Blistered shishito peppers are always my favorite and lately they’ve become a popular appetizer item in a lot of restaurants. I grew my own this year and have been enjoying an abundance of them. Here’s a super easy and quick way to prepare them. Ingredients Shishito peppers a little olive oil Kosher salt fresh lemon Heat a cast iron skillet until it’s blistering hot. Toss the peppers with just a small amount […]
It’s the middle of summer and since I wasn’t enjoying it lying on a great beach in Greece I decided to do the next best thing–have a Greek inspired dinner party with the perfect summer cocktail. I always like to serve a signature cocktail so I went “shopping” for ideas on Google and found this Santorini Sunrise from Saveur. It was cool and refreshing with the sweetness of a bit […]
Here’s the perfect dish to celebrate the 4th of July, Bastille Day or Summer–an heirloom tomato, grilled peach and burrata crostini with Franco’s balsamic on a bed of home-grown arugula. I think this is one of the prettiest appetizers you can make and according to my co-workers, the best one I’ve ever shared in the office. (That made me feel good!) Not to mention, it’s really simple to make. INGREDIENTS […]
I’m always looking for new appetizer recipes. My favorites are ones you can make ahead so when your friends show up you can spend time with them. It’s even better when they’re really simple to make like this baked goat cheese dip. I found this in Food Network magazine last fall and it’s been a go-to new favorite of mine. You can make it in the morning (or even the night […]
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then here it is. And it’s just in time for Super Bowl Sunday. In case any of your party guests want to have at least one healthy bite to eat, they will love this. When I tested it on my friends they didn’t even realize it was healthy. It really is that good. After you cook the beets, you can make this in […]
Need a simple, yet elegant appetizer to take to a New Year’s Eve party? I have just the recipe for you! ENDIVE “CHIPS” WITH BLUE CHEESE DIP AND BACON DUST 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 10 strips of bacon, chopped fine and cooked until crumbly 1 tsp chopped rosemary 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 6-10 endive–depending on the size Cut the ends off the endive and arrange the […]
It doesn’t get any easier than this. With just a few store-bought ingredients, you can make a delicious and beautiful appetizer in way less time than it takes to assemble a Barbie Dream House. And let’s face it–who has time to make anything complicated this time of year. INGREDIENTS FOR CAPRESE SKEWERS Grape tomatoes Small mozzarella balls Buitoni pesto–or you can make your own Fresh basil leaves Festive toothpicks It really is […]
One of my favorite appetizers at Cucina Enoteca is their Burrata and Roasted Garlic Crostini. The presentation alone is beautiful with the burrata sitting in a cool, lidded jar* and the roasted garlic just waiting to be spread on the crostini. This is an easy appetizer to make when you need to bring a dish to a holiday party. And I promise, you’ll get rave reviews! INGREDIENTS FOR BURRATA AND ROASTED GARLIC CROSTINI […]
I love puff pastry. You can do so much with it. Just look at this picture–you’ve got an appetizer, an entree (sort of) and a dessert all with one piece of puff pastry dough and three simple toppings. Originally this was going to be a total Peachapolooza, but then the zucchinis kept coming and best of all–the “pineapple” tomatoes. I had no idea what a “pineapple” tomato was when I […]
It was time for a Peachapalooza at my house last weekend! The peach tree that I just planted in March was filled with the sweetest, juiciest and peachiest peaches I’ve ever had. There were so many and they needed to be picked right then. I had no choice–Peachapalooza. Sometimes the best parties are the last minute ones–I’ve been doing that a lot this summer when I have a big […]