23 posts categorized "Appetizer"

Autumn Granola: November 2, 2011
Categories: Appetizer, Breakfast, Season: Autumn
Before we started our construction, I went through a flurry of cooking. I was freaked out by the idea of not being able to cook for so long and I wanted to make sure that we had a stash of...

Herbed Ricotta-Feta Spread: September 21, 2011
Categories: Appetizer, Feta, Party Food, Ricotta, Season: Summer
We had a brief memorial for my aunt Midge over Labor Day weekend. It is stunning to me to think that 9 months have passed without her on this earth. In some ways I am getting used to the idea...

Fresh Figs with Ricotta, Honey, and Pistachios: September 7, 2011
Categories: Appetizer, Dessert, Farmers' Market Find, Fig, Party Food, Picnic Food, Potluck Dish, Ricotta, Season: Summer
Some days it all comes tumbling down, that balance that I have so carefully tried to maintain in my life as a working mother. Some days I can see all my mistakes but feel powerless to stop them. Children are...

Cuban Tostones (Fried Plantains): July 21, 2011
Categories: Appetizer, Party Food, Season: Anytime
One of my few regrets about being a vegetarian is that there are few Cuban foods that we can eat anymore. Those delicious Cuban sandwiches all have meat. Of course, we still have our black beans, always a family favorite,...

Grilled Fava Beans with Pepper and Pecorino: June 24, 2011
Categories: Appetizer, Farmers' Market Find, Season: Summer, Side Dish
Those who know me well know that I have a terrible memory. I would be embarrassed to tell you how many times I have bought a book that I have already read. But a bad memory can be a blessing...

Caramelized Onion Dip: February 24, 2011
Categories: Appetizer, Party Food
Several years ago, a friend introduced me to French onion dip. I'm talking about the kind made with sour cream and onion soup mix. There's also a pre-made dip in the refrigerated section of some grocery stores although I've always...

Hide the Cheese Lavender-Cheddar Muffins: November 3, 2010
Categories: Appetizer, Bread, Breakfast, Easy to Freeze, Party Food, Season: Anytime, Snack
We had a busy, fantastic, fun weekend. Along with Halloween and visits from some of our favorite people on the planet, we had a bash for my birthday, complete with a band whose services we had bought at the Acorn...

Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush: October 20, 2010
Categories: Appetizer, Farmers' Market Find, Lunch Box, Party Food, Season: Autumn, Season: Summer
Eggplants get a mixed reception around here. They come in such beautiful colors and shapes that my children like to pick them out at the market. Instead of choosing the most perfect unblemished eggplants, though, the kids were drawn to...

Grilled Sweet Pepper and Feta Hummus: October 8, 2010
Categories: Appetizer, Farmers' Market Find, Lunch Box, Picnic Food, Season: Autumn, Season: Summer
A couple of weekends ago, Gabe and I were doing a little home improvement project. Those of you who know us know how unusual this is. Neither of us spends the weekends roaming around the house with a toolbelt looking...

Homemade Soft Pretzels: September 30, 2010
Categories: Appetizer, Bread, Comfort Food, Season: Anytime
At the top of my list of universal truths is this one: outside of the farmers' markets, no tomato beats a home grown one. Some foods are worth the effort to grow at home, and some aren't. I put carrots...

Artichokes with Quick Hollandaise Sauce: May 4, 2010
Categories: Appetizer, Condiment, Farmers' Market Find, Season: Spring, Side Dish
I have written this before, but I have a theory that children are more willing to try something new if it involves eating with your hands. My kids love edamame, carrot sticks (much more than carrots cut up in a...

Crêpes: March 1, 2010
Categories: Appetizer, Dessert, Egg, Entree, Season: Anytime
Before Ophélie, the French teacher we hosted, came to visit, we were a bit apprehensive about feeding her. When we had told her that we were vegetarians, her response was that she didn't like many vegetables. Uh-oh. I was determined...

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa: December 4, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Condiment, Season: Anytime, Snack
I have often seen tomatillos listed as an ingredient, but only recently tried cooking with them. For those of you in Maryland, I first bought tomatillos at the Crossroads farmers' market, which has a decidedly Latin flair. Crossroads is now...

Bean Quesadillas with Avocado Salsa: September 17, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Avocado, Beans, Condiment, Farmers' Market Find, Lunch Box, Party Food, Quick Meal, Season: Anytime, Tomato
Some weeks we are very organized about the children's lunches, shopping especially for them on the weekend. And some weekends are chaotic and we don't get our planning done. Quesadillas are one of those lunches that we usually can pull...

Homemade Ricotta: September 8, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Basics, Ricotta, Season: Anytime
I came to appreciate the virtues of ricotta as more than just a cheese for lasagna on a trip to Sicily. We had just hiked up a beautiful gorge and body surfed down it, something I'm sure that the U.S.'s...

Edamame Dip: August 6, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Beans, Lunch Box, Party Food, Picnic Food, Season: Anytime, Snack
Our children love edamame. My theory is that any food that they can eat with their fingers is immediately enticing. And not only do we eat edamame with our hands, we also separate them from the pods, which requires squirting...

Smoky Deviled Eggs: July 9, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Egg, Picnic Food, Potluck Dish, Season: Summer
Gabe and Olivia are both big deviled egg fans. I used to be indifferent, but after tasting some really good versions, I'm a convert. I had been thinking about making a smoky version of deviled eggs, and when our neighbors...

Grilled Grape Leaves Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts, and Rosemary: June 8, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Farmers' Market Find, Party Food, Season: Spring
A few weeks back, my sister, Sarah, (who I have written about before, she of Black Ankle Vineyards fame) sent me a flyer saying that Maryland's Governor, Martin O'Malley, is hosting a "Buy Local Cookout" and inviting Maryland cooks and...

Radish Tartines: June 4, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Farmers' Market Find, Lunch Box, Out of the Mouths of Babes, Picnic Food, Radish, Season: Spring, Snack
This time of year, radishes are abundant at the farmer's market. Some have a kick to them, and some are mild, like my favorites, the white-tipped French breakfast radishes. We eat them in salads of course, but one of our...

Asparagus with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette: May 19, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Asparagus, Farmers' Market Find, Picnic Food, Potluck Dish, Salad, Season: Spring, Shallot
I love this time of the year at the farmer's market. Every time I go, there is something new making its appearance for the season. When I first saw asparagus there a couple of weeks ago, I nearly did a...

Basil Hummus: May 14, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Beans, Lunch Box, Potluck Dish, Season: Anytime
When it comes to hummus, we are a house divided. Olivia and Chloe are fans, and Chloe in particular is loving her hummus lately. Oscar has just decided that he doesn't like it. We have tried many varieties of hummus...

Mom's Cheese Spread: March 7, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Lunch Box, Party Food, Season: Anytime, Snack
As long as I can remember, my mom has made a delicious cheese spread. It is a richly flavored, creamy spread for bread or crackers. I have never been able to distinguish the individual flavors of the cheeses, but they...

Suppli: February 5, 2009
Categories: Appetizer, Easy to Freeze, Party Food, Rice, Season: Anytime
As promised, here is a recipe for leftover risotto (for a risotto recipe, see here). This little ball of wonder is one of our favorite treats. It is a small ball of fried risotto with hot, melted mozzarella inside. In...