Entries from Palmabella's Passions tagged with 'Appetizers'
Slow Bowl Smackdown: First Course
We began our Nor Cal menu with a Welcome Cocktail called a "S.F. Passion": 1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup 5 oz. Sonoma Brut Sparkling Wine 2 drops vanilla With the drinks, we served Michael Chiarello's popcorn with browned butter,...
More Gifts from the Kitchen
I found these cute little green holly-shaped ramekins, and made some delicious fig-goat cheese spread: 8 oz. goat cheese, room temp 4 oz cream cheese, room temp 14 dried figs, stemmed and finely chopped 1/3 c. toasted pecans 2...
Gifts from the Kitchen
I love to give home-made gifts! Besides those who get my cookie tins, I have some wonderful neighbors on my list of special people I want to give a little something to. I baked these simple Parmigiano "Cookies" (FABULOUS with...
Nobody Does it Better
You have seen photos of lots of antipasti from Bologna, but these were presented for a small group at the Hotel Du Lac's bar in Varenna. A lovely and colorful summer feast!...
Artichoke Frittata
I made this artichoke frittata appetizer for my friend who was going straight to an Italian dinner party from the airport. Her husband brought me the ingredients on Friday, and picked up his patter with the appetizers on his...
Slow Bowl 2011 Food: Cheese Puffs
I've been cooking and baking for this year's Slow Bowl weekend. Friday night's smackdown has a "Retro" theme, so my appetizers are "Cheese Puffs", a big hit from the 50's and 60's. I decided on these as a good "make...
Hot Fennel Dip
I tried this out on Jerry and Paul last night. We all agreed it is a real keeper. How can you go wrong with fennel, bacon and gorgonzola? It can be made ahead, in the morning, then just bake it...
Favorite Photos and Requested Recipes
Here are just a FEW favorite shots of the weekend in San Diego! I have hundreds, and love them ALL. Then a few of the most requested recipes: After cooking all day, we needed wine, good food and friends in...
Sunday Small Bites # 16: Eggplant
Roasted Eggplant Dip based on a recipe from Barefoot Contessa 2 eggplant, peeled, and cut into 1" cubes 2 red bell peppers, seeded, and cut into 1" pieces 1 red onion, cut into 1" chunks 3 cloves of garlic, minced...
Sunday Small Bites #15: Artichokes
I had leftover hot crab dip. I wanted an easy artichoke small bite, so I stuffed canned artichoke bottoms with my crab dip! Bake at 350 for 10 min. on a sprayed baking sheet, and put under the broiler...
Sunday Small Bites: # 14: BRIE
I decided to keep it simple, as I was in the middle of 20 dozen sugar cookies on Brie Day! Here is all you need for this appetizer: 1 wedge of brie 4 T. melted butter 8-10 sheets of phyllo...
Sunday Small Bites #13: POTATOES
I enjoyed finding something new and small to do with potatoes. This makes enough filling for 24 red creamer potatoes. Preheat oven to 350. Brush potatoes with olive oil and bake them for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. I baked...
Sunday Small Bites #12: CRANBERRIES
I chose this recipe from Ocean Spray for "Cranberry-Gorzonzola Appetizer Tart". This sounded good, and I had all the ingredients except the fresh cranberries and their recommended tart shell using a refrigerated pie crust. Well, there were two "firsts" for...
Sunday Small Bites #11: GINGER
I chose this week's ingredient: GINGER. I love the taste of fresh ginger, and thought it would be interesting to see what people came up with for appetizers. I tried two different combinations of tastes. The first are curried lamb...
Sunday Small Bites #10: Mushrooms
Everyone had so much fun last week with olives, I decided to go all out and do mushrooms THREE ways. I LOVE all kinds of mushrooms, but used only portobello or baby bellas for these recipes. Thank you, Candi,...
Dinner with Diana and Walt
We had a wonderful evening with our neighbors, Diana and Walt, and another couple, Cindy and Don at their home one street behind us. Appetizers included spicy pecans (recipe below), endive with blue cheese spread and bruschetta with mozzarella, tomatoes...
