Appetizers Archives

How to Make Clam Dip in a Braun Food Processor

Clam dip is easy to make for your next gathering using a Braun food processor. Forget about sore arms. It’s perfect every time!

Spicy Tuna Dip – the Month of Mexican

Spicy Tuna Dip is my take on the famous Carlos and Pepe’s tuna dip. You can make it as spicy as you want. Enjoy it with chips and a margarita.

Prep for Guacamole - How to Safely Work with Avocados

How to Safely Work with Avocado and Make Guacamole

I see people doing silly, rather dangerous things with avocados and I thought it was high time I set the record straight. I want you to know how to safely work with avocado, and make really good guacamole. You might want to head on over and get my recipe for Boswell Seasoned Salt. Feel free to visit my YouTube channel and don’t forget to subscribe!

Quiche Lorraine -The Month of French

Quiche Lorraine is one of my favorite quiches. The combination of bacon, cheese, and onion is simple and delicious.

Pi Day Quiche – 3/14 – Ham and Leek Quiche

Pi Day Quiche, presenting for your pleasure, Ham and Leek Quiche for National Pi Day. Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant $π$ (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of $π$ . In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day.

This happens to be my favorite quiche combination. It is so simple to make, you can have it on a work night, then have leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s great with a salad.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery

A few years ago, Saveur magazine featured a recipe for Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery from one of my favorite restaurants, Musso and Frank, in Hollywood, California. Musso and Frank originally opened in 1919 and has been in the same place on Hollywood Boulevard ever since. It has been a popular hang out for the entertainment industry since it opened. The history of the restaurant is fascinating. My mother would take me there for my birthday, and I loved it.

Pimento Cheese Spread – A Tradition from the South

My History with Pimento Cheese Spread

When I was a little girl, my mother would sometimes make Pimento Cheese Spread for cocktail parties. My father’s family was from the Texas, my mother’s from New York. At the time, my father was a Captain in the US Army, and we were stationed in Germany. He had aspirations to be a Colonel – and that meant having the Brass over for cocktail parties that my mother had to make all the food – they didn’t have caterers in Germany that made American food that was in my mother’s budget – so she made everything from scratch. Imagine a party scene from Mad Men, and you have an idea of what my mother’s parties were like. Due to my mother’s great talents at entertaining, my father made it to Major before deciding to come home and have the career he always wanted – antique furniture refinisher.

If I was well-behaved and didn’t get in my mother’s way in the kitchen when she was making all these things, she would put aside a plate of appetizers just for me, and if I was lucky, it had Pimento Cheese Spread.

Clean Out Your Fridge

The great thing about Pimento Cheese Spread is that you can put odd bits of hard cheese you have lying around in your fridge. You might have forgotten they were even there. They might have a bit of mold, cut it off and you’re good to go. They might have a dried up outside, just cut that off, too. I usually have a good sharp cheddar as my main cheese, and I might have some pieces of Jack or Swiss left over in my cheese drawer. I wouldn’t put in a pungent cheese that would overbear your main cheese’s flavor. You could put a softer cheese in, too, just put it in after the pimentos go in. Important: don’t use pre-shredded cheese – it has extra ingredients that can affect the flavor and texture of this luscious spread.

Spinach Balls Appetizer Snack

A Little Back Story

This recipe is cited from Spane’s birthday in 2010, but since I am making them for this Thanksgiving in 2017, and they are so good, I thought it was high time they had their own post.

My good friend gave me this recipe. I do not want to identify her because of the allegations currently surrounding Sylvester Stallone. Let me suffice to say that I witnessed him while waiting for the valet to return with his vehicle, with his wife at the time, reach out with his free hand and grab my friend’s breast as we passed them on the way to our car. Yes, this happened in a public place, and yes, it’s true. We thought about reporting it to the police but knew that she would never be believed against a superstar like Stallone. I had never really liked him as an actor, but now, I can’t even stand to look at his face considering how he assaulted my friend.

Meatloaf Stuffed Potato Balls with Dragon Sauce

One of my favorite things is to go to Porto’s in Glendale and get Papas Rellenas (Cuban Potato Balls). They are very tasty and make for a quick bite. One day, I had leftover meatloaf, and leftover mashed potatoes, so I decided to try my hand at making them. It’s pretty simple, and a good way to use up your leftovers. You could use other stuffing, I just happen to really like my Three Pepper Spicy Meatloaf.

A few words about mashed potatoes

Please use real ones, not the ones in the box, or the ones that are already made. Take a little time to make mashed potatoes. I usually use one medium-sized potato per person, unless I want extra for something like this, and then I add an extra potato. For this recipe, you will need to peel the potatoes. Unpeeled potatoes are great, but the peels would get in the way when trying to keep them shaped correctly. I cut my potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into quarters. I keep the cut, peeled potatoes in cold water until they have all been prepped, this keeps them from turning brown. Rinse the potatoes and put them in clean, salted water. Always use a good amount of salt in the water, about a half a teaspoon per potato. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium. Check the potatoes at about 15 minutes. They are done when you can easily stick a fork or tip of a knife in them. Don’t let them get overcooked, or you will have a soggy mess. Drain them in a sturdy colander immediately so they will stop cooking. I like to add butter at this point and mash them with a masher so the butter really gets in there, then I add milk and depending on how fluffy I want them, I either whip them by hand or use a stand mixer.

Meatloaf – It’s all up to you!

To make this you will need about 2 cups of left over mashed and a few slices of left over meatloaf. You can use your favorite meatloaf recipe, you are not tied to mine. You can even use – gads! – store-bought meatloaf if you like it.

The Dragon Sauce

You don’t have to have a dip for these, they’re good plain. But, if you like an extra zip, please try this Dragon Sauce. If you don’t like spicy foods, then you could always use Ranch or onion dip if you wanted. This is one of those recipes that’s really up to you. Use what you enjoy!

Recipes in this Post

2016 – What a Year

Some many things happened in 2016 that just absolutely floored people. The person who won the popular vote, Hilary Clinton, lost the electoral vote, and much to many people’s chagrin, Donald Trump is our new President-Elect. There were many technological breakthroughs, including the Amazon Echo, an AI which is so useful, it almost becomes part of your family. Many of our favorites in the entertainment industry are no longer with us, including David Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher, a list that is too long and sad.