Appetizers recipes

Chilled Scandinavian raspberry soup, a silky cold fruit soup brightened with orange and lemon and a splash of white wine. Served cold over fresh orange sections with a swirl of sour cream and mint.

Homemade Nuts and Bolts party mix with almonds, three cereals, pretzels, and cheese crackers baked in a Worcestershire-bacon dripping sauce. Makes 5 quarts for a crowd.

Individual mushroom souffles built on a Parmesan bechamel with sauteed mushrooms, shallots, and a hint of mace. Baked in ramekins and served straight from the oven.

Quick rotini pasta salad tossed with mozzarella, mixed vegetables, and a herbed mayo dressing scented with oregano and basil. A 15-minute lunchbox-friendly side that holds up cold.

Low calorie clam dip made with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, canned clams, chives, and thyme. A lighter take on classic clam dip that's ready in 5 minutes.

Rice and noodle casserole baked with toasted vermicelli, French onion soup, chicken broth, soy sauce, and water chestnuts. Buttery pilaf-style side, classic potluck favorite.

No-cook salmon pate with cream cheese, horseradish, and a hint of liquid smoke. A creamy make-ahead appetizer spread for crackers or party rye bread.

Greek stuffed grape leaves (dolmades) filled with ground lamb, pine nuts, fresh mint, parsley, and lemon juice, then baked in water until tender. A classic Mediterranean appetizer.

Nuclear chicken wings: oven-baked wings glazed with a double-hot sauce of Tabasco and habanero, brown sugar, vinegar, and ground red pepper. For the chili-head crowd. Serve with blue cheese.

Filo shrimp puffs with spiced shrimp, coconut, ginger, and turmeric wrapped in flaky filo pastry triangles and baked golden. A crispy, aromatic appetizer with Southeast Asian flair.

Crispy phyllo pastry nests filled with sauteed mushrooms, walnuts, soy sauce, and a hint of nutmeg. Elegant bite-sized appetizers that can be prepped weeks ahead.

Individual crustless spinach and feta pies baked in ramekins with mint, nutmeg, and a bright Greek tomato salad on the side. A Mediterranean appetizer or light main.

Htipiti is a Greek whipped feta dip with fried hot peppers and olive oil, mashed by hand into a spicy, creamy spread. Serve with bread or crackers as a Macedonian-style meze.

Kazakh gutap: deep-fried herb fritters with a thin laminated dough wrapped around dill, parsley, garlic, scallions, and butter. Served with a tangy sour cream sauce.

Crispy fried wontons stuffed with ground pork, minced prawns, dried mushrooms, and water chestnuts. A classic Chinese appetizer that fries golden in 2 minutes and freezes beautifully for make-ahead entertaining.

Dolmades yialandzi are Greek stuffed grape leaves filled with herbed rice, dill, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. A vegetarian meze served cold as an appetizer or light main course.