Sunday Small Bites #9: Olives
I really despise olives, ALL KINDS of olives, but, alas, my friend, Jerry chose olives as this week's ingredient, and I love Jerry to pieces, so after looking at olive recipes for months, I finally came up with something...
Sunday Small Bites #8: PUMPKIN
This week, Deborah chose a seasonal ingredient of pumpkin. I love pumpkin, especially in savory dishes, (not big on pumpkin pie). I made pumpkin-polenta bites, and pumpkin-peanut butter soup. In a 9x13 pyrex baking dish, stir together: 6 c. water...
Sunday Small Bites # 7: PECANS
I really enjoyed finding a recipe for this week's ingredient chosen by Sheri. I love the sweet taste and texture of pecans, and always keep a bag in my freezer. I decided to make ice box crackers with pecans...
Sunday Small Bites #6: Smoked Salmon
Marcia chose this week's ingredient: Smoked Salmon. I made a very simple version of deviled eggs with cream cheese, garnished with smoked salmon and dill. Creamy Deviled Eggs with Salmon: 8 hard boiled eggs 2 oz. cream cheese 2...
Sunday Small Bites #5: Goat Cheese
I kept it quick and easy this week. It was a delicious result I took to a friend's house on Saturday. Figs with Goat Cheese: 4 oz. goat cheese, softened 3 T. lemon honey zest from one lemon crumbled...
Sunday Small Bites #4: Avocado
I have NEVER eaten an avocado. If we go to a Mexican restaurant, I specifically ask that no guacamole touch my plate. Brad went to the store, chose, cut and tasted this avocado. He will also be the one...
Sunday Small Bites: #3: Sun Dried Tomatoes
As many of you know, I am not a huge tomato fan. This year (after continually trying), I have added small, sweet, baby tomatoes to what I will eat. Sundried tomatoes are not an ingredient I ever cook with,...
Sunday Small Bites # 2: Crab
I have always wanted to make crab and cream cheese wontons. I ordered them once in a restaurant, and thought they were delicious. After a little research, I found most recipes are actually called "Crab Rangoon". I used this...
Sunday Small Bites #1: SHRIMP
For my shrimp appetizer, I made "Morton's Steakhouse Shrimp Alexander" from copykat.com. Here is the recipe: 4 oz. melted butter or margarine Prepared bread crumbs (see below) 1 lb. jumbo shrimp (8-12) to the pound 1 C. plain bread...
Parmesan-Paprika "Biscuits"
It occurred to me this morning, that cooking really is magical. It is creative like any art form. You start out and you have nothing, except some ingredients in the pantry or fridge. You grab a few things, and stir...
"Clean Out the Fridge" Wontons
What to have for dinner? I diced one pork chop into tiny pieces, and sauteed it in a little sesame oil. Into the food processor went: a handful of baby carrots 1 zucchini half a portobello mushroom 1 green onion...
Holiday Dinner Party '08
Friday night we hosted our annual dinner with friends, Jan and Les and Fiona and Steve. They are all leaving for the holidays, so we needed to have it early in the month. The trees were all lit, plenty of...
More Party Recipes
Shrimp Dip This is a no-brainer! 8 oz. cream cheese (softened) 1 pint sour cream 2 packages of powdered Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix 1 pound salad shrimp (bay shrimp) Mix together the night before to let it get "friendly"....
Spicy Corn Salad and Hot Artichoke Dip Recipes
Spicy Corn Salad (Brad grilled 12 ears and tripled everything except the cheese.) 4 ears of corn, grilled and cooled 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 of a red onion, chopped zest of 2 limes juice...
Ham, Gruyere & Honey Mustard Palmiers
Here's another do-ahead appetizer. The recipe didn't SAY I could do them ahead, but we shall see. Ham, Gruyere & Honey-Mustard Palmiers (adapted from a recipe from "The Best of Fine Cooking: APPETIZERS" magazine) 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed...
Sausage Bundles
Here is another do-ahead appetizer that is filling my freezer. "Sausage Bundles" Saute mushrooms (I used baby bellas) in a little olive oil with salt, pepper, and a few red pepper flakes. Drain. Brown Italian sausage (I used half regular,...
