APPETIZERS AND RELISHES.
APPETIZERS play a very important part now-a-days in all up-to-date
establishments and even in modest homes where they are not only employed
as introductory to the course dinner, but as a pleasing accessory to the
afternoon tea service. They are supposed to whet the appetite for the
heavier dishes that follow. In Europe one always finds them. They are
considered very "smart" and as they are but little trouble to prepare in
Paper bag cookery, when one has learned the trick, there is no reason
why the hostess who aims to keep abreast of the times should not make
frequent use of them. At very formal affairs, they are placed on the
service plates after the guests are seated, but usually they are at each
place when the meal is announced. Canapés (which means "toast cushions"
or bouchees, small patties or "bites") with their accompanying spread of
appetizing fish, cheese or potted meats, are newer than the cocktails of
oyster, clam or grape-fruit that used to lead the feast.
=Bouchee Cases.=--These are usually made from pastry by covering tiny
but deep patty pans with rich pastry, cutting narrow strips to make the
rim for the cup. Put on a tin in a buttered bag and bake. When cool they
will slip from the pan. They may be made the day before using if
preferred.
Another way of preparing them is to cut good sized circles of bread;
then with a smaller cutter, scrape out a hollow, spread with butter,
put in the bag and bake ten minutes until browned. When ready to serve,
fill with any mixture desired and serve hot or cold as appetizers or
with the salad course.
=Bonne Bouchee.=--Make the pastry cases and when ready to serve fill
with pate-de-foie gras, made soft with whipped cream, seasoned with
salt, cayenne or paprika. Decorate each one with an olive or bit of
aspic jelly.
=Bouchees of Caviare, Olives and Mayonnaise.=--Spread circles or
dominoes of bread with a thin layer of caviare. In the center place a
pitted olive, green or black, with its pit removed and the cavity filled
with minced red peppers. Hold the olive in place with a few drops of
mayonnaise, red or the usual yellow, and put tiny dots of the same about
the border.
=Bouchees of Sardines.=--Pound one or two boned sardines in a mortar,
together with a small quantity of cheese. Season with salt, pepper and
chili vinegar, and add, if you like, a few chopped oysters. Spread this
mixture on circles of "bagged" bread about the size of a silver dollar,
and add a garnish of hard-boiled yoke of egg, rubbed through a sieve and
a little finely minced parsley.
=Bouchees of Sausage or Tongue.=--Cover circles of "bagged" bread with
red stars cut from boiled tongue or the red imported sausages. Lay on
the top of each star, log cabin fashion, several tiny lengths of pickled
gherkins and crown with a sprig of watercress.
=The Making of Canapés.=--Bread two days old is best for the foundation.
Trim free from crusts, then cut in uniform oblongs, diamonds, triangles,
circles or fingers as desired, using for this the cutters that come on
purpose. Butter lightly, spread with the prepared mixture and slip into
the well-greased paper-bag for five minutes just long enough to brown
the toast delicately and heat the savory.
=Anchovy Canapés.=--Cut white bread in oblong strips, spread lightly
with butter, and anchovy paste, and tuck into the buttered bag. Bake
five minutes, then serve hot, adding, if liked, to each canapé two
strips of boneless anchovy laid across it diagonally and a squeeze of
lemon juice.
=Caviare Canapés.=--Cut bread in circles and spread with a mixture of
three tablespoonfuls caviare paste, one teaspoonful lemon juice, one
half teaspoonful paprika, two tablespoonfuls of butter, and a half
cupful minced cress. Pop in the buttered bag and cook five minutes.
=Hot Cheese Canapés.=--Take circles or strips of Vienna bread, spread
lightly with butter, grate a little cheese over them, sprinkle on top a
little cayenne pepper and salt and put in bag. Cook five minutes.
=Cheese and Cracker Canapés.=--Split Boston crackers and soak ten
minutes in cold water. Lift out carefully and place on a well-buttered
baking tin. Drop on each a generous bit of butter, a sprinkling of
grated Parmesan or American cheese and a dusting of paprika. Put in the
bag, seal and bake fifteen minutes in a hot oven.
=Cheese Toast Sandwiches.=--Cut slices of white bread rather thicker
than for sandwiches. Chop fine one cupful of American cheese and two
green peppers with the seeds removed. Season with salt and pepper and
work to a paste. Spread one slice of bread with butter and its mate with
creamed filling. Press firmly together, take off the crusts, and put
into the buttered bag. Bake five minutes and serve very hot.
=Cracker Crisps.=--Dip oyster crackers or dinner biscuits in melted
butter, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and put in a paper bag. Bake ten
minutes.
=Deviled Crackers.=--Mix three tablespoonfuls of grated cheese,
one-fourth teaspoon of dry mustard, one teaspoon of anchovy paste, a
dash of cayenne and a pinch of butter. Spread over the crackers and put
in bag in a hot oven to brown.
=Diables à Cheval.=--Have ready large French prunes that have been
soaked twenty-four hours in water, then cooked and the pits removed.
Insert almonds in the cavity left by the pit. Toss in olive oil or
refined cotton seed oil or roll in thin slices of bacon, fastened with a
tooth pick, put in the bag, seal and cook eight minutes. Serve piping
hot.
NUT APPETIZERS.
=Salted Almonds.=--Shell as many nice large nuts as desired. The Jordan
nuts are best, but the paper-shelled ones will answer. Put into a bowl
and cover with boiling water. Spread a towel over the bowl to retain the
steam and let them stand five minutes. Pour off the water and replace
with cold, then rub off the brown skins between thumb and forefinger.
Shake in a colander until dry, then put in a shallow dish adding for
each cupful of nuts, one tablespoonful melted butter, olive or refined
cotton seed oil (preferably either of the oils, which will give the
richer glaze). Stir well together. Let stand an hour, then put into the
well-greased paper bag, first sprinkling with dry salt, allowing one
tablespoonful to each cupful of nuts. Fasten and roast ten minutes,
shaking the bag occasionally. You can do this by the aid of two trivets.
=Deviled Almonds.=--To devil them, add a suspicion of cayenne pepper
with the salt.
=Roasted Chestnuts.=--Make a cross on the shell of the nut using a sharp
penknife. Put in the oiled bag, dredge lightly with salt, and let cook
twenty minutes giving an occasional shake.
=Salted Chestnuts.=--Throw into boiling water as many shelled nuts as
desired. Blanch and dry, patting with a soft towel. Then add olive oil
or melted butter to the nuts, allowing a teaspoonful to each cup of nuts
and let them remain in oil half an hour. Dredge with salt, a heaping
teaspoonful to each cup, then put in oiled bag and let them brown in the
oven from 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the bag frequently to keep them from
scorching and make them an even brown. These should be crisp and
delicate. To devil them, add a suspicion of cayenne with the salt. Serve
at dinner after the cheese.
=Deviled Chestnuts.=--Shell and blanch a quart of chestnuts. Dry
thoroughly, then brown in paper bag in hot olive oil or butter. Have
ready a mixture composed of two tablespoonfuls of chopped mixed pickle,
one tablespoonful Worcestershire sauce, one quarter teaspoonful salt and
a dash of cayenne. Turn this over the hot nuts, and serve at once.