Posted on: Wednesday, January 3, 2007
TASTE
Successful appetizers don't just happen by accident
By Allison Askins
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Bite-size food deserves a lot of credit for what it adds to our cooking repertoire when it's time for a party.
Here are small bites about appetizers gleaned from cooks who know how much it means to break bread with friends.
Create options for your guests to choose from. Alison Porter, chef at the University of Southern California Chi Omega sorority and a caterer, prepares several meat appetizers (a chicken, beef and seafood) as well as a large vegetable dipping station, marinated vegetables, cheeses, roll-ups, salty treats and sweets.
Presentation is key. Use pretty lettuces for garnish, hollowed-out bell peppers for dips, cherry tomatoes or strawberries for that extra dash of color. Stack plates and serving dishes at different heights. Add festive flowers.
Kabobs are an attractive, manageable way to serve fruit, antipasto, cheeses, meats or veggies. Display attractive dipping bowls nearby.
Keep your sanity by planning ahead and making lists. Organize your lists by food that can be bought ahead and food that will be needed the week of the party. Pace yourself by baking items that can be frozen and reheated or thawed the day of the party.
Zip-closure freezer bags are great for storage. They lie flat and give you more room. Think ahead about storage space when having an appetizer gathering.
Consider items that are a bit unusual and very pretty, such as flatbreads with side dishes of honey, blue cheese and grapes.
Folks love warm, gooey dips. Try variations on artichoke dips — with oysters, for example. Have plenty of crackers, pita chips or French-bread toast on hand.
Candace McMenamin, a Pillsbury bake-off finalist, loves appetizer parties to which guests are invited to take their own and a recipe. This way, the menu is fresh and you learn something..
Don't be afraid of some old favorites. Porter, the sorority chef at USC, always gets accolades for the chicken nuggets she creates from scratch. She uses homemade bread crumbs and finely ground Parmesan cheese for the breading and mixes her own honey-mustard sauce.
Don't forget to make it easy on your friends. Create stations where they can eat comfortably and enjoy one another's company. If having a smaller gathering, fill the center of the dining room table with all the options and indulge together.
At a smaller gathering, it can be fun to create a dish that needs to be eaten as soon as it is fried or pulled from the oven. Cooking and eating together in the kitchen is always fun.
Don't forget the fruit and cheeses. You can create beautiful displays with fresh fruits and with cheeses. The cheese options available in groceries as well as specialty shops are better than ever.
A baker's-dozen tidbit: Appetizers have a long, enjoyable history in many cultures. If you were in Spain, they'd be called tapas; in Russia, zakuski; in Italy, antipasto; in France, hors d'oeuvres; in China, dim sum; in Sweden, a smorgasbord. So many little bites. So much to enjoy.
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