Figuring Out Our Finger Food
This year's solution to a lack of New Year's Eve plans is to throw our own small party. Finally I have time to feel prepared for a party, since I'm enjoying this entire week off of work. Today I am considering appetizers. To my mind there is a three-tiered decision set here:
Basic: Harkening back to college days we serve chips, salsa, and maybe count on someone bringing some chips or oreos.
Basic Plus: Progressing to my post-college, first apartment days, we have the chips, salsa and also add a cheese plate with grapes. Tres chic.
We Act Like Adults: We prepare a few little homemade nibbles and we hit Costco. I hear that even the doyennes of Washigton entertaining are doing it today. (Best quote from the linked NYT story comes from the caterer:
The ultimate awkwardness, she said, is when clients want to buy their food from Costco but disguise it: “They’ll say: ‘Why don’t you bring the fancy glassware, and we’ll get the rest from Costco. And could you put it on one of your fancy plates? Oh, and how about some of your fancy ice cream on top?’”
I was not aware that there is another level entirely which the New York Times calls simple, as in "101 Simple Appetizers in 20 Minutes or Less." But there a few obstacles here:
#13. I don't know what it means to cooks garlic until it "mellows."
#16 for garlic shrimp calls for "pimenton." If we'd like to keep things simple, why can't we just call it paprika? (I had to look it up, so I can only imagine the crossed eyebrows I'd get from my grocer.)
#17. Calls for shucked clams. I'm not sure, can clams be shucked in 20 minutes or less? Does my grocery store carry clams?
#40. Flash-cooked squid. Enough said.
I am quickly retreating to my "Basic" comfort zone and have not even read halfway through the NYT's list.
Comments
1) sugar/cinnamon coated pecans (very easy to make)
2) fruit/cheese/mustard/summer sausage tray--several of each
3) bacon wrapped water chestnuts with glaze (also very easy)
4) a tapas tray--mixed olives, manchego cheese, serrano ham, oiled marcona almonds
7) white pizza--ricotta, mozzerella and provolone on a Bobolli crust drizzled with olive oil and garlic
6) chocolate dipped strawberries (fresh) and cream puffs (frozen from Sam's or Costco--yummy!)
7) if you want to make a drink with champagne, white sangria is yummy and simple...lots of different recipes on the internet, too.
Good luck!!! :-)
I agree with you...pimenton, flash cooked squid but also a lot of the ingredients were very expensive! And whenever I roast red peppers, getting the skins off alone takes 20 mins.
I'm all about Trader Joe's for parties! Their mini quiches are really tasty and their meatballs are gone in a matter of minutes! The one thing I'm adamant about at parties is that there needs to be a good mix of food and drink: both sweet and savory, alcoholic and non alcoholic.
Thanks for the good ideas, girls.
I like the white pizza idea too, Andra Sue (less sauce for guests to drip on my furniture.)
I agree - Trader Joes has the best stuff - I like little butternut squash soups in sake cups (just microwave)with a sprig of something green on top.
From Miss Annie Mac:
Also known as Quichettes: personalize with whatever fillings you like
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup sour cream
3 oz cream cheese
1/3 grated cheese your choice - gruyere works great
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cans refrigerated Crescent rolls (8 rolls each)
fillings - your choice
-4 sausages cooked/diced or 4 bacon strips cooked/crumbled
-or fresh spinach, steamed and drained well
-sauteed shallots/onions
-sauteed mushrooms (all liquid cooked out!)
DIRECTIONS:
1. in a medium bowl, beat well until smooth:
--2/3 cup sour cream
--3 oz cream cheese
2. then add 2 lightly beaten eggs, mixing well.
3. to mixture in bowl add and set bowl aside:
--1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice - gruyere is great
--filling of your choice - see above
--spice of your choice - red pepper powder, salt, pepper
4. preheat oven to 375 deg F
5. grease muffin tin - spray oil works great
6. separate crescent rolls and press into muffin cups
--putting the longest side of the triangle around the rim, then folding
dough to fit cup. press sides of cups in with fork for even-ness
7. fill cups with mixture - about 2 tablespoons or more
8. sprinkle tops with a bit of pepper or red pepper
9. bake about 20 minutes - or until knife comes out clean.
--let stand 5 minutes before removing from tin.
OTHER NOTES:
--best served hot.
--for reheating - nuke for 20 sec and then put into toaster oven
--you will have 4 left over crescent rolls - bake according to directions on
can.
-Juliet
-Juliet