Breakfast or snack food that I use in my classroom as our first lesson. This cake will take a different appearance each time it is made…sometimes flat, sometimes CRAZY!
Pastries
Escargots Vol-au-Vent
Pastry shells stuffed with garlic butter and escargots; topped with mushroom caps.
Delicious Curried Manapua Puffs
These Hawaiian-inspired puffs are stuffed with a curry chicken mixture. They’re always a hit at potlucks and parties, and I’m constantly being asked for the recipe. It’s so flexible — try using different types of meats and vegetables. You may need to cook the puffs in several batches, as this make a lot.
Pistachio Twists
Originally a recipe from the 1960’s that was meant to be served with drinks for a St. Paddy’s day celebration. Personally, I think these are good for any occasion!
Cheese Ramkin
This is a recipe from my ninety three year old grandmother from Switzerland. She is still making these cheesy bite sized puff pastry appetizers that can be served at room temperature or hot out of the oven. Once you have had one, good luck stopping.
Yogurt Samosas
Cilantro and yogurt give these samosas the Indian flavor. This is an amazing recipe that will surprise you with how easy it is to make samosas like an Indian restaurant.
Jamie’s Baked Brie
My ex-wife Jamie’s been making this savory Brie en croute since way back before we were married. I think she must have gotten the idea from a magazine, but I’ve never seen the recipe… I just wing it. It can be made with either puff pastry sheets (quick and easy) or phyllo sheets (more work, flakier shell). Serve with fancy table crackers or digestive biscuits.
Cheese Borek
The usual filling is feta cheese; this version calls for smoked Gouda and Emmenthal. If you have never worked with phyllo before, know that it is very fragile and must be kept covered or it will dry out very quickly. This is labor-intensive, but worth it. I like to divide the filling ahead of time into 48 equal little portions to ensure that all the borek are uniform in size. This may be made a day before they are baked, and stored covered in the refrigerator.
Chanterelle Mushroom and Bacon Tartlets
Wild chanterelle mushrooms and bacon combine wonderfully in this impressive and elegant starter.
Sun-Dried Tomato Palmiers
Flaky/crispy dough filled with savory sun-dried tomato filling, and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Perfect appetizer for a fancy get together. No one has to know how easy they are to make!
Spicy Ham and Cheese Squares
These spicy ham and cheese squares are a great appetizer for your next party. Ham, pepperoni, salami, Swiss cheese, and provolone cheese are sandwiched between crescent roll dough and baked to perfection.
How to Make Cheese Sticks
These super-simple breadsticks are easy, cheesy, and there’s no dough to make because we’re going to use frozen puff pastry for this. They’re very cool for entertaining.
Dad’s Magic Bar Olives
Yummy, oozing, fried green olives! A very unique appetizer that is great to have on hand in the freezer for impressing unexpected guests! Breaded olives may be kept in the freezer until ready to fry.
Chilean-Style Sopaipillas
This is a traditional Chilean snack, or maybe an appetizer. The truth is that it’s a snack eaten during winter time, especially when it rains. It is typical to arrive home after walking through the rainy streets of Santiago and sit down to have a cup of tea and eat a couple of sopaipillas. You can also eat ones sold by street vendors, but they usually don’t taste as good as home-made ones. If you can’t find zapallo, pumpkin is a good substitute.
Crab Rangoon Puffs
This is a tasty treat that has a flavor similar to Crab Rangoon. These crab puffs are a great appetizer for any occasion. You may want to make a second batch!
Cheese Bourekas
Middle-Eastern style puff pastry pockets filled with cheese. Great served as an appetizer or the traditional Israeli way for breakfast with salad, olives, cheese, and plain yogurt. Could also be filled with leftover mashed potatoes, or a spinach and feta mixture.