Ingredient Title Chef Category

Appe-teasers

It takes a little time for the crowd to gather before a large dinner party but everyone comes with their appetite in place, sniffing the air for good smells. To keep the hungry hoards happy until the serious eating begins, here are a few finger foods worth the time and trouble. One that seems very special is cheese straws.

Frozen puff pastry has revolutionized the making cheese straws. The job used to tie you down for half a day but today it is a lot of fun without a lot of work. There are a lot of variations on the cheese straw theme. Here are a few for your playtime pleasure.

PUFF PASTRY STRAWS

Can be made two days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature. Frozen they keep almost forever.

1 sheet puff pastry (l/2 a package), at room temperature
1 large egg, beaten
Filling (see below)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

Preheat oven to 400 F.; butter 2 cookie sheets. Unfold pastry sheet and lay flat on a lightly floured board. Roll into a thin 10 x 14-inch rectangle; cut in half crosswise. Lightly brush both halves with egg. Sprinkle one half evenly with filling mix. Set remaining half, egg side down, over filling mix, aligning edges. Gently roll to seal layers without enlarging the rectangle. Cut the rectangle lengthwise into l/2-inch wide strips. Brush tops lightly with more egg. Sprinkle strips evenly with salt; with your hand press salt lightly into surface of puff pastry. One at a time, pick up strips by both ends, twist in opposite directions, and transfer to baking sheets, placing strips about l l/2-inches apart. Press ends onto sheets. Bake until crisp and lightly browned, 8 to 13 minutes, switching pan positions halfway through baking. Let straws cool about 1 minute on sheets, then, with a wide spatula, loosen while still warm and transfer to cooling rack. If straws stick, return pans briefly to oven to reheat. Serve warm or cool. Makes 14 straws.

CHEESE FILLINGS FOR PASTRY STRAWS

Combine ingredients well for whichever cheese you choose to use before sprinkling over the puff pastry.

* Classic Cheddar - 3/4 cup sharp cheese and l/4 teaspoon cayenne.
* Italian Parmesan - 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, l/4 cup yellow cornmeal, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon each of dried basil and dried oregano).
* Blue Cheese - 1/3 cup butter or margarine (at room temperature), 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese and 2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds or walnuts (optional).
* Mexican Cheese - 1/2 cup finely shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon chili powder.

MARINATED BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES

Fancy flavor but quickly made, these little nibbles look as good as they taste. Small jars filled with them make nice gifts or party favors.

4 ounces oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
l/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (6 ounces) olives, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon or more, red pepper flakes

Chop tomatoes and mix with garlic and salt. Add remaining ingredients and marinate for at least 3 hours. Store in refrigerator. Double recipe for a big group.

GOAT CHEESE WITH LEMON

A simple, interesting spread for guests to use on crackers.

1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 1/2 ounces soft goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives

Whisk sour cream and lemon juice until mixture resembles heavy cream. Let stand until thickened, about 20 minutes. Place cheese on serving dish and pour lemon cream over the cheese. Sprinkle with chives.

HERBED BREAD CHIPS

Very thin slices of French bread are tossed with butter and herbs then baked to a golden crisp.

1 pound loaf French bread
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 clove, pressed
1 teaspoon parsley flakes, or use finely chopped fresh
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
l/2 teaspoon dried sage
l/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 F. Slice bread (an electric knife works well) into l/8-inch thick slices Place bread slices in a large mixing bowl. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over bread slices; toss well to coat. Spread on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 40 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks. Makes 9 cups.

BON APPETITE! AND, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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