Artichoke-Olive Tapenade →

Wake up those taste buds! This appetizer goes well with your apéritif of choice to enjoy before that special meal. Enjoy!

Artichoke-Olive Tapenade
Makes about a cup

Ingredients
· 1 medium clove of garlic either grated or finely minced
·  ¾ ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
·  1- 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts in water or brine, drained
·  1- 12 ounce jar pitted green olives with pimentos, drained
·  1 teaspoon anchovy paste (omit for vegetarian)
·  ½ teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
·  Zest of half a lemon
· Juice of ¼ lemon- 2-3 teaspoons to taste
·  1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
·  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
·  ¼ teaspoon black pepper
·  2-3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

Garnish with pomegranate seeds, pickled apples, or minced cornichons (optional)

Preparation
Add the artichokes and olives and pulse a few times to break them up. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse for a chunky tapenade or run until smooth. Serve with toast points or good crackers.

Clam Fritters →

A common shared memory of anyone who has lived near the New England seashore is the summer memory of feasting on clam fritters (also called clam cakes) from your favorite clam shack. Or, if you couldn’t afford to buy them from the clam shack, you made them at home. My grandfather and I would dig (rake) bushel baskets full of Quahogs and Little Necks which were turned into delicious clam fritters, creamy clam chowder, briny clam spaghetti (pasta alle vongole), or just eaten raw on the half-shell with a dash of hot sauce and a few drops of lemon juice. Today, as a “cook of a certain age”, deep-fried clam fritters are still associated with happy memories of carefree summer days on the coast, but now they are relegated to that special category of foods eaten less frequently and identified as “guilty pleasures”. As such, I offer this recipe for Clam Fritters in memory of my grandfather and those special days raking for clams on the Rhode Island coast. These days hard-shell clams are a pricey delicacy. If you don’t have the luxury of digging your own, buy fresh Quahogs in their shells or fresh chopped clams from your fishmonger, or as a last resort use canned clams from the supermarket. I hope you enjoy them!

CLAM FRITTERS
Makes about 15 fritters

INGREDIENTS
·  Vegetable oil for frying
·  1 cup finely chopped clams (about 12-15 Quahog clams; you can use a mini-food processor to chop the clams or do it the old fashion way.)
·   1 egg
·   ¼ cup buttermilk (add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to ¼ cup milk to make buttermilk)
· ¼ cup clam juice
· ¼ - ½ cup beer (more as needed to get the thick batter consistency you want)
·   1 cup finely minced clams
·   ½ teaspoon salt
·   ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
·   1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
·   1 ¾ cup cake flour or all-purpose flour (cake flour produces lighter fritters)
·   1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

METHOD
If using Lemony Aioli, make the aioli first. (recipe below)

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2022

1. Set a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches. Bring the oil to 350 degrees F. (When you add the batter, the temperature of the oil will drop; try to maintain close to 350 F. A candy or deep-fry thermometer helps to monitor the temperature.)

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, Old Bay seasoning, and pepper.

3. In a small bowl, combine the clam juice, beer, egg, buttermilk.

4. Add the clam juice mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined into a thick batter (something between a pancake and a thick cake batter).

5. Add the chopped clams to the batter and mix thoroughly.

6. Carefully, almost touching the oil to avoid splatters, drop the batter into the oil by the heaping tablespoon; work in batches of about 6 fritters so as not to crowd the pan, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain the temperature.

7. Fry until the fritters are nicely browned and cooked through (about 4 minutes from the time you place the first fritter in the hot oil).

8. Transfer the fritters to a sheet pan with a metal grate or lined with paper towels and place in a warm oven. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with lemony aioli or butter on the side.

   *Note: if using Quahogs or Cherry Stone clams in their shells, if you are not familiar with shucking clams, an easy alternative is to place the clams on a sheet pan under the broiler until they just begin to open. Remove the pan from the broiler and let the clams cool until you can comfortably handle them. Pry open the shells, saving the clam juice, and chop the clams into small pieces.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2022

Lemony Aioli
Mix together:
·   ½ cup mayonnaise
·   1 garlic clove (mashed with a pinch of salt, or grated using a fine micro-plane)
·   1 tablespoon olive oil
·   ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
·   3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
·   1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
·   Pinch of salt (to taste)
·   Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
·   A couple of dashes of hot sauce (optional)

Wine pairing: a crisp Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, or Albariño will do well. Beer is also a good choice.

https://honest-food.net/clam-cakes-block-island/
https://www.actenviro.co  m/2017/03/31/easy-ways-on-how-to-dispose-of-cooking-oil-safely/

Cucumber Canapé with Tonnato Sauce and Tomato-Basil Salsa →

Crunchy, refreshing English cucumber and briny, creamy Tonnato Sauce topped with tangy tomato-basil salsa come together to make this quick and delicious appetizer. This is the perfect choice to serve alongside Shrimp Cake Appetizers. Give them a try. Your guests will thank you!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Cucumber Canapés with Tonnato Sauce and Tomato-Basil Salsa
Serves 6 or more

Ingredients:

• 1-English cucumber sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds (12 slices for 6 people)

