What are some great appetizer recipes... simple but unique?!

Bacon-wrapped dates-salty and sweet at its best ;)

Ingredients:

* 1 - 8 ounce package pitted dates
* 4 - ounces almonds
* 1 - pound thick sliced bacon (if you want to cut down fat..use turkey bacon instead)
Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Soak toothpicks in water for 15 mins.

Slit dates. Place one almond inside each date. Wrap dates with bacon about
1/2 to 1/3 of a strip for each date, using toothpicks to hold them together.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake 10 - 15 minutes, or until bacon is brown and crisp.


Crab Appetizer Napoleons by Puff Pastry (you can just cut squares instead of circles to make the dough stretch further..you can add bit of garlic or sprinkle with paprika or chopped parsley...
http://puffpastry.com/recipedetail.aspx?…

For wines: I tell you I am a "Barefoot" fan....Moscato flavor is the sweetest (it's like a dessert in a glass!)...and they have White Zin and Pinot Grigio & other flavors as well...and it's only about $6 a bottle. The bottles have a barefoot print on the front...these are great wines!!

Here's an easy chocolate treat:
CHOCOLATE CHEESE BALL TREAT>>

Ingredients:

* 8 oz Pkg. cream cheese, softened
* 6 oz Pkg. semisweet chocolate morsels, melted
* 3/4 cup Vanilla wafer crumbs
* 1/4 cup Strawberry preserves
* 1/2 cup Almonds, toasted and finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Melt chocolate morsels in microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until smooth.
2. Using an electric mixer beat cream cheese at medium speed until creamy
3. Add melted chocolate and continue beating until smooth
4. Stir in wafer crumbs and strawberry preserves
5. Cover; chill one hour
6. Pinch off pieces of mixture and shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in chopped almonds
7. Chill until serving
***Chocolate Cheese Ball Tip:

Besides chopped almonds you can also roll them in shredded coconut, cocoa powder, powdered sugar or a cinnamon sugar mixture.

I'd try to make something that had some connection to whatever you had all read together. Even if the book didn't mention food, the story may have take place in a particular country, or in another era, and it might be fun to encorporate that into one or two of the snacks. I'd also have the basic stuff that people like:

dip & fresh veggies or chips
cheese (can be kind of expensive though)/crackers
olives, fruit slices

Read up on what kinds of foods go with the wines you're getting and go from there. I wouldn't serve shrimp cocktail if you're having all red wines, for instance.

Also, keep it so they have to eat everything with their fingers. You don't want everyone carrying little plates and forks around. Makes clean-up much easier.

AHHHH yes, cheap and easy, my theme song. OOOPS NO NO NO not me, I'm talking about those appetizers...LOL

1 package of Won Ton Wrappers, 1 - 2 lbs Ground Pork, Minced 1 large Onion. Mix Pork and onion well. Put a teaspoon on wrapper, wet edges with water and fold wrapper to make a triangle (make sure the edges are completely sealed). Make as many as you like (remember your guests will devour them). Heat oil (I use either Veggie or Canola oil) in skillet till quite hot. Carefully add triangles with slotted spoon, but do not over fill skillet. Keep a sharp eye on them, as they lightly brown flip over and pull out once lightly browned all over. As they come out of the skillet put them in a warm oven to keep hot. Once this is done and you're ready to serve, place on serving tray with a bowl of Sweet & Sour and a bowl of Chinese Mustard.

Chicken Wings. 1 bottle Franks Red Hot Sauce and chicken wings. Read the bottle for directions. Serve on a platter with a bowl of Ranch Dressing and a bowl of Blue Cheese Dressing. Can't get much easier then this.

Deviled eggs. Always easy to make and inexpensive. Serve on plate with a touch of Paprika sprinkled over them for eye appeal.

Bowl of Tuna Salad centered on a serving dish with miscellaneous crackers around bowl.

Mexican Bean Dip. I large can Refried Beans, 1/2 lb bacon, 1 medium onion chopped, 1/2 lb Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Allow bacon to drain on paper toweling. In bacon grease add chopped onion and saute. Mince fried bacon and add to onions with refried beans and grated cheese. Allow cheese to melt through while mixing. The beauty of this recipe is you can make it ahead of time and either put it in a small crock pot (on low) or just before serving put in microwave or oven to warm up. Put out in bowl on serving plate surrounded by tortilla chips.

Sure hope this helps a bit.

Trial and error.

Make some canapes. Easy, delicious and flexible (price-wise).

Cut some white bread into 1x1 inch squares (no crusts). Toast until crisp but not browned. Spread some compound butter (softened butter, rosemary, orange zest, mix). Sear a small duck breast to mid-rare and slice thin. One slice per piece of bread. Top with a mandarin orange slice (canned) and chopped pistachios. Garnsish with rosemary.

Slice a small baguette 1/4 inch thick and quickly dip both sides in melted butter. Toast until golden brown to make crostinis. Buy some goat cheese, and 3-step bread it (flour, egg, breadcrumb). Place the cheese in an oven safe container with some marinara sauce and bake for 10-15 minutes at 300 F. I think you know what to do..

Chef/Le Cordon Bleu Graduate

1 tilapia fillet. Mash well. Add to sticky rice, Thai,rice. Make small rice balls with a little fish in them. Buy 1 pack sea weed. Ask what one when boiled taste like fish stock. Add a few green onion tops, and some then sliced carrot for Color. And please the eye. 1 or 2 drops of food Color. Some cheap chop sticks. Pour soup in bowl, Large platter under it with rice balls. Pick up rice ball dip in broth, eat. If this don't please them. Have 6 glass's handy. Remove platter and soup. Rack the rice balls, use chop sticks for cues, Rice ball pool. One way or another this is a pleaser.

Go to the deli and get meats and cheeses. Make roll ups with them. So easy and delish!

or

make little sandwich snakers. buy premade tuna, chicken, egg salads, and cheese spread. Put on various breads (rye, pumpernickel, white, wheat) and cut into triangles.

grilled cheese sandwiches cut into triangles, with tomato soup used as the dip, and garnish with a little shredded cheese, and green onions on top...peanut butter cookies. peanut butter sandwiches, and chili dip. Stuff tortilla's..