Charred Octopus Appetizer

Tender Charred Octopus

🐙 🐙 Tender Charred Octopus 🐙 🐙
with
Royal Corona Beans, Charred Tomato, Jalapeño, and Lemon
Fried Capers, Fresh Oregano, Olive Oil

What better way to celebrate our great spring weather than with a charred smoky octopus appetizer? Truth be told, we actually cook outside on the Blaze Grill all year long here in Las Vegas, but it is especially nice in April when it’s not too hot and not too cold.

Here I begin with Cooked Octopus Tentacles (Pulpo Cocido). Among other places, this product can be found in the refrigerated seafood section at Costco. The octopus is from the Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean, a product of Spain. It has already been cleaned and tentacles have been separated from the head. Preparation is as easy as opening the package.

The tender pre-cooked octopus is marinated in olive oil and dried oregano, then grilled until it is hot, smoky, and charred. It is plated with enormous creamy royal corona beans; charred tomatoes, jalapeños, and lemons; and fried capers. It is so tasty, colorful, and impressive that your guests will definitely think “restaurant quality.” Crusty bread makes a great accompaniment, along with a local IPA or a nice Sauvignon Blanc.

Tender Charred Octopus

Charred Octopus Appetizer Recipe

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Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer, Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer, Hawaiian BBQ Sauce Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer
Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

Aloha! Here is a nifty little appetizer to serve at a Hawaiian wedding shower, or any party with a tropical theme. It is simple to prep with just three ingredients – fresh pineapple, bacon, and brown sugar.

When asked to bring an appetizer to a party, anything wrapped bacon is sure to be a hit. Smoky bacon paired with tropical sweet-tart pineapple is a winning combination, guaranteeing this appetizer will be the first one to disappear.

Store-bought Hawaiian BBQ Sauce served on the side as a dip adds another smoky-sweet layer, enhancing the ripe pineapple and the umami bacon flavors. Arrive at the party, and just reheat your appetizer in a toaster oven then add it to the buffet. You will hear mahalo until the last tasty morsel is gone.

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer Recipe

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Meyer Lemon Arancini, Flower Confetti, Parmesan

meyer lemon arancini, lemon rice balls, ciao fiore appetizer
Cocktail Hour @ Ciao Fiore!
Meyer Lemon Arancini, Flower Petal Confetti, Parmesan

It’s cocktail hour at Ciao Fiore!  Meyer Lemon Risotto left over from the previous night’s service is formed into balls, coated with panko bread crumbs, and fried in canola oil. We need to watch our food costs so here we transform the day-old risotto into a delightful bar appetizer. Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a sprinkling of flower petal confetti make the presentation pop!

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The Kaleidoscopic Appetizer Course

banh mi, canape, colorful appetizer, best appetizer, easy appetizer
all-color appetizer course
bánh mì canapés

toasted french bread, sriracha aioli, cinnamon meatloaf,
pickled pink radish, cucumber, pickled carrot, cilantro
green jalapeño, diced red jalapeño, yellow marigold petals

kaleidoscopic appetizer
Silent Auction Donation by Taste With The Eyes

Donation to the Rolling Hills Country Day School Parents’ Club Social:

  • A seven course seasonal gourmet dinner catered in your home
  • Each course incorporates unique ingredients for a one-of-a-kind menu
  • Invite members of your circle of friends to enjoy dinner along with members of the school’s administration and faculty for a total of 16 people

Meant to kick off our recent Fundraiser Dinner with a riot of color (menu here), these wild-spicy-vibrant bánh mì canapés left no doubt that the evening’s menu would be all about intense flavor and hue, captivating the eye as well as the palate.

The appetizer course, which we plated on a couple large trays for guests to help themselves, was a kaleidoscope of color. Then, when the guests were seated for dinner, each individual course was conceptualized as a single-colored dish. Purple, green, yellow, pink, black, orange. How different from the previous post, the monochromatic black course!

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Pâté & Blackberry Canapés

pork pate blackberry canapes
Pork Pâté, Fresh Blackberries, Blackberry Jam, Fleur De Sel
Toasted Pain Rustique Brushed with Olive Oil

The idea for this jaunty little appetizer came from a sublime dish my brother ordered at Bradley Ogden in Caesar’s Palace. It was a seared foie gras with fresh strawberry, strawberry jam, spice cake, and licorice gastrique. The snappy combination of liver and fresh berries with matching jam was simultaneously chic and rustic. The first incarnation appeared on my Thanksgiving hors d’oeuvre table. Truffle Mousse Pâté with Fresh Raspberry, Raspberry Jam & Fleur de Sel was such a hit it keeps reappearing at my parties in a slightly altered form. Most recently, with pork and blackberries.

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