Category Archives: Appetizer

Fried Sage Appetizer

Posted on by
3

Fried sage Appetizer, sage, fried sage, antipasto, Italian, Italian cuisine, The Silver Spoon,

When I opened The Silver Spoon and saw, “EATING IS A SERIOUS MATTER,” in large, robust lettering, I knew this was my kind of cookbook. Everyone knows that eating is a serious matter—if you don’t you should! Food sustains us from day to day, but it also does so much more than that. In many ways, what we eat represents who we are. Our culture, traditions, memories, and celebrations are often linked with food.

The Silver Spoon is a tome (over 1500 pages long) of authentic Italian cooking, ranging from classic dishes, such as spaghetti and tiramisu, to more exotic fare, such as heart kabobs and frogs in batter. It doesn’t disappoint. read more

Krab Salad with Spicy Mayo

Posted on by
1

Krab Salad with Spicy Mayo

Krab salad with spicy mayo makes for a wonderful appetizer or light entrée. It’s made from imitation krab sticks, which are composed of precooked fish with crab flavoring. Krab sticks have a slightly sweet taste with a hint of crab. They’re low in fat, easy to prepare, and inexpensive, making them an excellent item to have on hand. If you’ve ever tried a California roll, then you’ve had imitation krab.

Imitation Krab, krab sticks, imitation crab, krab salad, crab salad

The spicy mayo adds a nice kick to the subtly sweet krab. The krab’s delicate texture, which mimics actual crabmeat, gives the meal an airy lightness, balanced with the richness of Japanese mayo. The spicy zest of the mayo and the thick, sweet eel sauce add waves of flavor to this salad and really takes it to the next level. read more

Sparkling Red Wine Cocktails

Posted on by
Reply

Sparkling Red Wine Cocktails, Cheddar Cheese, sweet pickles, cocktail onions, pickled onions, skewersAppetizers and cocktails make a great start to any party or gathering. It’s a nice way to tide people over until dinner is ready and everyone has arrived. These simple but good cheese-and-pickle skewers can be easily prepped beforehand. They combine sweet, crunchy pickles with mild, creamy cheddar cheese–the refreshing cocktail onions balance everything out nicely.

Sparkling Red Wine Cocktails, Lambrusco, Sparkling orange beverage, Orangina, Whiskey, Bourbon

The cocktails can be made in a pitcher, shortly beforehand, freeing you to socialize when guests arrive. But cocktails can be tricky: ratios do matter, as do individual ingredients. The first time I made this, I was a little impatient. I’d just made an elaborate dinner and thought I’d wing it. How much could ratios really matter? read more

Pear and Proscuitto with Balsamic Syrup

Posted on by
5

Pear and Proscuitto with Balsamic Syrup, Italian Appetizer

There’s nothing quite like home. As much as Corey and I like our new home in Chicago, there will always be a special place in our hearts for Florida. As we each made our treks home to Florida to celebrate the holidays with our family, particular aspects of the landscape stood out to us, welcoming us back. For Corey, he missed the pine trees and upon first glace wanted to give one a hug. For me, I missed the glorious blue skies and the dazzling Florida sun—Florida is after all the Sunshine State and Chicago unfortunately is not. read more

Red Pepper Hummus

Posted on by
6

Red Pepper Hummus, Roasted Red Peppers, Pita Chips, Chickpeas

Hummus is one of the oldest foods in the world. In fact, it is believed that chickpeas were  being cultivated over 7000 years ago in the Middle East. The exact origin of hummus remains a mystery, since its long history. However, it is most often theorized as coming from the Middle East. The name hummus actually means chickpea in Arabic. You might also hear chickpeas referred to as garbanzo beans, which is the Spanish translation. There are endless variations of hummus and today I present you with one of my favorites: Red Pepper Hummus. read more