holiday appetizers

[brian1e4]

The holidays are approaching and that means family parties and catering events. This means food so ... here's my request.

I'm looking for appetizer ideas that have
... great taste
... visual appeal
... and a reasonable ingredient list.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

p.s.
I made a wild mushroom soup last evening that was just incredible. I have comments and questions about ways to improve it, but I'll save that for another thread.

Brian

[Isa]

December issue of most food magazines are always a good sources of idea. Or there are books on the subject, Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook is really nice wit lots of pictures. Or you can search the net, click here for recipes and ideas.

[W.DeBord]

Ahhh you kind of changed your question, before you were looking for items that held, weren't you?

There's just a limitless number of options. Could you narrow down what you like?


My family eats alot differently than I would cater so....and we actually have a few things that we never get board of, like:

Artichoke dip with toasted pita
Veg. pizza (the cold kind using purchased cresent dough)
Crab wontons
Gaucamole (with quesidilas and chips)
Shrimp toasts
Cold shrimp spread
Quiche
Layered bean dip
aspargus blue cheese rollups
shrimp coctail is always snarfed up! and so are crab claws with mayo mustard sauce
roumaki with or with-out livers

But to cater or impress is a whole different HUGE ball park....

Oh, wild mushroom soup yum, I'm thinking that's a great idea for for dinner tonight!

[henry]

At my recent birthday party, the big favorites were:

Hot artichoke dip with seasoned pita crisps;
A huge silver platter of croissants stuffed with chicken salad;
Mini-quiche made with chopped green chilis and pepper jack cheese;
Wild Turkey Bourbon Balls (from the wild turkey website);
Seedless green grapes encased in bluecheese/cream cheese mixture, then rolled in chopped pecans;
fragrant shrimp spring rolls and peanut sauce purchased from a Vietnamese restaurant;
Cream cheese/dill/smoked salmon piped onto endive leaves and topped with capers.

[monpetitchoux]

Mixed salad greens dressed lightly with a simple mustard vinaigrette with something rich like herbed goat cheese pithiviers, deep fried cheesy choux, grilled or broiled herbed quail, blue cheese strudel, mashed potatoes with raw choux paste folded in and fried.

Choux Pastry! Omit sugar when making the paste and bake as usual. When done, cut the tops off and fill them with any number delicacies. Artichoke hearts and crab, sauteed wild mushrooms, old-fashioned creamed chicken, herbed cheese, diced or julienned seared sesame encrusted tuna with diced cucumbers underneath (make a wasabi or soy and ginger based emulsion sauce to squirt on top before presentation or simply seared tuna with capers and parsley. These work well as passed hors d'oerves but as with everything else, I'd rather eat them at the table.

Bruschetti. In the winter, sauteed swiss chard with white beans, roast red bell peppers with anchovies and parsley, white bean and garlic puree on top of broiled, oiled and garlic-rubbed ciabatta.

I am also a soup fiend. It's usually the highlight of my night if I've eaten a delicious soup. If I had less manners, I'd ask for seconds on soup and skip everything else.

For the more fancy, rabbit terrine with horseradish sauce and apple slices, good old-fashioned truffled terrine de foie gras. Oh Please bring the terrines back from dinosaur extinction. Oysters on the half-shell with champagne vinegar and shallots and thin slices of buttered black bread. I love these old stand-bys.

How are you imagining the dinners progressing? My dinners always start light and get progressively heartier or start hearty and progressively get lighter or light throughout.

[lynne]

Bruschetta - my favourite way to add flavours and colours to a party-steamed greens, roasted red and yellow peppers, white beans,

Pear and gorgonzola pizzelles (apple, brie and thyme are nice too)

Christmas - I think something a little formal, warm and comforting -- the idea of wrapped or filled foods appeal to me this time of year -- it can be the surprise or anticipation. miniature beef wellingtons with horseradish cream; wonton purses with brie and cranberry relish; or do a large brie filled with thyme carmelized onions; fillo and parmesan wrapped asparagus, wild mushroom strudels

...along with brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favourite things...