Page 32 - Italian-American Herald - December 2024

32 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | DECEMBER 2024 ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
THE CHEF’S PERSPECTIVE
Simple and tasty canapes make your holiday entertaining a pleasure
By Murray
Schulman
Christmas season
is upon us and like
you, I am thinking
about entertaining
throughout the month.
My focus this year isn’t
only on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The menus for those are already in place.
What I am thinking about is what to serve
when friends and neighbors stop by for a
quick visit. My solution is to make simple,
attractive, interesting, and delicious cold
canapes. Here are a few ideas that will make
me and my guests happy.
Cheese is always a crowd pleaser. The
trick with cheese is to use textures, colors,
and varying levels of tartness. In this case,
I used an aged white cheddar cheese sliced
straight off the block, mild mozzarella string
cheese that I pulled to give a shredded effect
and aged super sharp Parmigiano Reggiano.
These three cheeses have diverse flavor and
texture profiles that come together to make a
powerful impact. I always make a huge batch
of my honey maple glazed pecans during
holiday time.
By doing this, I always have easy access
to these pecans for any number of uses. In
this case, the pecans added another layer of
flavor that perfectly contrasts with the cheese.
In addition, I also strategically place dried
figs and cashews on the tray along with a few
strawberries to bring some Christmas dazzles.
Another tip is to purchase a box of neutral
mini tart shells – neutral as in not sweetened
like a pastry tart. Having these on hand
makes for quick and easy canapes. I have
made a variety of interesting fillings that I
have piped into these one-bite shells. Fill
them with softened brie swirled with fig jam.
The jam should be marbleized through the
cheese. Or try making balsamic basil mousse.
For this, use softened cream cheese blended
with a touch of sour cream, chopped basil,
and white balsamic vinegar. The art here is to
gradually build the flavors to create balance
without overpowering your guest’s palate.
Once you pipe this mixture into the
tart shells, garnish each with a tiny drop of
balsamic glaze for color. Another favorite of
mine and always a hit with my guests is my
smoked salmon mousse. This is not the same
as the salmon cream cheese spread that you
get at your local bagel shop. The difference
is in combining softened cream cheese, a
touch of either plain Greek yogurt or sour
cream with smoked Nova Scotia salmon.
Blend these ingredients in a food processor
until it is just smooth. Be careful not to blend
this too long. I like to let this mixture rest for
about 10 minutes in the refrigerator to cool it
down before piping it into the shells. A nice
Christmas garnish is a quartered pimento
stuffed olive. These are just a few of the
dozens of possible fillings for these neutral
tart shells.
Another item that still manages to get the
attention of guests is deviled eggs. When
suggesting this humble delicacy, I often hear
the grumbling from doubters. That is until
I offer them a taste. Once that egg hits the
palate, a flavor explosion takes place that
opens the eyes as well as the imagination. I
make a variety of deviled eggs depending on
my guests’ taste, and equally important, on
Guests will be impressed by an artfully arranged plate of cheeses, nuts and fruit.
PHOTO BY MURRAY SCHULMAN
My basic recipe for deviled eggs is a
mixture of egg yolk, mustard, sweet
relish and hot sauce garnished with
paprika. I have never had any
complaints when I make this style.
my whim. My basic recipe is a mixture of egg
yolk, mustard, sweet relish, and hot sauce
garnished with paprika. I have never had any
complaints when I make this style.
At times I like to test the limits by
adjusting these basic ingredients. For
example, instead of mustard, I’ll mix grainy
horseradish mustard into the yolks. This
adds a spark of boldness to the recipe
without overpowering the other ingredients.
Sometimes I replace the regular hot sauce
with a smoky hot sauce. I finish this mixture
with a dash of smoked paprika adding depth
and warmth. These suggestions just give
you a starting point to follow where your
imagination takes you.
The quality of your deviled eggs comes
from keeping the flavors in balance. No one
ingredient should overpower everything else.
Whenever you have guests, don’t lock
yourself in the kitchen struggling with ultra
complex dishes that keep you away from the
fun and celebration. Put some of the ideas I
share here to use and get out there and enjoy.
Your guests will be thrilled with what you
serve and even happier to spend time with you.
Get the most from this holiday season. IAH
Murray Schulman, a columnist with the
Italian-American Herald for 12 years, has
worked in the food business for more than
50 years, sharing his expertise in kitchens,
offices and classrooms spanning several states.
He retired in 2017 as head of prepared foods
for Delaware Supermarkets Inc. He lives in
Pennsville, N.J.