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Appetizers
Shrimp cocktail is one of the most beloved pre-dinner dishes. Although I am the first to admit there is nothing better than a large shrimp dipped into a tangy cocktail sauce, I find it fun to experiment with ways to vary it. I created this version to go with a Mexican meal.
Muhammara is a Syrian dip that is made with roasted red peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses. It’s savory, sweet, slightly smoky, with just enough spice. The Pomegranate molasses in the dip is a flavor powerhouse.
If you’re like me, you are always looking for a new hors d’oeuvre. No matter how many I have (and through the years I’ve probably collected hundreds) I am always on the lookout for something new.
I came up with this one in a crêpe class I was teaching on Zoom. I wanted an appetizer, entree and dessert made with crêpes. Although you can make these with any crêpe batter, I like the buckwheat batter the best because it is a little more robust.
I was so proud of myself for getting such good how-to photos when making the crepes, but then I realized that I forgot to show you how to cut them. I think you’ll get the idea when you look at the final products. You get to eat the end of each roll while cutting the center of the rolls into 3 or 4 diagonal slices.
To say they were a hit at my NYE party would be an understatement. I was so happy that everyone ate at least 4 or 5 pieces. I would say the recipe serves 8 with other appetizers and cocktails
If you do as I do and make the crêpes a day or 2 ahead, it’s really easy to fill and roll them.
This is my gift to you for the New Year. Have a healthy and happy one everyone and thank you so much for all your support. I hope to see you on Zoom or in person.
Much love,
Marlene
Mix spice cheese with enough sour cream to make a spreading consistency. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and chopped capers.
Cut smoked salmon into strips about 1-inch wide and arrange 3 of them on the cheese.
Roll up as tightly as possible and refrigerate tightly wrapped until firm, at least 4 hours.
Buckwheat Crêpe Batter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup (40 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (84 grams) buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1.To make crepe batter: Mix all ingredients in food processor or by hand with a whisk until smooth. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.
To prepare ahead: Batter may be refrigerated up to 2 days.
2. To make crêpes: Stir batter well. Rub butter over the bottom and sides of an 8-inch skillet. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Lift pan from the heat and pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the bottom, while tilting the pan to allow the batter to cover it entirely.
3.Cook about 1 minute or until the underside is golden. Gently insert a small spatula into one edge of the crêpe to see if the bottom is lightly browned, then turn it over and cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Turn out onto a sheet of foil, putting one on top of the other. The first crêpe is usually a dud, so you get to eat it. If the batter is too thick, stir in 2 teaspoons water. Sometimes it will need even more water. The correct consistency will lightly coat the bottom of the pan when you tilt it.
To make ahead: Crepes may be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature to separate. Buckwheat crêpes do not freeze well.
Makes about 12 to 14 crêpes.
Buckwheat Crêpes with Smoked Salmon and Herbed Cheese
1 package (6 oz.) Herb and Spice Cheese (desired flavor)
About 4 to 6 tablespoons sour cream or crème fraiche
8 Buckwheat Crêpes
About 1/3 cup chopped green onions
About 1/3 cup capers, drained
8 to 10 ounces sliced smoked salmon or lox
1. In a small bowl, stir cheese with enough sour cream to make spreading consistency.
2. Lay one crêpe out on a flat surface. Spread with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cheese. Sprinkle with green onions and capers; press in lightly.
3. Cut one slice of salmon into 1-inch strips. Lay about 3 strips on the crêpe, leaving 1-inch of space in between. Roll up tightly and repeat with remaining crêpes. Roll up tightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To prepare ahead: Rolls may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
4. Before serving, cut off lacy ends of crepes and diagonally cut crepes into 1-inch pieces, making 4 to 5 pieces per crepe.
Makes about 40 pieces.
Isn’t everyone always looking for new hors d’oeuvres recipes? I know I am. Well, I have a great one for you.
This one came about when I was teaching a class on crêpes recently. I forgot about how much I like them and how easy they are to make until I tested recipes for the class. Their versatility is endless. I taught basic crêpes, buckwheat, chickpea and lactose free. My fillings ranged from seafood, to chicken, to a variety of greens, to crêpe suzette filled with orange butter and flambéed for the finale. They ran the gamut from appetizer to entree to side dish to dessert.
The easiest is this appetizer crepe filled with everything you’d put on a bagel. Well, almost everything. I substituted chopped green onions for the red onion slices and omitted the cucumber, because they are too difficult to roll up in a crêpe.
First you make the buckwheat crêpes. Then you spread them with the spice cheese thinned with a little sour cream to make it more spreadable. Sprinkle on the green onions and capers, top with thinly sliced smoked salmon and roll up. The rolls are best refrigerated for at least an hour to allow them to firm up. Slice on a diagonal, put them out on a pretty platter, pour a glass of wine or a cocktail and you’re ready to party.
Buckwheat Crêpes with Smoked Salmon , Herbed Cheese & Capers
Buckwheat Crêpe Batter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup (40 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (84 grams) buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
1 package (6 oz.) Herb and Spice Cheese
About 4 to 6 tablespoons sour cream or crème fraiche
8 Buckwheat Crêpes, recipe follows
About 1/3 cup chopped green onions
About 1/3 cup capers, drained
8 to 10 ounces sliced smoked salmon
1. To make crepe batter: Mix all ingredients in food processor or by hand with a whisk until smooth. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.
To prepare ahead: Batter may be refrigerated up to 2 days.
2. To make crêpes: Stir batter well. Rub butter over the bottom and sides of an 8-inch skillet. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Lift pan from the heat and pour 1/8 cup batter into the bottom, while tilting the pan to allow the batter to cover it entirely. The first crêpe is usually a dud, so you get to eat it. If the batter is too thick, stir in 2 teaspoons water. Sometimes it will need even more water. The correct consistency will lightly coat the bottom of the pan when you tilt it.
