Amuse-Bouches, the Art Of The French Welcome
Amuses in the kitchen The amuse-bouche is the French answer to an appetizer. It can also be called “mise-en-bouche,” or literally “put it in the mouth,” and when I was growing up we called little pre-meal delicacies “hors d’oeuvres.” This latter term seems to have disappeared from the culinary lexicon which is a shame, since […]
Sweet Praline Almonds
Ever since I tasted these praline almonds, made by my colleague and friend David Lebovitz once when he was visiting, I’ve loved them. They’re a perfect, and perfectly surprising, amuse-bouche, or appetizer. I make them often, we make them in classes, guests eat them like they were candy. Which they sort of are, with […]
Thanksgiving Appetizer Dilemma
I panicked. I had twenty guests coming for Thanksgiving dinner (we celebrate as close to the real date as possible – this year, it was last Saturday) and my appetizer mind was blank. I emailed a cooking friend in the U.S. I emailed my older sister. I trolled the internet. Here is what I discovered. […]