• Tonnato Sauce (recipe below)

• Tomato-Basil Salsa (recipe below)

Preparation:

1. Slice the cucumber.

2. Top with a teaspoon of Tonnato Sauce (ideally leftover from the Veal or Roast Pork Tonnato you recently served.)

3. Top with Tomato-Basil Salsa

   Make the Tonnato Sauce
   Ingredients:

   1/4 cup mayonnaise
   2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
   3 ounces of can tuna in olive oil (use half the tuna and oil in a 6 ounce can of Italian tuna in oil)
   1/2 anchovy fillet (if you love anchovies add an extra fillet!)
   1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (to taste)
   1 tablespoon drained, rinsed capers
   
   In a blender, purée all ingredients, including oil from tuna can, until smooth. Taste and season with black pepper and salt to your taste.

   Make the Tomato-Basil Salsa

   Ingredients:

   1 large tomato seeded and chopped

   1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped red onion

   1 tablespoon chopped or torn fresh basil

   ½ jalapeño minced

   2 tablespoons olive oil

   1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

   salt and pepper to taste

   Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least a half-hour for the flavors to meld.
   

Shrimp Cake Appetizers →

These easy-to-make shrimp cake appetizers will please your guests or hosts for a potluck. At a fraction of the cost of fresh or canned crab meat, not only are they delicious, but they can be prepared in less than an hour. Spooning the mixture into non-stick mini-muffin tins avoids hand-forming each cake and saves a lot of prep time. Fennel fronds, parsley, and tarragon are my herbs of choice to compliment the shrimp, but feel free to use your favorite herbs. The jalapeño and hot sauce are optional and provide a mild spicy background note as written, but if you want to kick it up a notch for real spicy shrimp cakes feel free to increase the spicy heat. Either a traditional Remoulade or the Lemony Cilantro Aioli are my condiments of choice for these delicate, tasty morsels. Enjoy!

Shrimp Cake Appetizers
Yield about 24 appetizer size shrimp cakes
Special equipment: non-stick mini-muffin tins

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup minced green onions

• 2 large egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

• 4 teaspoons minced fresh fennel fronds (or fresh parsley)

• 4 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon (1 teaspoon dried)

• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• dash of Worcestershire Sauce

• 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

• 1-2 teaspoons minced jalapeño

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 pound medium or small shrimp (31-40 count)

• 3/4 cup Panko

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 375 F.

1. Whisk all the ingredients except the shrimp and Panko in a large bowl.

2. Chop the shrimp into small pieces and add to the mixture in the large bowl. Add the Panko and mix to incorporate the ingredients. Let stand for 10 minutes or up to several hours in the fridge.

3.  Lightly oil the cups of the muffin tin. This helps to brown the bottoms of the cakes and allows them to be removed easily from the cups of the muffin tin.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture to each cup. You should have about 24 tablespoons. Lightly press the mixture into the cups. A light press will ensure that the cakes don’t fall apart when you remove them from the cups; too much pressure will make the cakes rubbery.

5. Lightly brush the top of each cake with melted butter and place the filled muffin tin in the middle of the hot oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Remove the muffin tins from the oven and let the cakes cool for a few minutes. Place a sheet pan over the top of the tin and holding tightly turn the tin over. The shrimp cakes should release and drop onto the sheet pan. Alternatively, you can use a knife to loosen the cakes from the cups and remove them individually.

7. Serve with Remoulade sauce or Lemony Cilantro Aioli (see recipe below)

Wine pairing: a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Vermentino, or Albariño are good choices to pair with these delicious appetizers.

Lemony Cilantro Aioli

·   ½ cup of mayonnaise
·   1 tablespoon of olive oil
·   1-2 garlic cloves finely minced or grated and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
·    ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
·    1 teaspoon lemon zest
·    3-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
·    1 tablespoon cilantro chopped (fresh lemon balm is a good substitute if you don’t like cilantro)
·    2 teaspoons minced capers
·    2 teaspoons hot sauce (or more to your taste)
·    Freshly ground black pepper

Mix the ingredients and place in the fridge for at least a half-hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

*Note: make the aioli or remoulade ahead and refrigerate before you cook the shrimp cakes.

Roasted Garlic and White Bean Spread →

Here’s an easy healthy flavorful appetizer spread to try. Creamy cannellini beans, sweet roasted garlic, tangy lemon, and fresh rosemary. What’s not to like? Throw in some anchovy umami and kick it up a notch with a pinch of heat and bask in your family’s and guest’s pleasure! Serve it on crackers, crostinis, or toast points with your aperitif of choice. Buon appetito!

Roasted Garlic White Bean Spread with Rosemary and Piquillos
Yield about a cup

Ingredients:

• ½ head of garlic

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 (15-ounce) can of white beans, like cannellini, Great Northern or navy beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus 1 full sprig

• 2 anchovy fillets (omit for vegan)

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 pinch of cayenne, plus more for garnish (optional)

• extra salt to taste

• chopped bottled roasted Piquillo peppers for garnish (optional; if you can’t find Piquillos you can substitute roasted Pimentos)

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1. Cut the garlic head in half and peel off most of the outermost skin.

