(Rosengarten Report, Issue Number 40, October 24, 2005)

PREPARING FOR THIS YEAR’S HOLIDAY ONSLAUGHT FOODS OF THE SEASON

How to Amuse the Bouches of Your Guests . . . with a Minimum of Muss and Fuss! At holiday time, main courses are usually easy to conceptualize and execute: some big bird or other is going to be in your oven, that’s almost certain. But the menu of delights that produce party num-nums—tasty little pass-around treats that you need only pop in an oven, pop on platters, and watch your guests merrily pop into their mouths as they arrive. Of course, these are not the kinds of amuse-bouches that you can expect to that will greet your friends and titillate your family at the top of the party, as the holiday celebration lifts off . . . ah, that’s usually a bit more difficult. Until now. For the last two years, I have been quietly sampling a series of products ...by selecting carefully—which I, of course, have already done for you—you can cut hours out of your party prep time and still make your guests very, very happy.

APPETIZERSTOGO.COM

This New Jersey company, founded in 2003 by Matt Brown and Karen Wolf Brown, had a much higher ratio of hits in the products I tried.... The resume of the chef, Alexander Gorant, may have something to do with that: he cooked at Le Bernardin, and 44 at the Royalton, among other places in New York City. Certainly at appetizerstogo. com you find more texture variety, ingredient variety, and a much wider range of international ideas.

Potato Pancake ($64.37 for 96 pieces). Despite all that variety, however—the winner is very close to home! It wins because I’m judging it against all good potato pancakes everywhere—and it’s up there! Small diameter (it’s just an amuse, don’t forget), thick-ish, with a super potato-onion taste, very fluffy inside, and very crisp on the outside. I’m buying these for my parties—especially since the price per piece is low!

Breaded Artichoke ($108.15 for 100 pieces). Very different in conception from the other apps in this tasting. This one features a kind of artichoke sandwich— two flaps from the outer part of a heart encase some boursin cheese. It’s light, golden, crispy on the outside, with
a great combo of dairy and real, identifiable artichoke taste.

Artichoke and Spinach Filo Tartlet ($77.70 for 90 pieces). These people are on target with artichoke! A round, ruffled, bite-sized tart
made from filo. Very Greek-tasting. Excellent cheese and artichoke taste.

Thai Curry Samosa ($99.75 for 100 pieces). I don’t know why they call these “Thai,” but these crispy little triangles carry a great Indian taste. Thin shell chews a little too densely.

Shumai Shrimp and Pork Dumpling ($86.10 for 100 pieces). A very real Chinatown taste! However, the limper pastry and more homogenized filling will remind you you’re not in Chinatown. But these shumai are satisfying nevertheless.

Chicken Cornucopia Wrap ($74.07 for 80 pieces). Tiny ice-cream-cone shape, made from a tortilla shell. Yummycorny- chicken-y-Mexican-y taste inside.

Southwestern Black Bean Spring Roll ($77.70 for 100 pieces). Wrapper’s a little heavy, but the whole roll has an excellent quesadilla kind of taste. Quite spicy-hot

Maple-Glazed Duck with Sweet Potato ($69.50 for 45 pieces). This is one of the more expensive items per - piece—undoubtedly because it has lots of duck in it. And the duck is good!—shreddy, with a long-braised flavor. The yellow-ish tart-like holder is not too sweet, but it is a little heavy.

Beef Wellington ($120 for 100 pieces). Well this is much better than it sounds! Little, domed, biscuit-y rounds encase a very tasty braised-beef stuffing. And the moisture of the interior keeps the dough very moist as well.

Quiche Lorraine ($39.80 for 32 pieces). The company makes two quiches—this one is by far the best, with the bacon adding a nice flavor and feel.

Asparagus & Mushroom Spring Roll ($88 for 80 pieces). Well, I went for these crisp little roll-ups not because of them asparagus flavor, or the mushroom flavor, or the spring-roll authenticity, all of which are in short supply. It simply has a very nostalgic and pleasing home-Chinese-food, flavor, reminiscent of bamboo shoots.

Download the Rosengarten Report excerpt reviewing AppetizersToGo.com (PDF Format)