An Old Standby
Last week I remembered a VERY old do-ahead appetizer recipe I haven't made in at least 10 years. i know I haven't made them since I moved to the desert 9 years ago, but I used to always have some...
A Lovely Dinner
Last night I had the pleasure of hosting a dinner for 10 people who are colleagues as well as new friends at the non-profit agency where I am now supervising the professional counseling services in Palm Desert. Catholic Charities is...
Pork Tenderloin in Orange Caramel Sauce
I am on a caramel kick. Yesterday, I made a double batch of "Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream". When I decided to make a caramel cake with caramel-marscapone buttercream and butter-toffee crunch for my dinner party, i began to browse...
Taralli
This was the most EMOTIONAL recipe for me that the Sunday Slow Bakers have made yet. I grew up on taralli. (I don't remember a packaged cracker until I discovered Ritz in high school). I'm sure I must have...
Parmesan-Garlic Pull-Apart with Pancetta
Our "favorite neighbors", Diana and Walt, came over for dinner last night. I guess I need to add to my "You know you're a foodie when..." post the fact that Diana and I took at least 12 photos of food,...
Montisi Party Day: Part 1 Antipasti
It was Thursday, and party day, so this cook was up at 5:30. I owed Jerry and Paul a "breakfast in bed" from a lot of past teasing about not cooking Jerry a proper breakfast on the morning of...
Benvenuto a Montisi
Can it really be only 10 days ago we arrived in Montisi? I'll try to catch up! We left the Rome apartment knowing we would be back in our lovely neighborhood again another time. Massimo's driver loaded up all our...
Stuffed Pizza
In November, I blogged about the "5 Minute Bread". In the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007), there is a very similar recipe for pizza dough. This dough...
Book Club Holiday Lunch
This month , because everyone was busy, we wanted a short read. We decided to re-read (or read for the first time) Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". We were all glad we did and enjoyed reading it! Here was a fun...
Biscuit Experiment
Shannon posted a recipe for Cheddar-Date Biscuits on Slow Talk. I am not a big fan of dates (even though they are grown and sold everywhere here in the desert). I of course thought...FIGS! Cheese Date Biscuits! 1/2 c....
Tri-color Polenta Appetizers
We attended a birthday cocktail party last night, where I was to bring an appetizer. I wanted to try a new recipe. (From The Best of Fine Cooking: Appetizers Holiday 2007) Make a big pot of polenta. (8 c. water,...
Recipes: Onions, Fig Sauce and Brie
So far, the MOST requested recipe is for the Cippolini onion dish: I doubled this: 3 pounds cipolline onions, stem and root ends trimmed 1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon white wine...
Judith's Gorgonzola "Cookies"
I've been quietly scrapbooking a GTG album all week, as I have "cooked ahead" everything that can be cooked ahead. I had a large chunk of gorgonzola leftover from the ravioli, and remembered this great recipe I learned from Judith...
Panzarotti
This recipe is ambitious. If you have never made it before, you will have to get over two fears: 1. Fear of fillo dough (or phyllo) 2. Fear of using LOTS of butter These are crispy fillo dough triangles filled...
Pizza Rustica
Friday we leave for San Diego for a Slow Travel weekend. On Friday evening, we are looking forward to dinner with Jane and Ken. On Saturday, we will pick up Shannon, and meet Marcia and Dave, Cheryl and friends...
Recipes for Sheena
Hot Crab Dip: (I doubled this) 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 can crab 2 green onions, chopped 1 c. grated sharp cheddar 1/4 c. grated Romano cheese enough mayo to blend (1/2 c.) Black pepper Combine ingredients and...
Stuffed Pizza (Focaccia Farcita) "Palma Sunday" Treat
I tried this recipe from the March, 2007 Italia magazine. Dough: 2 t. dried yeast 350 ml water (Approx 11 oz.) 2 1/4 c. flour (500 g.) 1 1/2 t. salt 3 T. olive oil Filling: 8 oz. Gorgonzola...
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