2. Place the garlic half on a sheet of tin foil and drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the exposed cloves and close the foil into a pouch.

3. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. The garlic is done when you can squeeze the cloves and they feel soft.

4. While the garlic is roasting heat the olive oil in a skillet and once it is shimmering place the sprig of rosemary in the hot oil turning it over while it browns and infuses the oil with delicious rosemary flavor. Remove the rosemary sprig once it is brown. (Don’t burn it!)

5. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor and add the white beans, rosemary-olive oil, lemon juice, and zest, rosemary leaves, black pepper, cayenne (if using), and anchovy fillets. Purée until smooth, then adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish.

6. Serve on crackers or toast points and garnish with chopped Piquillos.

*Note: the bean spread will keep in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Adapted from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019746-roasted-garlic-and-white-bean-dip-with-rosemary

Anise Flavored Shrimp with Saffron Aioli →

This amazingly easy special appetizer is one of my favorites. The anise-flavored shrimp combined with creamy, not overly garlicky, saffron aioli creates a flavor profile that will indulge your taste buds and impress your guests. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, so I use it sparingly only for special dishes. If you choose to use saffron, just a small pinch will suffice.

Anise Flavored Shrimp with Saffron Aioli
Yield: 4 appetizer servings

For the Shrimp
Ingredients:

• 1 pound 21-25 count shrimp shelled

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder to taste

• 2 tablespoons Anisette (or other licorice-flavored liqueur, like Ricard or Pernod)

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and allow to marinate for 1/2-1 hour.

2. Spread the shrimp on a sheet pan and place under a preheated broiler until opaque and barely pink, about 2 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven, drizzle with Anisette, and serve while warm.

4. Garnish with chopped parsley (optional)

For the Saffron Aioli
Quick Aioli:

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• ½ garlic clove (finely minced or grated and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (start with 1 teaspoon, mix, taste, adjust to taste)

• Pinch of salt (to taste)

• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

• pinch of saffron-crumbled and soaked in 2-3 teaspoons of hot water for 5 minutes to release the full flavor (optional)

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional: add up to ½ teaspoon to taste after mixing the other ingredients first)

After soaking the saffron, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings to taste. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Plate the shrimp
Serve the shrimp as appetizers with the aioli for dipping.

Salmon Spread →

What to do with leftover salmon? With very little effort, you can make delicious Salmon Spread to smear on your morning bagel or toast or to use on crackers or cucumber rounds with a tomato/red onion garnish as appetizers. This recipe uses a 1:1 fresh-cooked salmon to cream cheese ratio instead of the usual 1:2 ratio of smoked salmon to cream cheese. If the spread is too thick for your taste, or if you want to use it as a dip, add some sour cream or crème fraiche to achieve the consistency you like. You can further thin the mixture out by adding a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream at a time to the mixture until you reach the dip consistency you want. This makes a flavorful, rich, creamy dip for chips or veggies. You’ll never have to wonder what to do with leftover salmon again.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Makes about ½ cup
Ingredients:

• 4-5 ounces of cooked salmon (not smoked salmon)

• 4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature

• 1 or 2 tablespoons of sour cream or creme fraiche (optional)

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

• 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon capers

• ¼ teaspoon Tabasco

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Preparation:

1. Break apart the salmon with a fork and mix together with all the ingredients except the cream cheese.

2. Cut the cream cheese into 4 or more small chunks and mash and mix them together with the salmon mixture.

3. Mix less if you want a chunkier spread. If you want a smooth spread, put the mixture into a processor and process it to your desired consistency.

Other Salmon Spread sources:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/233564/the-best-smoked-salmon-spread/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/smoked-salmon-spread-recipe3
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/smoked-salmon-spread-1273462

Tapenade →

Sometimes referred to as french "Provençal caviar", it doesn't get any better than tapenade spread on a toasted baguette slice served with a glass of wine, and it's a lot cheaper than a round-trip ticket to Paris! If you love olives, experiment with the measurements of the recipe, or the kind of olives you use. Make it your own family recipe like they do in France. Bon appetit!

Yield: about 1 cup of spread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted Kalamata or other black olives

• 2-3 Tbs. olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon drained, rinsed capers

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 canned, oil-packed anchovy fillets, or a tsp. of anchovy paste (Note: anchovy paste is saltier than oil-packed canned fillets, hence if you use anchovy paste your tapenade will be on the salty side.)

• 2-3 Tbs. parsley rinsed

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/4+ teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

• Baguette slices, crackers, or vegetables for serving

Preparation:

1. Place the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, drained capers, garlic, anchovies, thyme, parsley, and black pepper in a food processor and process until finely minced. (see *Note)

2. Add the pitted olives and process until all the ingredients are finely chopped, to the consistency you like, but not completely pureed.

3. Serve the olive spread on toasted baguette slices, crackers, or with fresh crudités.

*Note: if you mince the garlic, capers, thyme, parsley, and anchovies before adding to the olives in the food processor, you will have better control over the consistency of the tapenade.