Chapter Nine

Hard Times, Old Times, Good Times Appetizers

Most cookbooks have appetizers at the beginning of the book. This book started with the basics of Soups and Sauces, and got serious in the beginning. These appetizers are fun and interesting, but if your wallet is very thin, you need the Soups and Sauces first, anyway.

Appetizers can be Good Times, at a party or a celebration. They can also help during Hard Times when you need a bit of cheer, and want an inexpensive tidbit to serve. They can be used with a light lunch, also, and they will stretch the main dish.

Some of the best appetizers are the simplest, like a nice platter of good cheese and crackers, roasted nuts, or olives. Some of the worst are hot little unidentifiable things speared on toothpicks, which drip oil on everyone. The criteria for a good appetizers are: do they go with the meal you are serving? Don't serve a heavy rich appetizer before you are going to sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner or Coq Au Vin. Do they keep the hostess hopping up and down like a Jack in the Box? You want to enjoy your guests or family and who wants to watch you run into the kitchen to check the broiler every five minutes? Do people like them? Usually it's the hot oily little UFO's that get left behind and the warm pecans or good Edam that goes in minutes. So use your good sense and don't overdo the appetizer, unless it truly complements the meal, like the Antipasto before an Italian style meal.

Mary Ellen's Mock Pate

  1. Remove skin from about a half a pound of liver sausage, mash with fork.
  2. Mix in a small package of cream cheese, a quarter of a cup of cream, add a little Worcestershire Sauce, and some paprika.
  3. Serve at room temperature, it softens. This doubles well. Great as a sandwich filling on rye bread. Even people who don't like liver like this.

Chili Con Queso

This is a great recipe because it can be doubled easily, made more or less hot depending on the people you are fixing it for, and is also good as filling with beans in burritos or in tacos, or in an omelet. Something this versatile is always a good times and hard times recipe at the same time.

  1. Saute two large chopped onions in a little oil
  2. Add a large can of tomatoes with juice, about two cups of chopped green chilis, canned or fresh, and some good hot salsa.
  3. Add about a tablespoon each of cumin and oregano.
  4. Simmer on very low heat in a heavy saucepan uncovered until the mixture is very thick and has no juice at all. This takes about three hours. You can refrigerate this mixture after it's thick if you want, just bring it to a near simmer the next day when you want to finish it.
  5. About an hour before you want to use it, add two pounds of grated processed cheese, cook over low heat until melted. Serve with chips by itself, or add it to other dishes.

VERY QUICK THINGS

GORP -- Good Old Rsisins and Peanuts

  1. Find the two ingredients
  2. Mix them together
  3. EAT

Cream Cheese and Salsa

  1. Find the two ingredients
  2. Put some salsa (drained) over the cheese
  3. Serve with crackers

Sardines

  1. Open a can of them
  2. Put them one at a time
  3. On a cracker
  4. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice
  5. Serve

Curry Cheese Spread

  1. Take a tablespoon of curry powder
  2. Add it to softened cream cheese
  3. Mix to taste
  4. Spread on crackers
  5. Add chopped black olives. if you want to

Simple (and cheap) Dips

  1. Sour Cream
  2. Add chopped green chili
  3. Add garlic salt
  4. Mix and find some big fritos

Antipasto

Antipasto is just what is says: before the pasta. It is a first dish served before the main part of the meal, and can be a lavish display of vegetables and cheeses, or a simple variety to whet the palate before an equally simple plate of macaroni and meatballs.

Ingredients and Combinations:

We knew a five year old little boy who visited a family who were having a Passover seder, and when they all sat down, and he looked at the plate in front of him with the traditional salt, parsley and onion he asked his host brightly, "Is this the antipasto?"

Artichoke Hearts

  1. Take a jar or two of marinated artichoke hearts, drain off the oil.
  2. Put them in a bowl with some drained pitted black olives.
  3. Put a little olive oil and wine vinegar over it, and chill. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yogurt Cheese

  1. Take a container of non-fat plain yogurt and put it in a colander over a piece of cheesecloth. Don't buy yogurt that has gelatin in it, it won't work.
  2. Put the colander over a glass or dish, cover it and refrigerate it overnight. You can use the liquid in the glass for soup, or baking.
  3. Use the remaining yogurt cheese in the following ways:
    • As a dip base instead of sour cream
    • In hot dishes, also in place of sour cream
    • Mixed with cream cheese, in any recipe.

This is low in calories and cholesterol, and very good. Use your imagination, and you'll use it a lot. There is a gadget called a Yogurt Cheese Funnel that you can buy that makes it easy and quick to make.

There are several recipes throughout this book that call for either sour cream or this yogurt cheese, so try both, depending on your calorie needs.

Caponata

This is an eggplant relish that is an acquired taste. Like anchovies and squid, some people never acquire it, but it's an Old Times Good Times recipe from a very old Italian cookbook, so here it is. Try it, but make it several days before you want to serve it, because the aroma will permeate your whole house.

  1. Wash two medium sized eggplants, dice into very small cubes. Salt them and put them on paper towels to drain for about an hour.
  2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, fry the eggplant until it is soft and slightly browned, for about ten minutes. Remove and place in a large saucepan.
  3. Slice two onions very fine and fry in the same oil about three minutes, add a large can of tomatoes, drained, with one cup of finely diced celery.
  4. Simmer this mixture until the celery is tender, about fifteen minutes, add two ounces of drained capers, and a tablespoon of pine nuts if available, and add this mixture to the eggplant.
  5. Dissolve about two tablespoons of sugar in about four tablespoons of wine vinegar, add salt and pepper to taste, heat slightly. Add this to the eggplant and simmer in the saucepan over low heat for about twenty minutes.
  6. Place this eggplant relish in a bowl, cool. Serve as a side dish, antipasto, or as sandwich filling.

This will keep for several days in the refrigerator.