Ingredient Title Chef Category

Love at first bite

Food traditions are important but it is fun to breathe some excitement into time honored nibbles by adding new (or old) twists. The period between Christmas and New Years is Party Time with a capital P and a capital T. Here are a few ideas to feed the multitudes of party friends poised to see in 2007 with you.

Humus

This chick-pea (garbanzo bean) based Middle-Eastern dip for either fresh or toasted Pita bread is also a great dip for raw vegetables, used as a salad dressing or spread on sandwich fillings. You can buy it ready made or make it yourself from canned chick-peas or garbanzo beans.

1 1/2 cups dried chick-peas, soaked overnight
Coarse salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup sesame seed paste (tahini)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, or more
Cayenne or hot Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil

Place soaked and drained chick-peas in a saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Bring to a boil; skim, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover, cook over medium heat about 1 1/2 hours until chick-peas are very soft. Drain chick-peas, reserving cooking liquid. Meanwhile, crush garlic and salt until a puree is formed. Transfer to food processor, add sesame seed paste (tahini) and lemon juice, and process until well mixed. Add 1/2 cup cold water or reserved chick-pea liquid and process until smooth. Add more salt and lemon juice, to taste. The humus can be kept in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator for a week. Serve chilled or at room temperature with a pinch of hot paprika, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Makes about 4 cups.

Nutty Grapes

Pretty and easy-to-make. You make them with walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or pistachios. The green pistachios seem especially appropriate during the holidays.

1/2 pound seedless red or green grapes
1 log (6 or 8 ounces) soft goat cheese
Small amount of cream, if needed
3/4 cup shelled nuts
Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash and thoroughly dry the grapes and pick off the stems. Add a small amount of cream to cheese if it is not pliable. Working one by one, wrap each grape with a thin layer of cheese and set on a rimmed baking sheet or a large platter. Lightly toast nuts by placing on a rimmed baking sheet and putting in oven for about 10 minutes, being careful not to burn the nuts. Let cool a few minutes. (If you are in a big rush, you can skip this step and use the nuts untoasted.) Finely grind them but be careful not to turn them into nut butter. Spread the nuts on a plate and, one by one, turn the cheese-covered grapes in the nuts to coat lightly. Place grapes in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, to set and chill. Garnish with a few grinds from a pepper mill.

7-Layer Mediterranean Dip

Buy humus or make your own from recipe above. Serve with toasted pita, see recipe below., or store-bought pita chips.

1 1/2 cups humus
3/4 cup peeled and finely diced cucumbers
3/4 cup shredded romaine or other hard lettuce
3/4 cup diced red onions
34 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced olives, preferably kalamata or other Mediterranean olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a 9- by 13-inch dish, spread the humus in an even layer. Add layers in the following order: cucumber, romaine, onions, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. Makes l6 or more servings.

Easy Pita Chips

8 pita rounds, 6- to 8-inches each
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut pita rounds into 8 triangles each, brush with combined olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake until golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Baked Brie with Honey & Brown Sugar

This is gooey and delicious. Serve with crackers, French bread or crostini (thin slices of French bread toasted).

1 pound Brie cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place Brie in a small, shallow baking dish, such as a pie pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and drizzle honey on top and around sides. Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and gooey. Serve with crackers, thinly sliced French bread, fresh or toasted. Makes 8 servings.

Toasts with Creme Fraiche & Smoked Salmon

Pumpernickel and rye cocktail breads are a wonderful base for small open-face sandwiches. A smidgen of cheese, tiny shrimp, any kind of fish, including tuna, can be used with a little glue made of mayonnaise, sour cream, or any other binder you can think of to make the toping hold together and cling to the bread.

8 slices cocktail bread, cut in half diagonally
1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons snipped chives or parsley
Coarse salt and pepper
4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into l6 2-inch squares
Snipped chives, parsley or a tiny bit of lemon, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Put pumpernickel triangles on a sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes. Set aside. Mix the crème fraiche with the chives and season to taste with salt, pepper and dill (optional). Top each toast with about 1 teaspoon of the crème fraiche mixture, a rolled piece of salmon and garnish with snipped chives or parsley. Makes 16 toasts.

Quick Shrimp Skewers

So simple when you use frozen shrimp and prepared pesto sauce.
8 wooden skewers, soaked in warm water
24 medium shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deveined, with tails on
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce

Season shrimp lightly with salt and pepper. Thread each skewer with three shrimp, and coat well with pesto. Grill on medium for 1 minute on each side, or cook on grill pan over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Serves 8.

Happiness & Peace to all!

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