3. Cook about 1 minute or until the underside is golden. Gently insert a small spatula into one edge of the crêpe to see if the bottom is lightly browned, then turn it over and cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Turn out onto a sheet of foil, putting one on top of the other.
To make ahead: Crepes may be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Buckwheat crêpes do not freeze well. Bring them to room temperature before trying to separate.
Makes about 12 to 14 crêpes.
4. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir cheese with enough sour cream to make spreading consistency.
2. Lay one crêpe out on a flat surface. Spread with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cheese, covering the crêpe completely. Sprinkle with green onions and capers; press in lightly.
3. Cut one slice of salmon into 1-inch strips. Lay about 3 strips on the crêpe, leaving 1-inch of space in between. Roll up tightly and repeat with remaining crêpes. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To prepare ahead: Rolls may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
4. Before serving, cut off lacy ends of crepes and diagonally cut crepes into 1-inch pieces, making 4 to 5 pieces per crepe.
Makes about 32 appetizers.
GET INSTANT SUCCESS WITH THESE BITE-SIZE APPETIZERS
These new, lactose-free popovers can be baked large to serve in place of bread or in mini muffin tins for appetizers. They each have their own personality, just like our kids.
Legend has it that the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, whom the Romans renamed Venus, sprang fully formed from the sea, giving birth to the idea that bivalves enhance amorous occasions. Rather than take a chance you’ll miss the Valentine’s Day passion boat, dive into your romantic repast with these fabulous baked oysters.
Melon wrapped in prosciutto has been around for centuries. In Medieval times melon was considered such a highly dangerous fruit due its cold and juicy nature that cooks would counterbalance it by wrapping it in something dry and warm. I’ve gussied up my version to make it au courant.
When you hear guacamole, you think avocados. But surprisingly, peas add a delicious sweetness and offer other advantages: They don't turn brown when mashed ahead and you can always find them ripe.
You most likely won’t be able to guess the ingredients in this extremely flavorful dip/spread. The cilantro is almost indiscernible, as is the dill. The only ingredient you will probably taste is the feta and maybe the pistachios. Let’s just say it is a marvelous blend of flavors.
In France they serve these cakes with wine as an aperitif. That works for me. I uncorked a bottle or rosé, took small bites of these cakes and decided to pass them on to you.
The culmination of possibly the worst year in our lives is upon us and rather than end it on a down note, I am sharing an upscale recipe to ring in the new year on a high one. 2021 is going to be a much better year and these marvelous crab appetizers will come in handy for all the times you get together with friends to make up for this last one.
Sheltering-in has given me a different career opportunity, which I feel extremely blessed to have. There is nothing that gives me more fulfillment or makes me happier than teaching cooking and I couldn’t be doing it on Zoom without all your support. I love the time we spend cooking together virtually and hope my classes will continue when our worlds open up.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading and sharing my newsletter and to those of you taking my classes, my deepest thanks and appreciation. You have brought much light into a dark year.
May 2021 be a year of sanity and good health. New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to open a bottle of champagne. These delicious crostini were meant to be enjoyed with a great glass of bubbly.
Crab Toasts with Smashed Avocado and Bloody Mary Aïoli
8 oz. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
1/2 teaspoon + 1-1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1-1/2 tablespoons. + 1-1/2 tablespoons + 1-1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe avocados
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped red chili, such as Fresno or jalapeño; plus more for garnish, if you like
1/3 cup mayonnaise, or more if you like
1-1/2 tsp. tomato paste
3/4 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco; or more to taste
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
24 thin slices baguette
1 clove garlic, halved
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1. In a medium bowl, gently toss the crab with 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest and 1-1/2 Tbs. of the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside. This can be prepared several hours ahead.
2. In a small bowl, mash the avocado with another 1-1/2 Tbs. lemon juice and the chile; season well with salt and pepper.
3. In another small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, tomato paste, the remaining 1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice and 1 teaspoon zest, the hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This can be prepared a day ahead, if desired.
4. Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on medium. Toast the baguette slices on a rimmed baking sheet, flipping once, until lightly toasted. Rub each toast with the cut side of the garlic clove.
5. To serve, spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on each toast. Top with the avocado mash and the crab. Sprinkle with the dill and more chili, if desired, and serve.
Serves 8.
This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine.
This crunchy salsa is the perfect topping for Shrimp and Corn Chowder, but it also great with chicken, fish and as a dip.
Thomas Keller serves these at The French Laundry as an Amuse Bouche. They are fancier there because he quickly wraps the crisps (before they crisp up) into cones around cornet molds and fills them with salmon.
Canned chipotles in adobo sauce give this clever, creamy dip an enticing heat and smokiness.
Find out how hot, puffy, chewy zesty golden cheese puffs made in the blender and baked in mini muffin tins keeps me ho-ho-ing through the holidays.
I brought these to a meeting recently and amidst platters of appetizers, so many people were talking about them and asking for the recipe that I thought you might enjoy it, too.
GET INSTANT SUCCESS WITH THESE BITE-SIZE APPETIZERS
These new, lactose-free popovers can be baked large to serve in place of bread or in mini muffin tins for appetizers. They each have their own personality, just like our kids.
Trendy hummus can be made in a rainbow of flavors from beet to spinach. I keep mine simple by substituting buttery limas for the garbanzos, which makes it wonderfully creamy.
How many roles can one mushroom play? How about an excellent hors d'oeuvre, first course, vegetable side dish or vegetarian entree? Vegetables don't get more versatile than this.
These scrumptious shrimp are so easy to make that with a little extra effort, you can increase the recipe for 2 to serve 22.
