I have spent countless hours fussing over complicated appetizers.   Frantically sauteeing shitakes and scallions for mushroom puffs as the final minutes until party time ticked away.  Haphazardly rolling out and filling fresh pastry dough so that arriving guests would have piping hot, miniature red pepper quiches as soon as they crossed through the doorway.  Sweat.  Anxiety.  Ultimately panic as friends crowd the kitchen to watch me spoon roquefort-parsely batter into small, greased pans for their fresh-from-the-oven popovers.   

No more!  In 2008 I called a moratorium on time-consuming hors d’ouevres.   Rather than resort to chips and salsa, crudite or a wedge of cheese with crackers — not that I haven’t carted those out, too — I have amassed an assortment of simple appetizer recipes.  

Insalata caprese remains one of the easiest offerings.  Gather together a ball of mozzarella, a few ripe, red tomatoes and lots of fresh basil.  Slice the mozzarella and tomato and layer the slices on a plate, alternating between tomato, mozzarella and basil.  Sprinkle some fresh ground pepper over top and serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.  Simple.  Fast.  Delicious.  

If the layers seem a bit too commonplace, buy little balls of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and some bamboo skewers and offer an insalata caprese kabob. Skewered mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes are also a quick and tasty treat.

Sick of or can’t eat cheese?  How about smoked salmon on pumpkernickel triangles, spiced nuts or marinated olives?  When all else fails, I can count on my friend Elliot to deliver a box of mushroom, spinach, onion and pizza knishes from his local Jewish bakery.  Talk about effortless!  Just pop the knishes into the microwave for a few seconds, slide them onto a plate and serve. 

 

Mozzarella Skewers
Makes 25 to 30 skewers

25 to 30 mini mozzarella balls
6 or 8 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
25 to 30 bamboo skewers or cocktail picks

Drain and pat dry the sun-dried tomatoes.  Slice each tomato into 4 to 6 strips. 

Fold the tomato strip in half, place it on the skewer or cocktail pick.  Add a mozzarella ball and another folded strip of tomato and set aside.  Repeat until all the ingredients have been skewered.  Place the skewers in a circle on a plate, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

The Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts
Taken from Nigella Lawson’s Nigella Bites (Chatto and Windus, 2001), these nuts are delicious and fool-proof treats.  Prepare a day or two in advance then place the nuts in a festive tin or serving bowl.

2 ¼ cups assorted unsalted nuts such as peeled peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and pecans  
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons muscovado or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven until they become light, golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl.

Pour the toasted nuts into the bowl with the topping.  Toss together until well-coated.  Cool then place in a decorative tin or bowl. 

  

Smoked Salmon Triangles
Makes 20 triangles

4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 20 thick strips
10 slices of Rubschlager cocktail pumpernickel bread, found in the deli section of most grocery stores
3 to 4 ounces of creme fraiche
40 capers

Diagonally slice the pumpernickel bread so that you end up with two triangles per slice.  Spread the creme fraiche over each slice and cover with a strip of smoked salmon.  Top the salmon with 2 capers and place the triangles onto a platter.  Note:  These can be made and refrigerated roughly an hour before serving.  Left in the refrigerator any longer, the bread may become soggy.

Elliot’s Knishes
Serves 10 to 12

Invite your friend Elliot to dinner or a party.  Subtly remind him how much you enjoy the knishes that he always brings.  On the appointed night set out a microwave-safe platter and await Elliot’s arrival.  Snatch the white cardboard box filled with knishes from Elliot’s hands, pop open the lid and place the knishes on the platter.  Place the platter in the microwave and heat for approximately 20 seconds.  Pass around the warm knishes and enjoy!