Appetizers recipes

Cold asparagus salad with a Chinese-style vinaigrette of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Marinate overnight for deeper flavor, top with butter-toasted sunflower seeds.

Teriyaki chicken wings marinated in a honey-sherry teriyaki glaze with ginger, garlic, and dry mustard. Sticky, sweet, and savory wings for game day appetizers or party platters.

Sweet onion shrimp balls grind Vidalia onion, potato, and shrimp into a thick batter, then fry into crispy golden bites. Five-ingredient appetizer with no breading required.

Hot clam dip with cream cheese, minced clams, Worcestershire, mustard, and a kick of cayenne. Served warm with Melba toast for easy party appetizer.

Vietnamese vegetable platter arranges fresh lettuce, cilantro, mint, basil, cucumber, scallions, and bean sprouts alongside rice rolls or grilled meats. The essential wrap-and-dip accompaniment.

Snails Sommeroise is a rustic French escargot dish: snails simmered with herbs, then browned in a savory tangle of bacon, ground walnuts, anchovy and garlic and served over a bed of wilted spinach.

Kasseropites are Greek cheese-filled crescents with kasseri, fresh tomatoes, and basil wrapped in homemade olive oil pastry. A golden, hand-shaped vegetarian appetizer dusted with paprika.

Pate in crust (pate en croute), layered ground pork, brandy-marinated chicken and sliced ham wrapped in a buttery pastry crust and baked. Classic French charcuterie for dinner parties, picnics and cheese boards.

Turkish-style cucumber and tomato salad with paper-thin onion, fresh dill, green chili peppers, and a lemon-vinegar dressing. A bright, crisp side dish.

Homemade cheese crackers made with sharp cheddar, flour, and butter, rolled thin and baked until crispy. Customize with curry powder, garlic salt, celery salt, or black pepper toppings.

Chinese-style fried shrimp balls with minced shrimp, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and ginger, bound with egg white and cornstarch then deep-fried golden and crispy.

Sauteed chicken livers coated in seasoned pancake flour with garlic and basil, pan-fried golden with onions and mushrooms. Serve over rice pilaf or as a rich appetizer.

Ukrainian kutia is a traditional Christmas Eve grain dish of buckwheat, ground poppy seeds, honey, and walnuts. The first of 12 dishes served at Sviata Vecheria, eaten cold and symbolic of family unity.

Ebi kimizushi: elegant Japanese stuffed-prawn sushi, with butterflied vinegar-marinated prawns filled with a silky, seasoned golden egg-yolk paste. A refined, bite-sized appetizer.

Cream cheese apple dip blended with brown sugar, vanilla, and milk for a sweet, caramel-like dipping sauce. Serve with sliced Granny Smith apples rolled in crushed peanuts.

Baked mushroom pate with cream cheese, Italian herbs, and a full pound of fresh mushrooms. A rich, savory vegetarian appetizer served at room temperature with crackers.