Cocktail crazy
Cocktail crazy
Throwing a large dinner or cocktail party at home is a piece of cake … if you have a couple of cooks and a waiter or two to lend a helping hand. But we're guessing that is not the case, so as an average university student, 'quick and easy' is the name of the game.
The trick is to focus on a large variety and quantity of simple-to-make sweet and savoury hor d'oeuvres — a guaranteed selection of heavenly bite-sized appetizers that will be sumptuous in guests' mouths and easy on your budget.
Here are some of our tastiest suggestions:
With mini triangle slices of bread or on crackers:
For savouries
- Mash together tuna, minced garlic, chopped olives and olive oil.
- Top rye bread with thin slices of crisp apple and plain herring.
- Cut seared steak into chunks and place on bread already spread with mustard and/ or butter. Top with coarse salt.
- Toss crab meat with minced shallots, a lot of parsley and enough mayonnaise to bind. Try it also on lettuce leaves.
- Go 'New York' style and spread cream cheese on bagel chips (or small bagels). Optional: Top with either sturgeon or small red cherries.
- Puree roasted peppers and add salt and olive oil. Serve them alone or with other foods, such as a slice of cheese.
Going all out
- Chop fresh mushrooms and cook slowly in olive oil with salt and pepper until very soft. Stir in minced garlic and parsley. Cook a few more minutes until garlic mellows.
- Beef tartare: Carefully pulse good quality beef in a food processor. For each pound, add an egg, a teaspoon dry mustard, a tablespoon Dijon mustard, a tablespoon Worcestershire, Tabasco to taste, 1/2 cup chopped scallions and a touch of minced garlic. Salt and pepper, if necessary. Scintillating stuff!
- Slice soft goat cheese and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped herbs, then with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees until soft, about 10 minutes, and serve hot.
The writer is an International Student Correspondent for Notes, studying at the University of Sydney, Australia
We love ... Seasoning!
A little touch of seasoning can turn even the simplest dishes into something special. When it comes to cooking, think 'sugar and spice and all things nice', and you're halfway to the finish line.
So, whatever you're making, keep tasting it as you go along — you are always at liberty to tinker, tweak and tease out flavour. The little additions you make — the pinch of cayenne pepper in the soup, the sprinkle of soft brown sugar on the roasting poultry — are the touches that make your food truly delicious instead of just nice.
Don't be limited by convention and let those earthy basics shine!
We recommend: Chapatis (Flat Doughy Bread)
2 cups Indian whole wheat flour
1 tbs vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water (enough for a kneadable dough)
1 tsp salt
Step 1: Knead the dough, cover, and leave aside for two hours.
Step 2: After about 1 hour (or right before rolling out), punch the dough and knead again without any more water.
Step 3: Make ten 1/2-inch balls; dip each one into dry whole wheat flour, and roll out into thin, 6 inch circles.
Step 4: Place a flat griddle on the stove at medium-high heat. When hot, place a rolled-out chapati "right side" down on the griddle.
Step 5: When bubbles of air are visible rising through the bread, turn over and cook until tiny brown spots appear on the side facing the griddle.
Step 6: Hold the chapati with a pair of tongs and place it directly over the burner flame for a few seconds, until the chapati puffs up. Turn and repeat on the other side.
Step 7: Remove the chapati from the heat, and butter with ghee.
Sign up for the Daily Briefing
Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox
