ISO: ISO finger appetizers for wine tasting party. (m)

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barb_b

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Looking for finger appetizers that would work for a wine tasting party for 6 neighboors. We are by no means experienced in wine. (Although, we all enjoy drinking it!!)

We are certainly not good with pairing, so that would not be an issue....Just some fun, finger appetizers that aren't too heavy or wouldn't distract from our task at hand...Come up with cool words to describe what we are drinking...

We will be serving both white and red.

Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated. Alternatively, if you have great ideas for pairing wine with apps, I am all for learning! We are an easy group.

Last month was our first time getting together, we served some Chateanuef de Pape, white burgandy, etc. We rationalize the cost of wine for the amount of $$ to go out to dinner...

Would appreciate your help!

Regards,

Barb

 
Salmon Canapes, Blue Cheese Broiled Tomatoes, Bruschetta With Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese,

Tortilla-Basil Pinwheels, Flatbread With Caramelized Onions and Cheese.

The first three are T&T, and the last two have gotten great reviews. Let me know if you want me to post any of these.

 
I like boiling very small red potatoes, scooping out the flesh with....

a melon ball scoop and filling the potatoes with any mixture you like, such as goat cheese and basil, or cream cheese and smoked salmon, or cream cheese and gorgonzola. I also like small squares of bruschetta with a few different spreads people can choose themselves.

 
For a Rose tasting party last Saturday I made Figs w/Goat Cheese and Peppered Honey

see post #3597

It was a big hit, we had lots of food there, perhaps some of the other items might give you some inspiration:

* cherry tomatoes stuffed with Rondele (it was home made but you get the idea
* mini quiches, carmelized onion with blue cheese and mushroom with swiss (homemade, I've requested the recipe!)
* white bean spread with pureed sundried tomatoes and pita breads to dip - very garlicy and wonderful
* a ham with parker house rolls and lots of mustards, my favorite was the orange zinfandel mustard
* a fig and balsamic vinegar spread (homemade, I've requested the recipe)
* a great assortment of blue cheeses - stilton, castel, blue bries, and some others

My friend does lots of these parties, one a year with a varietal theme. Everyone is asked to bring a nice bottle for the theme and an appetizer if possible. The Rose theme was really fun, and a long time ago another friend did a Rose party with salsas, everyone had to bring a different salsa (I brought black bean with papaya), and that was a really fun party too. Usually though, we go through the Rhone varietals, and once a year in September we have a jug wine festival at a nearby beach, you can win an award for the cheapest wine.

The point being, that any kind of wine goes with any food, the only food that's hard to pair is artichokes. Based on our past parties and consumption, and that no one really likes to dump their wine, I would recommend one hearty heavy appetizer to help fill everyone up and mitigate tipsiness (and organize taxi rides home and/or special treats for the designated drivers! Chris gave out small boxes of chocolates to the DD's this time - Godiva was having a sale!).

Have fun, and please let us know what you pour and what you end up making!

 
Not sure if this is helpful, here are my notes for fun appetizers:

I keep this running list because I find coming up with ideas appetizers very challenging and this helps a lot!

Cocktail Party Ideas:
Hot: Welsh rarebit souffles - cut small
-peanut chicken skewers
-puff pastry squares, dollop of pesto, 1/2 cherry tomato, more pesto, asparagus tip, cheese - bake till pastry is gold & cheese melted
-mini eggs florentine

Cold: fig wedges w/basil leaf & wrapped w/proccuito w/toothpick
-chicken liver pate
-stuffed cherry tomatoes w/herbed goat cheese
-parmesan leaves
-asparagus fritata
-cherry tomatoes, bocconchini & basil skewers
-bruchetta: tomato chopped fine, shallot basil garlic lemon juice
- shrimp cucumber disks
wines & champagne
mineral H2O

Dessert:
mini lemon curd tarts
strawberry tart

Cocktail party 2 (from You're Invited):

cucumber cups w/creme fresh, 5 pepper oil & cavair

tuna tartar in wasabi mayo in avocado shells

veggie kabobs on rosemary skewers

chicken skewers

herbed flat breads: pita breads brushed w/olive oil, chopped fresh herbs, parmesan, bake @ 350

watermelon water: crushed ice, mint - muddle then add lime juice, then sugar & cubed watermelon - stir well & chill, strin into glass garnished w/watermelon spear.

 
how about Poor Man's Päté de Foie Gras

Poor Man's Päté de Foie Gras
based on recipe by Morrison Wood in Cooking With Wine


1/2 lb. liverwurst sausage
1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese
4 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/3 cup cream
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dry sherry wine
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper .
Tiny pinch cayenne pepper
Tiny pinch grated nutmeg

With a fork mash and blend the sausage, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and cream. Then add the remaining ingredients, blending everything thoroughly (an Osterizer electric blender does the job perfectly). Let chill in the refrigerator before serving.

