Appetizer recipe collection

Homemade potstickers from scratch: hand-rolled dough wrappers filled with pork, napa cabbage, ginger and water chestnut, pan-fried crisp then steamed tender. Served with a soy, chili oil and vinegar dipping sauce.

Cinnamon-glazed almonds coated in a sugar-egg white meringue, tossed in melted butter, and baked until crisp and fragrant. An addictive snack that stores for two weeks.

Polish ptysie (choux puffs) filled with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and sour cream. Golden savory pastry appetizers baked twice for a crisp, hollow shell.

Pumpkin cake doughnuts with bran flakes and pumpkin pie spice, deep-fried until golden and rolled in cinnamon sugar. A spiced fall doughnut made from scratch with real pumpkin.

Moroccan fava bean puree (bessara): dried favas simmered with garlic and cumin, blended with olive oil, served with Arab bread and a cumin-cayenne spice dip.

Rabbit livers sautéed with shallot and Cognac, layered with creamed leeks between flaky puff pastry rectangles. A refined French bistro starter.

Fresh tomato salsa with jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and lime. Basically classic pico de gallo with a sharp Mexican kick, ready blender-free in about 15 minutes.

Pumpkin ravioli stuff fresh egg pasta with a Parmesan, amaretti, and nutmeg pumpkin filling, then toss in browned butter. Northern Italian Mantua-style autumn pasta with sweet-savory crumbs.

Potato skin nachos swap tortilla chips for crisp russet potato shells topped with taco sauce, cheddar, jalapeños, garlic and parsley. Gluten-free game-day bites with crunch.

Red and yellow pepper tart layers slow-stewed sweet peppers, provolone, and black olives in a savory custard over a pesto-painted crust. A colorful vegetarian tart that eats like the Mediterranean on a plate.

Cooked red tomato salsa made from pureed Roma tomatoes, sauteed onions, jalapenos, and garlic, then simmered until thick. Versatile for chips, red rice, or chilaquiles.

Vegetarian rice soup sauteed in ghee with mixed vegetables, garlic, rosemary, sage, and parsley. A simple, nourishing one-pot soup that uses cooked rice and comes together in under an hour.

Broiled stuffed mushrooms filled with seasoned rice, chopped nuts, chili sauce, and lemon juice, drizzled with melted butter. A savory bite-sized appetizer.

Roast loin of pork with apricot glaze: a honey-sweetened apricot and citrus glaze brushed onto pork loin as it roasts. Elegant holiday main with a microwave shortcut for the sauce.

Fresh figs, roasted with mint, garlic, gorgonzola and served with French bread, a very classy appetizer.

Roasted habanero salsa with 10 grilled habaneros, oven-roasted Roma tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro. Extremely hot, keeps in the fridge for weeks.