caviar and smoked salmon appetizers

Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Rolls with Caviar | daisysworld.net

Growing up, my parents threw a swanky New Year’s Eve party every year, not only to welcome the new year, but also to celebrate their anniversary (they were married on January 1st).  I loved watching all the adults in their fancy clothes eating lavish hors d’oeuvres and having fun!  To this day I think of New Year’s Eve as a night for elegance and sophistication, even if we’re just planning a quiet night at home to watching the Times Square ball drop on television. 

To me, nothing says elegance and sophistication like caviar, especially on New Year’s Eve.  Don’t you agree?  For some simple, yet elegant hors d’oeuvres to ring in the new year, try these Caviar and Smoked Salmon Appetizers, which pair perfectly with champagne!

Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Rolls with Caviar
Yields Approximately 12 rounds

Ingredients:
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise (preferably sliced with a mandolin) or cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 ounces smoked salmon, or more as needed, cut into 12 pieces
Crème fraiche, or more as needed
1 ounce any variety of caviar or fish roe (I used salmon roe and paddlefish caviar)
.
.
.

To get the rest of the recipe for my go-to New Year’s Eve appetizers, Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Rolls with Caviar and Baby Potatoes with Smoked Salmon and Caviar, please click the link to follow me to A Lucky Life blog.

Happy New Year!

Baby Potatoes with Smoked Salmon and Caviar | daisysworld.net

© Daisy’s World. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Daisy’s World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

brie bites with sugared cranberries

Brie Bites  with Sugared Cranberries | daisysworld.net

Oh my gosh!  I can’t believe the holidays are here and that means parties galore. Whether you’re hosting a party or need to bring something to one, why not give this recipe a try? These Brie Bites with Sugared Cranberries will make a stunning addition to any holiday table and is a wonderful accompaniment to the festive cocktails of the season. It’s made with rich and creamy Brie cheese and topped with sugar-frosted cranberries. They make a simple, yet elegant appetizer. It’s  actually quite easy to make, but it requires some planning as the fresh cranberries are best when soaked in simple syrup overnight. 

Continue reading

cheese and charcuterie board

How to assemble a Cheese and Charcuterie Board | daisysworld.net

Whether hosting a sit-down dinner or having a few friends over for drinks, having a Cheese and Charcuterie Board ready when your guests arrive is a quick, no-cook way to get the party started. The key is to have a good selection of cheeses, meats, and accompaniments so your guests can try a little bit of everything, and perhaps, even discover a new cheese or cured meat.trans Cheese and Charcuterie Board

The dizzying array of great cheeses and charcuterie available can be overwhelming, so I’ve pulled together a few tips on how to assemble your own board, including suggestions on how to select the cheeses and meats, how much to serve, and what accompaniments to serve. I’ve also included a few cheese and meat combinations for you to try like the Spanish-themed Cheese and Charcuterie Board pictured above, featuring Manchego cheese, dry chorizo, and marcona almonds.

Follow me to  A Lucky Life blog now to read the rest of this article and get my tips on assembling this no-cook appetizer.

Tips on how to put together a Cheese and Charcuterie Board

© Daisy’s World. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Daisy’s World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

grilled peaches with burrata and prosciutto

Grilled Peaches with Burrata and Prosciutto

Are you looking for something different to serve at your next barbecue? Why not grill peaches alongside the burgers and steaks to serve as an appetizer, side dish, or salad.

Peaches on the grill are delicious; their natural sugars caramelize and their flavor becomes more concentrated and slightly smoky.

Continue reading

corn cakes with strawberry and tomato salsa

Corn Cakes wth Strawberry-Tomato Salsa

Thanks to the abundant sunshine, fertile soil, and cool coastal breezes, farmers up and down the state of California are able to grow a huge variety of crops, many of which are shipped all over the country. We are fortunate to live here in Southern California, where we have access to many of these locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Many of them, such as those featured in today’s recipe, are at their peak of flavor during the late spring to early summer.

Continue reading

baked buffalo wings with celery and blue cheese slaw

Buffalo Wings with Celery & Blue Cheese Slaw

A couple of weeks ago, I attended Camp Blogaway, a conference for food and recipe bloggers run by Patti Londre of Worth the Whisk. Special thanks to Christina Peters, of MDR Photography Classes, for telling me about the camp in the first place, and for graciously sponsoring me to attend. The camp, limited to about 100 bloggers, speakers, and sponsors, is held annually at Camp de Benneville Pines, located at about 6,800 feet in elevation in the picturesque San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. All weekend long, we heard from top notch speakers who spoke about their careers in food, their experiences writing cookbooks and e-books, and their experiences working with PR agencies, literary agents, and brands.

Continue reading

endive stuffed with goat cheese, blood orange, and walnuts

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Blood Orange, and Walnuts

I was first introduced to this light and refreshing appetizer about ten years ago (thanks, Auntie R), and I have been making it ever since. The stuffed endives look elegant, and they are a breeze to make. They’re perfect to serve at dinner parties since all the components may be prepped ahead of time and then quickly assembled right before guests arrive.

Continue reading

mushroom and sun-dried tomato bruschetta

We Americans often think that bruschetta is the mixture of tomatoes, garlic, and basil on a slice of toasted bread. Bruschetta, from the Italian word bruscare, meaning to toast or burn, actually refers to the thick slices of grilled bread. Often served as a snack or appetizer, bruschetta is traditionally prepared by rubbing the bread with garlic and drizzling it with olive oil before toasting it over hot coals.  Then the bread is topped with a simple mixture of tomatoes and fresh herbs.  It is an easy way to showcase the excellent quality of freshly-pressed olive oil as well as a way to preserve bread that is beginning to get stale.

Continue reading

miso-glazed japanese eggplant

It is Japanese eggplant season at my house.  Every week for the past few weeks, I have been harvesting two to three eggplants from the seedling I planted in early June. As it turns out, the variety I planted, called ‘Ichiban’, is a fast-growing and prolific producer of slender, purplish-black fruit. Like all eggplant, this Japanese hybrid thrives in warm weather, so it is very content in a warm, sunny spot in my garden. Continue reading

fried shishito peppers with sea salt and lemon

I have never liked peppers, partly because I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy foods and because I don’t really care for their taste.  When I do use them, mostly in the form of bell peppers, it is mainly to add color to stir-fries, salads, and kabobs.  Then, last year, I discovered one exception to my great dislike for peppers in the form of the jalapeño. They have a moderate “kick” to them, but they’re not intense, especially when seeded and their membranes are removed. They became a slight obsession, even planting them in my garden so I could have a steady supply of them.  Continue reading

burrata with roasted vine-ripened tomatoes and pesto

Tomatobasil, and mozzarella is a classic combination that’s perfect for summer, when tomatoes and basil are at their peak.  This quick and easy appetizer is extra special when you use fresh burrata*, a fresh Italian cheese made by stuffing mozzarella with a mixture of more mozzarella and cream.  On the outside, the burrata looks like mozzarella, but on the inside it is oozing with soft creamy goodness.  It has a clean, milky taste that goes well with sweet roasted vine-ripened tomatoes and the slight saltiness of the basil pesto. Continue reading