Why, hello! Leite's Culinaria is the James Beard Award-winning site that helps home cooks and bakers put dinner on the table and laughs in the kitchen. Hungry for more? Join more than 30,000 food lovers and subscribe.
My Thanksgiving Hors d’Oeuvres + Cocktails
|
Hi Reader, In my family, Thanksgiving didn’t begin with the turkey. Oh, no. It began the moment the doorbell rang, and my relatives descended like a biblical plague of locusts—if locusts wore polyester and carried rosaries. Within minutes, coats were flung on my grandmother's bed, the TV was blasting the Macy’s parade, and to the uninitiated and our WASP neighbors, we sounded for all the world as if we were milliseconds away from a knife fight. But that's how we Portuguese talk to each other—loud, gregarious, and angry. If you know, you know. Here’s the problem, though: Thanksgiving guests don’t arrive hungry. They arrive feral. Starving, cranky, circling the kitchen like Australian dingos close in on campers. ("A dingo ate my baby!" Again, if you know, you know.)
You could try to hold them off with a bowl of nuts or a sleeve of Ritz crackers, but trust me—that’s like bringing a water pistol to a forest fire.
So this year, before the big bird makes its Norma Desmond entrance, let’s set the tone right: festive, fun, and just this side of tipsy. Hors d’Oeuvres + Cocktails 101
WHAT'S INSIDE...
Blue Cheese BallsBlue cheese balls are a party favorite and far easier than a cheese log for guests to navigate while juggling a glass of wine in their other hand.☞ Try this recipeProsciutto-Cheese Gougères⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.91 from 11 votes For these gourgères, I went one better by adding to the batter classic Proscuitto di Parma as well as one of the noble cheeses of Italy, Grana Padano, along with thyme and rosemary to ensure every bite literally explodes with indulgence. Okay, perhaps I’m a little hyperbolic. But these are indeed not your ordinary savory gougères. Indeed, a fine piece of puffery.☞ Try this recipeApple Pie MoonshineThis apple cider-infused cocktail, made with vodka, apple cider, lemon, ginger, and spices, is very strong, but undeniably spectacular.☞ Try this recipeBarefoot Contessa Rosemary Cashews⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.64 from 33 votes Ina Garten's rosemary cashews are sweet and spicy and certain to start conversations. The inspired blend of cayenne, brown sugar, rosemary, and salt is perfectly spiced and just salty enough to be perfect with cocktails.☞ Try this recipeBaked Feta & FigsBaked feta and figs is an impressive and easy appetizer that's ready in less than 30 minutes. Sliced fresh figs are tossed in olive oil and the feta cheese is drizzled with honey. The whole thing is baked until runny and melted and gooey and impossible to not scrape up every last bite.☞ Try this recipeCranberry MargaritaThis cranberry margarita makes a spiked cocktail for any occasion, whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a summer afternoon. The swizzle sticks aren't essential yet add a little lovely bling.☞ Try this recipeSpiced CiderThere is very little on this earth better on a cold night than combining warm apple cider and bourbon with a blend of exotic spices. The smell fills the room, and more than a couple of these will put you on your butt. Believe me.☞ Try this recipeDill Dip With Potato ChipsDips are the best, and not just because I like any occasion to serve potato chips. This creamy dip is just so easy to eat, and you can focus on one big flavor: Here, it’s a garden’s worth of dill, garlic, and lemon.☞ Try this recipeCornmeal Griddle Cakes⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.75 from 51 votes These cornmeal griddle cakes are a simple Southern staple, made with a handful of inexpensive pantry ingredients including cornmeal, baking powder, salt, egg, and water. Entirely gluten-free and amazing at breakfast and beyond. Here's how to make them.
|
This bacon jam, made with bacon, maple syrup, and coffee, is a sweet condiment slathered on burgers at the Skillet diner in Seattle--and just about everywhere else these days.
☞ Try this recipe
Leite's Culinaria
Why, hello! Leite's Culinaria is the James Beard Award-winning site that helps home cooks and bakers put dinner on the table and laughs in the kitchen. Hungry for more? Join more than 30,000 food lovers and subscribe.
Hi Reader, Before November turned to Thanksgiving, the month was always about dinners that stuck to your ribs and fogged the kitchen windows until you could finger-paint on them. My mother had an uncanny way of knowing just when the chill in the air crossed from “brisk” to “bone-deep.” That’s when she’d pull out the stockpot. Suddenly, a chicken became three meals, beans lost their anonymity in a garlicky stew, and cabbage was transformed into something that could make you forget it was,...
Hi Reader, In my family, turkey wasn't a thing for Thanksgiving. My dad, for whatever reason, didn't like it. Instead, we had capons, which I happily ate until he told me they were "emasculated chickens." After that, I was Team Side Dishes. My grandmother’s dressing, my mother’s mashed potatoes, my godmother's French stuffing, the obligatory green beans that no one touched but everyone felt guilty omitting. You wanna do WHAT to me? Of course, back then, it was chaos. My mother swore she had...
Hi Reader, I’ll admit it: For years, I thought pumpkin’s sole purpose was pie. And not even a pie I liked all that much. (Yes, I said it. Send unto me thy angry and indignant electronic correspondence.) Then I met You Know Who. The man is mad about pumpkin. I mean totally loony (which I can say, given my numerous and varied mental health diagnoses over the decades). It started innocently enough. He wanted a pumpkin pie. Sure, I said. Back then, I was still cooking from the back of boxes and...