I might say, due to the difference in curry powders, that you should start with 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder, and taste. If necessary, add a little more, pinch by pinch, until you have the right effect. The curry powder should not be discernible, as such.

At La Maison Wood, when we dine en famille, we always have two cocktails apiece an hour or so before dinner. With the cocktails we sometimes munch on a few nuts, sometimes on a little garlic cheese or anchovy cheese, (these are packaged commercially, and are really excellent) spread on crackers, and sometimes on our .own special canapés. They are the most taste-teasing, tantalizing, and terrific canap6s I have ever tasted (I know I'm immodest, but please forgive me). But one needs real will power to keep from devouring several, and thereby spoiling one's dinner. Take my advice, and don't make more than three apiece.

 
REC: These are so easy and so good, even my ***** mother liked them...

Bacon Crisp Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Yield: 24 bacon crisps
User Rating:

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 sleeve buttery rectangular crackers (recommended: Waverly Wafers)
1 pound sliced bacon, cut in 1/2

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Place 1 teaspoon of the cheese on each cracker and wrap tightly with
a strip of bacon. Place the wrapped crackers on a broiler rack on a
baking sheet and put the baking sheets on the oven rack. Bake for 2
hours, or until the bacon is done. Do not turn. Drain on paper
towels. Serve hot or at room temperature

Cook's note: You can also bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes if
you're in a hurry!


Episode#: PA0509
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

 
I had to go look up my bad words list for that one, and none of them are synonyms for lovely! ;o)

I have no problem with the word b-i-t-c-h-y (did I guess right?) but the system blocks out any derivative of the root profanity. Sorry. :eek:)

 
Rec: Domaine Chandon Cheese Spread

Domaine Chandon Cheese Spread

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled blue cheese, room temperature
1 to 3 tablespoons toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Sourdough or French bread baguette slices

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together cream cheese, blue cheese, walnuts, chives, and parsley; don't over mix. Serve with toasted thin-sliced sourdough or French bread. Also great with crackers, particularly the whole wheat ones which come in the Pepperidge Farm Cracker Quartet.

Source: a friend brought this to a recent picnic in the wine country....delicious. It’s especially nice made with Point Reyes bleu cheese.

 
Rec: Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

7 oz. roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
6 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 plus cup olive oil (original recipe was 1/3 cup, I start with 1/4 and add more if needed)
1/4 cup drained capers
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in processor. Process using on/off turns until mixture is well blended and finely chopped (not too fine, leave a little texture). Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 1 3/4 cups. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Pat's notes: At a wine tasting in the Napa Valley the William Hill Winery offered a sampler plate of goodies to nibble on while tasting their wines. I particularly enjoyed this tapenade so when I returned home I called to ask for the recipe which they graciously shared. The tapenade on a plate with some sliced smoked cheese like Muenster, a wedge of incredibly good creamy blue cheese, and some thinly-sliced lightly toasted baguettes, plain crackers, and a bowl of delicious green olives (with pits).

It’s good with fresh veggies or on baguette slices but I think I like it best on toasted crostini.

Source: William Hill Winery, Napa, CA (learned later the recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine, 3/96)

Crostini:
1 loaf of french baguette cut into 1/4 to 3/8-inch slices
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (sometimes I add a small garlic clove crushed and let sit a few minutes in the olive oil to infuse the garlic flavor)

Preheat oven to 375º. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and with a pastry brush, brush oil onto the bread rounds. Bake in the middle rack of the oven about 6-7 minutes or until lightly golden. Turn the slices over, brush again with oil, and bake another few minutes, or until golden.
Allow the crostini to cool to room temperature, then serve or place in ziplock bag or airtight container for future use.

 
No, but here's one with clams>>>

Clam-stuffed Mushrooms
(Funghie Imbottiti Vongole)

24 medium mushrooms (about 1 lb.)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 can (6-1/2 oz.) minced clams, drained
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. minced Italian parsley leaves
1 Tbs. minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried, crumbled
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil

1 bunch curly parsley (garnish)

Ajust oven rack to upper portion of oven and preheat to 450*F.

Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth. Snap out stems, trim ends and chop finely in a processor

Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add chopped mushroom stems and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to bowl and add remaining ingredients, except olive oil; mix well.

Fill mushroom caps with mixture, mounding in center.

Arrange on a cookie sheet and drizzle 1/4 tsp. olive oil over each. Bake until lightly golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Arrange parsley on a flat platter and place mushrooms on top; serve immediately.

from Italian Family Cooking by Anne Casale

 
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