt and messy ponytail), only to find a handful of his football—and food—loving friends camped out on the couch, ready for some NFL playoff action.

When we first posted about kale chips back in 2008, they were still somewhat of a novelty. Now you can purchase kale chips in bags at your gas station’s mini-mart — or at least you can here in California! But those pre-made chips can be really expensive and the quality isn’t always that high. Besides, it’s really easy to make your own, so we thought we would revisit our old kale chip recipe with a complete step-by-step guide and some new tips we’ve learned.

If I could give you only one festive (and game-day-appropriate) recipe this month that is absolutely, positively worth a few extra hours in the gym, this crazy-good, decadent crawfish dip would be it. Crawfish and cream sauce have always gone hand-in-hand, and this particular pairing is at the very tip top of my list. If it wasn’t so dang sinful, I would offer this appetizer at every single gathering I ever hosted. Oh, well.

I have absolutely zero interest in football, basketball, or baseball — so for me, gatherings around game days are all about the food. The spread always includes a few of the grubby, nostalgic snacks we grew up with — cheesy queso dip, I’m looking at you — as well as some fresher, lighter snacks that often incorporate flavors from one of the many international cuisines that surround us here in Los Angeles.

Roast a block of feta and the first time you taste it, you’ll wonder, Why did I waste so much of my life eating baked brie? Spreadably soft, with a tangy, salty, rich flavor, baked feta is easy to make and almost impossible to resist. Adding a sweet compote of dried figs simmered with honey and fresh thyme rounds out the flavors and turns a humble starter into a knock-out appetizer that is pretty enough for any party. As a hostess, cheese platters bore me.

Rich and creamy lobster bisque is a perennial Valentine’s Day favorite, but it’s a dish that can be daunting to the uninitiated and daunting to the wallet. After tinkering with a traditional (and expensive) recipe last week, I knew there must be an easier (and cheaper!) way. Turns out, there is. Unless you live particularly close to the ocean, the Northeast in particular, then lobster—and lobster bisque—is probably a rare indulgence saved for special occasions.

I’ll be honest with you: I don’t care for focaccia that’s topped with a lot of stuff. I like my focaccia to be a simple, herby bread with the emphasis on salt and olive oil. I may allow for one or two additions besides the sea salt, olive oil and herbs. But that’s it. You may feel differently, and of course, that’s just fine. You can use this recipe as a base for all your favorite focaccia toppings.

I’m guilty of always reaching for the same appetizers when having friends or family over: good olives, flatbreads, interesting cheeses, and rosemary nuts. If you’ve been to our house for drinks or dinner, this likely sounds pretty familiar. The reason for the repetition is ease, but what if there were a creamy, lightly fried bite of polenta that was just as simple? An appetizer that would trump olives and nuts any day of the week?

The reason I love baked ricotta is because it’s so simple and you can fold in any variety of herbs or chopped greens that you’d like. It also feels much more special than simply setting cheese out to slice, and can be reheated the next day to slather on top of toast in the morning or to dollop into green salads or spring pastas in the evening.

Every dip, like every food, has a season. So if warm, oozy baked brie is just the thing for winter, what’s the best dip to serve come spring? Well, it should be cool and refreshing, and desperately crying for the attention of some crunchy, fresh from the farmers’ market crudité. This creamy Parmesan dip — an ode to Caesar dressing — does just that, and more! Mayonnaise-based appetizers hold a special place in my heart—I am Southern, after all.

I absolutely love a good cocktail party and think we should all be throwing them a lot more often. It’s less pressure than hosting a full-on dinner party, you get to invite more people to stand in clusters around your apartment’s tiny living room, and you still get to pull out your high heels. Plus, cocktail appetizers are the best. When else do you get to eat half a dozen bacon-wrapped potato bites with well-shaken Manhattan and call it dinner?

I was perched on the couch the other morning, catching up on food blogs and sipping a mocha when all of a sudden the urge for a warm, toasted baguette smothered with melted chocolate and a drizzle of fruity olive oil hit me. Sometimes good ideas strike at the oddest of times. This early morning craving for chocolate and bread inspired my most recent party idea: a gathering where everyone builds their own dessert!

