Serves: 5
Total Calories: 13,240
The first course of a meal is sort of like a first date. The air is filled with anticipation and promise. This could be the beginning of a beautiful thing! On the other hand, if things don't work out, there are no hard feelings. You simply move on in your quest for fulfillment. And then there are those special morsels that, despite the brevity of your encounter, you'll still remember with a certain wistfulness in years to come. Especially late at night as you pace before the pantry, filled with a certain longing.
We love a meal that starts with a little special something. This first course can be a sneak peek at what's to come, a great way to show off your culinary wizardry, or just a clever ploy to buy you more time while dinner cooks. In some cultures, the serving of small, bite-sized treats has been raised to an art form.
Consider the Cantonese ritual of dim sum (literally "heart's delight"--now who wouldn't get excited about such a prospect?). An assortment of dumplings, pastries, and other treasures, dim sum is enjoyed as breakfast or lunch. When the French, who gave us the word "hors d'œuvres," attend cocktail parties, they fill up on "amuse-bouches," roughly translated as "fun for your mouth." The Spanish tradition of tapas, an array of appetizers often served with sherry, can be a forerunner to dinner or dinner itself. The options range from the simple (baked olives) to the sublime (grilled meats). In Greece, they enjoy meze--a wonderful kaleidoscope of nibbles that can include such gems as spanikopita, grilled lamb chops, fried zucchini and calamari, and dolmades. The Italians, on the other hand, will woo you with antipasti-a selection of cured meats, aged cheeses, grilled and marinated vegetables, and
More--often served with bruschetta.
In North America this first course can go by many names the connotation is the thing. As "hors d'œuvres," it has a more formal ring the term conjures silver platters laden with one-bite delicacies. These carefully made bites are then either arranged on a buffet table or brought to you by servers so you don't have to interrupt a witty repartee in order to eat. (This kind of scene figures largely in our personal vision of heaven.) Your only challenge is to gracefully juggle the drink, the napkin, the hors d'oeuvre itself, and any technical equipment such as skewers or toothpicks.
The term "appetizers," on the other hand, can mean two things. In restaurants, of course, they're a great enhancement to the meal (if not the size of the check). But they may also be presented in a more casual setting, where you might set them out on a table and let your guests serve themselves. This approach to the first course can serve you equally well at a holiday open house, at a summer barbecue, or even on Super Bowl Sunday.
"Starters," meanwhile, covers a variety of interpretations, be it a casual foray into snack foods or a more elaborate offering placed before each guest once seated at the table. In other words, the "starter" can run the gamut from…well, soup to nuts. We chose the term for this chapter because of its versatility. And yes, you'll find both soup and nuts here--all prepared on the grill.
The grill? That's right. Whatever you choose to call your mini works of art, one thing's for sure. The grill adds a special dimension that can't be duplicated, whether adding smoky tones to a classic onion dip or crisping up a delicate crab cake. Of course, there's always the big impression factor--how deft you look pulling course after course off the cooking grate--but that's not why we like our starters grilled. We like the textures and flavors you get. Something as simple as a stuffed mushroom is elevated a notch or two. And let's face it, a boiled shrimp is no match for a grilled one. Duck wraps, anyone? Yee-ow.
From Weber’s Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.
This *Starters recipe is from the Weber's Big Book of Grilling Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.
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