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denise
Appetizers Mark Unseen   Dec 15 14:51 UTC 2006

What kind of appetizers do you like to fix and/or eat?  Appetizers aren't a
regular thing for me but sometimes they're fun and good!
55 responses total.
denise
response 1 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 14:57 UTC 2006

Sometimes when I eat out, I'll get an appetizer instead of a main meal to save
some money. One of my favorites are potato skins.

The other evening when at a Christmas dinner a number of appetizers were
served.  One that I really enjoyed was cream cheese covered with [apricot?]
jam and something that wasn't too hot but it definitely had a kick to it [I'm
not sure what that something was; any ideas?] served with crackers. Another
good one was one of those layered dips served with tortilla chips.

Recently I received a gift pack from Hickory Farms that includes some beef[?]
sausages as well as some cheese balls. Though I haven't tried this yet, I did
buy some crackers to go with this stuff.
edina
response 2 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 15:47 UTC 2006

I think it depends on the meal I'm serving.  We had a barbecue for my 
husband's car club last February - the barbecue was catered in, so I 
handled appetizers and desserts.  I think I did spinach artichoke dip, 
a 7 layer dip, a veggie tray, deviled eggs and homemade hummus.  

I know what you mean though - I sometimes get apps as they tend to be 
less food and cheaper.
furs
response 3 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 15:49 UTC 2006

I generally eat appetizers as a meal if I can find a good one.  I rarely
eat appetizers as they are intended.

My three main appetizers I like to get when available are:
Seared Ahi Tuna with wasabi
Lettuce wraps
Hummus (though I prefer to dip in veggies than bread)

For home use, I rarely make an appetizer other than shrimp cocktail or
chips & salsa.
edina
response 4 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 15:56 UTC 2006

Oooh - I do love seared Ahi Tuna.....and lettuce wraps rock too.  I 
sat next to a manager for the PF Cheng's in Lansing(?) and he said the 
lettuce wraps were the #1 appetizer.
denise
response 5 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 16:26 UTC 2006

Veggie trays are almost always good [as I prefer raw vegetables over cooked
ones--except for yucky things like broccoli and cauliflour that often show
up on these trays; these 2 things aren't good whatever way their served!]
Deviled eggs are always good, too, as is the hummus.  Hmm, I've never had a
lettuce wrap though I remember seeing someone at another table having what
appeared to be some kind of lettuce wrap...
edina
response 6 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 16:37 UTC 2006

I never serve raw broccoli or cauliflower.  I always blanch them first 
and then shock them in cold water to stop cooking...takes away the 
totally raw flavor/texture, and always brightens their color.
slynne
response 7 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 17:44 UTC 2006

Man. I *love* hors d'oeuvres! In fact, I kind of like cocktail parties 
with lots of good nibblies better than I like dinner parties (although 
I like those too). 

One of my favorites is to take a block of cream cheese and then cover 
it in crap meat (or Krab meat if one is poor) and cocktail sauce. 
Another favorite one that I used to make back when someone I know used 
to make the yummiest jalepeno jelly was to put jalepeno jelly on cream 
cheese (remember that Jeanne?)

I have recently become fond of pastry hors d'oeuvres that can be bought 
frozen and just heated up. My favorite ones have a white cheese and 
onion filling. 

keesan
response 8 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 18:35 UTC 2006

Someone define an appetizer - is it something you eat while you are waiting
for the cooked part of the meal to be cooked?  We eat apples or bread.
mynxcat
response 9 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 18:55 UTC 2006

Appetizers are usually served in restaurants - and i guess that is the idea
- to have something to eat while they prepare your meal. Of course you can
have them at home when you throw a dinner party to serve your guests while
the actual dinner warms up.

Basically smaller portions of food - that are usually finger foods but not
always.

I don't understand how a restaurant lists a quesadilla as an appetizer. Do
they really expect you to eat a full meal after that?
furs
response 10 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 19:01 UTC 2006

yes lynners, I remember.  I haven't made that in a long time.  That is a
yummy appetizer for sure.
cmcgee
response 11 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 20:27 UTC 2006

Appetizers (hors d'oevres) are one course of a meal.  Sometimes they are
served separately with alcoholic beverages.  (other courses include the soup
course, the fish course, the main or entree course, the salad course, the
dessert course.  

In modern american usage, appetizers can mean just about any food served in
smaller-than-entree sized portions.  They are usually not sweets.  They are
usually served around in late afternoon or evening, at approximately "dinner"
or "supper" time.  Some restaurants combine soup, salad, and appetizers into
a single pre-entree offering.  

Appetizers are often constructed from small pieces of bread or crackers, with
other foods layered on top of them.  Sometimes they are constructed on small
skewers or tooth picks.  And sometimes they are pureed and served as dips.

Appetizers are sometimes hard to distinguish from snacks, so the timing of
their presentation can be a good indicator.  
keesan
response 12 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 21:13 UTC 2006

That is a rather vague category - something eaten in a small quantity before
you eat a larger quantity of something else.  Is salad an appetizer and if
so why not?  
edina
response 13 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 21:20 UTC 2006

Of course it's vague.  As is the term:  entree, or even salad.
cmcgee
response 14 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 21:24 UTC 2006

In the formal sense, salad is not an appetizer.  It is a separate course
served after the entree, and before the savory or sweet course.

In american semi-formal usage, the fish course has been eliminated, and the
salad course moved after the soup and before the entree.  It is still not
considered an appetizer.  

