Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (41 page)

That’s where these recipes come in. They’ll tell you what you need to know to serve “heavy apps” to your friends. To supplement them, consider other ideas from elsewhere in this book, repurposed as party food—ideas like Roasted Fingerlings (Chapter 7: Sides), mini meatballs (see Chapter 3: Pastas), teriyaki chicken wings (see Chapter 6: Chicken, Fish, and Meat), and Parmesan Fricos (Chapter 1: Soups).

All of these recipes are easy to pull off, and most can be done ahead of time. Make one or two, or make a bunch, and you’ll find yourself having one of those evenings where everyone’s feeling happy and full, and you unanimously decide not to go out to dinner after all.

pesto

Fresh pesto is available in grocery stores, but if you have a blender or a food processor, and fresh basil is abundant, it’s much cheaper to make your own. This keeps for weeks, or even months, if you keep the top sealed with a layer of olive oil, and you store it in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Use it on any dish (and on several of these Party Snacks!) where basil and garlic are already welcome.

Place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor or blender, and pulverize. Keep the machine running while you drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream. When you have a smooth paste (seconds later), transfer to a bowl (being sure you scrape every last bit from the blender or food processor) and stir in the cheese. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid, and smooth the top surface of the pesto. Drizzle in enough olive oil to seal the surface, cover, and refrigerate until use.

GET CREATIVE

• Use a high-quality olive oil.
  
• You can blend 1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts (raw or lightly toasted) into the basil and garlic.
  
• Add some salt and pepper to taste.
  

crostini, any style (little italian toasts)

Makes 12 crostini; serves 4 as an appetizer

I
n Italy, toast isn’t relegated to the breakfast table. Slices of toasted bread are served as an appetizer, antipasto, or midday snack. Sometimes they’re rubbed with garlic and given a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper and maybe some chopped tomatoes and basil. That’s bruschetta (“brus-ketta”). Then there are small slices of toasted bread, spread with savory toppings. Those are crostini (you can pronounce that). Here’s how to make them, plus a few ideas for things to put on top. It’s fun to serve a big platter of them with a bunch of different toppings. Use good bread (somewhat stale is okay, and this is a nice way to use up a day-old baguette), watch it carefully when toasting, so it doesn’t burn, and you can’t go wrong. A pastry brush comes in handy here.

1.
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven (or toaster oven) to 350°F. Line a baking tray with foil.

2.
Combine the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl.

3.
Lightly brush the bread on both sides with the olive oil–garlic mixture. Arrange the bread slices on the prepared tray. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the bread is lightly toasted. (Keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t burn.)

4.
Remove the tray from the oven, and let the crostini cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Top with any of the toppings listed at the right.

bocconcini skewers (fresh mozzarella balls with basil and tomatoes)

Makes 10 to 20 skewers

S
trikingly simple, this little craft project will only be as good as the few ingredients involved. So choose the freshest mozzarella balls (bocconcini), the sweetest possible cherry tomatoes, and the perkiest basil leaves. There. I’ve just given you the entire recipe! Obviously, it’s a great point of entry for beginners. You can buy cool wooden cocktail picks at any kitchen store and at some specialty grocery stores. Or just use regular toothpicks. How many pieces of cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves you put on each serving is up to you and depends on their size.

If you’re serving this with pesto and you’re making it from scratch, you can prepare it well ahead of time (see Chapter 8: Party Snacks).

1.
Skewer 1 or 2 cheese balls, tomatoes, and individual basil leaves on each cocktail skewer.

2.
Arrange the skewers on a serving plate. If you like, place a dish of pesto in the center for dipping.

GET CREATIVE

• Drizzle the skewers with high-quality olive oil and sprinkle on some freshly grated black pepper, plus a pinch of dried oregano and/or thyme.
  
• Wrap the mozzarella balls and tomatoes with small pieces of prosciutto.
  

guacamole

Makes 4 to 6 servings

A
uthentic guacamole is a simple thing—just ripe avocado with a few discreet touches of seasoning. Although best known as a dip for chips, guacamole is tremendously versatile as a colorful accompaniment to many savory dishes, especially those featuring eggs, beans, tomatoes, or cornmeal. This is best right after it’s made, so try to prepare it at the last minute.

1.
Pour the lemon or lime juice into a medium-sized bowl.

2.
Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits (see “About Avocados,” opposite), and use a soup spoon to scoop the flesh into the bowl.

3.
Use a fork to slowly mash the avocado into the juice, adding the salt and cumin as you go. When the avocado reaches your desired consistency (lumps are fine), stir in the onion, cilantro, and tomato or salsa. Add the cayenne. Serve right away.

ABOUT AVOCADOS

Buy avocados that feel heavy and firm. If they’re hard as a rock in the store, they’ll be perfect in about 3 days (2 days if the weather is hot). If they’re only slightly soft and have just the slightest amount of give when gently squeezed, they’re ready to use today. If they’re much softer than that, they’re past their prime. Store avocados in a dark, cool place, but not in the refrigerator (tropical fruit never likes to be refrigerated). To ripen them, store them in a paper bag at room temperature. To remove the pit, carefully cut the avocado in half, running a sharp knife around the pit. Twist the halves to pull them apart. Use a spoon to scoop out the pit. Pull off the skin (it should come off easily) and cut or mash the flesh. To keep it from turning brown, cover the flesh with some fresh lemon or lime juice as soon as possible. (Best to have the juice ready and waiting before you cut the avocado.)