Quicos are my new favorite nibble To make quicos, you first have to find them. Almost any Latin American market will carry them in 1-pound bags labeled “maiz gigante” or “elote gigante.” They will look like giant, dime-sized dried corn kernels and usually cost a few dollars.

We have a great Middle Eastern grocery a few miles north of our house in Seattle, and given that my boyfriend Sam is Lebanese, we visit often to stock up on chickpeas, good feta and tahini — the latter being the one non-negotiable; we’re always stocked with tahini. And this recipe was born, really, from a few leftover beets and a love of tahini. That’s all you need.

Every now and then I stumble upon a recipe that quite literally stops me in my tracks. It can happen anytime, anywhere, with any type of food, but it’s not often that a combination of just two ingredients blows my mind. But there is something about zippy little Peppadews — yep, the ones you find in the your grocer’s salad bar — that always keep me coming back from more. When you add a melty cheese to the mix and throw ’em on the grill? Better hold me back!

This might sound shocking, but I have to say it: potstickers might be my favorite food. They are my go-to meal when I’m home alone for dinner and my favorite crowd-pleasing appetizer. I even eat them cold for airplane meals. On top of this, you can fill them with anything under the sun and freeze them for handy weeknight meals. This particular combination of rich shiitake mushrooms, chewy baked tofu, and silky cabbage is like an old and very dear friend, one that I never tire of seeing.

Summertime is all about easy entertaining and easier food: bountiful produce allows us to spend less time fussing in the kitchen and more time al fresco with friends. I’m all about quick recipes that produce big flavor, and these marinated mozzarella balls do just that. The best part? They get better the longer they sit, so make a triple batch and you’ll always be ready for unannounced guests that come your way.

Recently, I shared a recipe for making easy cabbage kimchi, which is a staple at my house. The first kimchi I ever fell in love with, though, was oi sobaegi kimchi, or stuffed cucumber kimchi. I think of this as “gateway kimchi” — it’s only lightly fermented (or not at all), so it isn’t as pungent as many other kimchis, and it has crisp texture that any pickle lover should appreciate. Oi kimchi is for summer, when cucumbers are at their peak in gardens and markets.

Onion rings are incredibly easy to make, and they are definitely much less fussy than homemade fries. All you have to do is slice them, dunk them in a quick batter, and fry ’em up. You can serve them as an appetizer with a dip (ranch dressing always proves popular) or as a side with practically anything. pretty amazing fries. I prefer to use Vidalia onions when they’re available, but any sweet onion will do.

Jalapeño poppers go hand-in-hand with sports, but deep-frying can deter some fans from making the tailgating classic at home. To eliminate the stress, this flavorful version eliminates the messy dredging process and gets baked instead of fried. Oh, and did I mention there’s bacon?! Jalapeño poppers are definitely a decadent treat, but sometimes over-the-top comfort food is just what the doctor ordered.

Garlic & Coriander Quick Pickled Baby Carrots It might seem old-fashioned, but the classic holiday relish tray, with its assortment of pickled vegetables, briny olives and crudité, is actually a smart way to start a big holiday meal: crunchy, a little salty and not too heavy. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to grandma’s cut-glass tray and canned black olives. Here are 12 fresh recipes and ideas for putting together a more modern relish tray.

These might just be the crackers to top all other crackers. They’re flecked all the way through with roasted nuts and chewy bits of cranberry, and they’re crunchy enough to satisfy any snack-addict. Rosemary adds its piney, fresh presence, while whole wheat gives them a savory depth. The crackers are sturdy enough to spread with cheese or hold some dip, but they’re also fantastic on all on their own as a mid-afternoon snack.

Q: I’m hosting a holiday cocktail party and have a menu of both sweet and savory snacks. The spread is already vegetarian friendly, but it’s dairy-heavy and I’ve just found out that one of my guests is a vegan. Any ideas for vegan hors d’oeuvres that aren’t just a veggie plate with hummus?