In american restaurant usage, salads are often listed as a choice under
Appetizers, along with soup as well as more traditional appetizers.
glenda
response 15 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 15 22:43 UTC 2006

According to www.dictionary.com

appetizer     /.p..ta.z.r/ 
Pronunciation[ap-i-tahy-zer]
.noun
1.      a small portion of a food or drink served before or at the beginning
of a meal to stimulate the desire to eat.
2.      any small portion that stimulates a desire for more or that indicates
more is to follow: The first game was an appetizer to a great football season.
[Origin: 1860.65; appetiz(ing) + -er1]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2006.
i
response 16 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 16 02:00 UTC 2006

Hmmm...in restaurants, i view appetizers mostly as profit-boosters, and
don't bother.  At home (feeding just me), i do lots of appetizers, both
to get more variety and as quick snacks while i'm making the entre.  But
they're really simple things - homemade baked beans, sauced pink salmon, 
scrambled eggs, almonds, fruits or veggies, desserts, cheese, and such. 
edina
response 17 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 16 21:30 UTC 2006

Last night Dave and I went to Streets of New York for dinner.  We had 
an appetizer and got a pizza.  We ate the appetizer and ate one piece 
of pizza each and then took the rest home.  Lunches abound...
denise
response 18 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 16 22:29 UTC 2006

I've done that before--being filled up when I get an appetizer and then have
some good leftovers for future meals. :-)   At a steak restaurant a friend
of mine from NC and I would eat at, we rarely got an appetizer but often get
a somewhat bigger steak to have the leftovers for the next day. It was easy
enough to fill up on the salad and bread and just a bit of the meat [and the
larger pieces of steak didn't cost too much more].  Wish I could afford a
steak dinner now! Oh well, some day...
denise
response 19 of 55: Mark Unseen   Dec 18 01:03 UTC 2006

A little earlier today while watching a video [Little Women], I had some
crackers and a bit of a cheese ball that came with a holiday gift pack. :)
furs
response 20 of 55: Mark Unseen   Jan 5 16:07 UTC 2007

I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com this holiday season that I am posting
here cause it was REALLY good.  Just a twist on Shrimp cocktail.

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2             pounds  Fresh or Frozen large shrimp
  2             cloves  garlic
     1/2      teaspoon  lime zest
     1/4           cup  lime juice
  2        tablespoons  olive oil
  2        tablespoons  green onion -- finely chopped
     1/4           cup  Anaheim pepper (or Jalapenos) -- Finely chopped
  1         Tablespoon  cilantro -- snipped
     1/2      Teaspoon  sugar
     1/4      teaspoon  pepper
     1/2      teaspoon  salt

Thaw Shrimp if frozen, Peel and devein (if necessary), cook if necessary. 

In a food processor combine garlic, lime peel, green onions, pepper and
cilantro

Add mixture to a bowl and add lime juice, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper
and mix.

Put mixture in a plastic bag with shrimp.  Turn bag to coat shrimp with
marinade mixture.  Marinate for at least 3 hours. (Over night is fine.)

To serve, drain the shrimp, discarding the marinade.  Can be served with
cocktail sauce.

edina
response 21 of 55: Mark Unseen   Jan 5 16:20 UTC 2007

Yum!  That makes me think of a ceviche.
denise
response 22 of 55: Mark Unseen   Jul 30 02:32 UTC 2007

Several times in the recent past [mainly at the weekly HHs], I've gotten
an appetizer to  have as my main meal.  To me, though, at least at the
Cubs AC where the HHs have  been, the appetizers have been big enough to
take home leftovers for another meal.  The  only time that I didn't
bring leftovers home was when I ordered something off of their  weekly
specials menu...

As talked about earlier in this item, appetizers used to be a smaller
portion of something  served prior to the other courses [or the main
course and side dishes when served at the  same time].  And in the past,
I recall appetizers being less expensive than everything else  *because*
they were served in smaller quantities.  But not any more... It seems
that at  many [most?] places, these cost just as much [or close to] as
the main dish stuff.  So,  ordering an appetizer for one's dinner in
order to save a few bucks isn't working any  more...
samiam
response 23 of 55: Mark Unseen   Jul 30 15:15 UTC 2007

Sad, isn't it? It goes along with the super-sizing of America, I think. 
As meal portions get larger, so do the portions on the peripheral 
items, like appetizers and desserts. God forbid you should want a small 
portion of something - perish the thought!
denise
response 24 of 55: Mark Unseen   Jul 30 19:07 UTC 2007

Yep, and with the increasing size of portions being served, the prices
go up as well.   And many people can't eat the whole item/serving in one
sitting [without feeling like  you've over-indulged].  And at the end of
a meal, if you want dessert--who can eat it all  when the serving is as
big as the meal is [and often, big enough for several people to  share].
 Thus, who wants to pay that much for something you can't finish or take
home  with you [in the case of stuff like ice cream based desserts or
with sauces [think  caramel, hot fudge, etc] or whipped cream, because,
if saved til later, the underlying  item will be soggy and/or melted by
the time you get it home].  So servings SHOULD be  smaller and if ya
want more, you can order more.

And the cost of alcoholic beverages are outrageous, especially mixed
drinks. Often, the  prices of one drink is as much as the main dish or
meal.  [And when dining, I tend to  like to wash down my food with more
than one glass of fluid; hence, I rarely get  alcoholic beverages while
dining out. With the exception of an occasional beer.]  With 
non-alcoholic drinks that have free refills, those prices have really
gone up as well.

Hmm, I guess everything has gone up in price...
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