Local Chefs Share Secrets For Holiday Appetizers

By Nancy K. Crevier

What makes the holidays special are the special foods that come out of the kitchen. People who like to cook and who like to eat always seem to have some particularly delicious appetizer or treat that shows up when holiday parties beckon. For some, it is the ease with which it is created that makes it a favorite. For others, it is a particular aroma or flavor that triggers a happy memory. Taking delight in others’ delight is a big part of what makes an appetizer a hit, too.

Newtown has a great number of wonderful cooks and chefs. Some are culinary professionals, others are just culinary protégées — the Martha Stewarts without the television show, cookbooks, or magazine. And one or two would confess to being slaves to Rachel Ray. A few of these kitchen wizards have agreed to give the gift of a favorite, quick holiday appetizer, shared with readers of The Bee.

Loree Ogan owns Loree’s Catering in Bethel, so she has a lot of practice whipping up party delights, but is always on the hunt for new recipes to add to her repertoire. Her Grissini Bacon Sticks are, by far, she said, “One of the most asked for hors d’oeuvres we make. It is also one of the simplest to make at home,” said Ms Ogan. It is a recipe she developed based on an appetizer she had several years ago at a restaurant, she said — with her own twist, of course. The second appetizer Ms Ogan agreed to share with Bee readers just shows that this chef never stops looking for that new idea. She credits her hairdresser, Kelly Parker, with the Gorgonzola Loaf recipe.

Grissini Bacon Strips

2 packages Grissini brand Italian bread sticks

1 lb bacon

1 C brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the bread sticks and cut in half – approximately 5 inches in length.

Cut bacon slices in half and twirl around the bread stick like the swirl of a candy cane.

Place brown sugar in a flat plate and swirl bacon covered stick in it.

Place on a well-greased cookie sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Serve immediately.

Gorgonzola Bread

1 four-ounce package crumbled gorgonzola cheese

4 Tbs butter

1 package refrigerated bread sticks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in oven in a 9–inch pie plate.

Remove from oven and sprinkle gorgonzola in pan.

Unwrap bread sticks, cut into thirds and top the cheese with pieces of the dough.

Return to oven and bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Invert the loaf onto a plate, and spread any leftover cheese onto the rolls. Serve warm.

Treading water can really work up an appetite, and C.H. Booth young adult librarian Margaret Brown’s super easy Holiday Triangles recipe comes from a fellow water aerobics class member. She counts on this appetizer when the busy season has Christmas dinner running a wee bit late.

“It’s fairly substantial,” she said of the treat. Ms Brown also loves a recipe she received from a friend for baked Brie.

Holiday Triangles

2 tubes crescent rolls

2 eight-ounce packages cream cheese

Toppings:

Red and green chopped bell pepper

Green olives with pimento

or sliced fruits or berries

Flatten rolls on baking sheets and bake according to directions. Cut each flat piece into three triangles.

Spread each triangle with cream cheese.

Sprinkle with holiday topping of your choice.

Baked Brie with Almonds and Honey

Select a pie plate or oven-proof shallow pan a bit larger than the wheel of brie selected. Put a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan and heat in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to warm the pan.

Remove top rind from cheese.

Pour water out of pan. Drizzle a small amount of honey in the bottom and place brie on top. Drizzle a bit more honey on top.

Bake until just softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped, toasted almonds.

Serve with crackers or slices of fruit.

C.H. Booth Library  parties must be renowned for delicious food. Reference librarian Beryl Harrison credits her friend Sue Shaw with this easy appetizer, utilizing Ms Harrison’s own Peach Rum jam. Not everyone has a hotline to Ms Harrison’s stash of jam, though, so feel free to substitute another similar jam, such as one by Stonewall Kitchens.

Peachy Appetizer

Spread a small jar of peach rum jam or other gourmet jam over an 8 ounce block of room temperature cream cheese.

Sprinkle with toasted pecans, whole or chopped.

Serve with crackers, and enjoy.

From Joan Velush of Newtown, who teaches children’s cooking classes in the area, comes the recipe for Parmesan Trees.

 “Here is  my all time favorite appetizer recipe. It’s not ethnic or exotic,” said Ms Velush. “The ingredient list is simple and basic but it is the one appetizer recipe with which I most associate my early budding interest in food and cooking,  and for that reason alone, a favorite.”

So beloved is this simple recipe from Food and Wine magazine, said Ms Velush, that she still has the original copy.

“The date isn’t on the page, but I know that it was, at the very latest, the December 1992 issue. I’ve made this dozens of times with many shape variations and it’s always gotten rave reviews.” Prepare yourself to rave.

Parmesan Trees

¾ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces)

½ C good quality mayonnaise

2 Tbs grated onion

¼ tsp white pepper

24 slices white sandwich bread

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, mayonnaise, onion, and white pepper.

Lay the bread on a work surface ands cut with a tree-shaped cookie cutter. Spread about 2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture evenly onto each bread tree. Arrange the trees on a large baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately. Makes 24 trees

“Killer Bread” from Newtowner Claudia Kraich  is a similar recipe, and like Ms Velush, she finds that friends and family demand that this starter be included at every party.

“I like it because I usually have all the ingredients already in my kitchen,” said Ms Kraich, adding tongue in cheek, “Also, as the name suggests, it’s so healthy for you!”

Killer Bread

1 C mayonnaise

1 C Parmesan cheese

1½ tsp minced garlic

6 English muffins, halved

2 Tbs finely chopped basil or 2 tsp dried, crumbled basil

Preheat broiler. Mix mayonnaise, parmesan, and garlic. Spread mixture over cut side of muffins.

Broil until top is puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with basil.

“Flavor Bombs” seem like a good companion to “Killer Bread.” Many friends of Venture Crew 70 leaders Tracy and Peter Van Buskirk have enjoyed these party-in-the-mouth appetizers, and now Bee readers can, too.

“Tracy and I were with our friend, Scott, in July 1984, backpacking up through Gulf Hagus, Maine, one of the most dramatic gorges in New England. We had all the fixings for what would become “Flavor Bombs,” but only then, sitting at a lunch spot in the middle of the river — a rock island — did we have the inspirational catharsis,” said Mr Van Buskirk. Incidentally, a good Scotch is the preferred beverage to accompany “Flavor Bombs.”

Flavor Bombs

Starting with a Triscuit cracker (Wheat Thins are acceptable, too) layer the following, in this order:

1 slice sharp cheddar cheese

1 smoked oyster

1 thin slice garlic

If you make these, everyone has to agree to eat them, warns Mr Van Buskirk — they are not a breath freshener.

“This artichoke dip is one of my favorite appetizers,” said Angelo Marini, owner of Sal e Pepe Restaurant and Bar on South Main Street. “I always like to prepare it at the restaurant and for get togethers,” he said, also confessing that he is apt to park himself in front of the dish and eat most of it himself. “Sorry, guests!”

Baked Artichoke Dip

1 C mayonnaise

1 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 C grated mozzarella cheese

12 ounce can chopped artichoke hearts

2 cloves chopped garlic

Mix everything together in a bowl and pour into a small baking casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until melted and bubbling.

Serve with crostini or saltines.

Enjoy the friends and the food of the holiday season. It is that simple.