recipephile

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

If you are a frequent reader of Recipephile than you have heard me chat about Mrs. Conomos and her culinary influences. She brings out the Greek in my cooking. Greece, as many know, is famous for its olives, especially the Kalamata. Its briney goodness is often found in salads, but this recipe is a simple twist that is great on everything from bruschetta to pizza.

Take about 2 cups of pitted Kalamata Olives and place them into a food processor with 3 cloves of chopped garlic and about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Give it a whir until the mixture is somewhat smooth.

As an appetizer, the best way to serve this is to get a long baguette and slice it into very thin pieces (on the bias cause it is looks better that way). Place on a cookie sheet and toast in a 400 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.

Arrange the toasts on a platter with the Kalamata tapenade in the center and serve.

Proscuitto and Arugula Rolls

One Christmas my mother and I were preparing to make lunch for ourselves. Both of us had a hankering for a proscuitto sandwich with arugula and parmegianno regianno. My parents love to make this sandwich. They use a braided Italian roll from Breadworks in Pittsburgh, PA, put a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper on the roll along with the prosucitto, arugula and cheese. The sandwich is divine and of course, so easy to make.

So on this lovely holiday afternoon we were all ready to build the perfect sandwich when we realized that all the rolls had been eaten. No other suitable alternatives in site we decided to forego the bread (note that this was before the Atkins craze), roll the proscuitto around the arugula and include a little piece of parmegianno reggiano inside.

We arranged them on a platter, grabbed a glass of red wine and ate them all up. That same evening we were hosting a party and decided to serve our newly discovered appetizer to our friends. They were gone in minutes and soon mom had me in the kitchen rolling more.

You can use domestic proscuitto and domestic parmegian cheese, but the imported is really the best.

Giant Beans with Lemony Marinara

This recipe is adapted from a dish at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. Chez Nous, a French Meditteranean restaurant on Fillmore, make some of the most delicious tapas. While visiting Tuscany with my parents and friends last fall we happended upon the giant corona beans that are the "meat" of this dish and I was compelled to try my hand at recreating this deliciously fresh dish. If corona beans are not available you may also try using butter beans. Search online for the beans and I am sure you will find them. Or visit your local Italian, Greek or gourmet specialy shop and you just may find the beans you've been looking for.

Cherry Tomatoes, Olive Oil and Salt...

That's right folks. This recipe consists of cherry tomatoes olive oil and salt. Grab yourself a container of small cherry tomatoes at the grocery or farmers market. Take about 3 tbsp of olive oil and about 1 tbsp of kosher salt or Fleur de Sel. Mix and serve with fancy toothpicks so people's fingers won't get all oily.

I must give my friends Tim and Landis credit for this simply delicious recipe. One evening in their home they served to a group of friends and it was gone in minutes. These tasty tomatoes are now a staple on just about every crudite platter that I put together.

If you can find baby teardrop heirlooms the taste is even better. You can also use flavored salts like rosemary and/or lavendar salt.

Michael's Recommendation:
While Jerry is away in Italy we've called upon Michael Musgrove to help us with wine recommendations. Michael works at Swirl and also consults with local San Francisco restaurants on their wine lists. Here is what he thinks you should be drinking with this appetizer: Pretty Sally Estate Rose (Cabernet Sauvignon), Victoria, Australia, 2006 $17.00 - a dry rose works really well with raw tomatoes.

Salmon Salad Wrapped in Lettuce Leaves...

Salmon has been part of my diet lately as I am trying to shed some pounds and eat healthier foods (the late nigh slice of pizza was just not cutting it anymore). So each day for lunch I pan fry a piece of salmon with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and serve it over fresh carrots and cucumber. The salad is dressed with rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and is absolutely delicious. A variation of this recipe became an appetizer recently. Lettuce cups with chicken (I call them chicken tacos) seem to be all the rage these days. When you have them in a restaurant they tend to be oily and laced with sodium. So I took the concept and applied it to my salmon salad. You will like this one and your guests will thank you for making healthy apps.

Easy Spicy Cheese Dip

This will probably be one of the shortest entries in the history of RecipePhile. This dip has been a staple at family events for years and is probably one of the easiest appetizers EVER. Get yourself a can of Ro*Tel Tomatoes and Green Chilis and a box of Velveeta Cheese (16 oz.). Pour the Ro*Tel into a microwavable safe dish and toss in the Veleveeta (you may want to cut it into chunks). Microwave until smooth and creamy and serve with tortilla chip. You can also use a double boiler if, like me, you do not own a microwave.

My favorite variation on this dish is to get flour tortillas, cut them into small triangle rounds and then deep fry until golden brown. This little trick is uber fattening and uber delicious.

Michael's Recommendation:
While Jerry is away in Italy we've called upon Michael Musgrove to help us with wine recommendations. Michael works at Swirl and also consults with local San Francisco restaurants on their wine lists. Here is what he thinks you should be drinking with this appetizer: Santino Old Vine Zinfandel, Amador County, CA, 2003, $14.99 - a rich & bold zin is perfect with creamy cheeses and spicy chilies.

Chopped Chicken Salad in Endive Cups

So many people I know love roasted chicken, but are so afraid to do it themselves in fear that it will come out of the oven dry and flavorless. There are so many easy ways to roast a chicken, but one of the easiest is to have your Supermarket do it for you. My local grocery does a great job of roasting chickens and for a price that is usually below $10 it is totally affordable.

What I usually do is eat half of the chicken at lunch and dinner and use the other half for an appetizer that I absolutely love.

Easy Marinated Mushrooms

If you've read RecipePhile for a while you likely know who Janet Conomos is. Extraordinary next door neighbor with a real flair for all things eipcurean... Especially those that Greek related. She taught me how to make fantastic grape leaves, tarama (fish roe dip) and her ever popular lemon chicken. When I told her that I was attempting to gather 365 easy appetizer recipes together she stepped up to the plate and sent me a few. So each time I use one of her recipes you will know! Enjoy. This one is delicious.

Deviled Shrimp

While I was growing up my mother and father entertained quite a bit. This is where my brother, sister and I get our love for cooking and entertaining. One party staple was my mother's Deviled Shrimp. This appetizer is so very easy to prepare and is loved by everyone that sinks their teeth into the lemony shrimp and sweet red onions.

Mushroom Duxelle

I learned how to prepare this dish while I was working at the Fluted Mushroom, a catering company located in my home town of Pittsburgh, PA. At the time the executive chef, Tony, was one of my favorite people to cook with. He was always teaching me new techniques and inspiring me to be creative. This was a staple at the Fluted Mushroom and is so so so easy to prepare. You can make this, stick it in the freezer and whip up a delicious appetizer in minutes.