# Best and Worst Appetizer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 28, 2023, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257 "2023-12-28T05:25:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/141 "2023-12-31T17:32:53Z")
Liver and bacon are both rich, but in contrasting ways. And the crunchy bacon goes nicely with the creamy liver. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/142 "2023-12-31T20:45:30Z")
My home-made Poke (either traditional or spicy creamy style) and Spam musubi are almost immediately surrounded by guests like hyenas around a lion kill. A person could lose a hand gettin’ too close in there. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/143 "2024-01-01T00:09:47Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > You mean Minnesota Sushi. 😉 That’s what we call it and it’s always on the same table as the tater tot hot dish. I made this as a snack for our tamale-making party today. Only to stick with the theme, I substituted jalapeno cream cheese for the dilled-up stuff. They vanished quickly, and not just because there was an 17 year old boy in the house. Although he ate his share. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/144 "2024-01-01T00:29:35Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I substituted jalapeno cream cheese for the dilled-up stuff. Either way, yum. And the tamales, too. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/145 "2024-01-01T01:33:08Z")
One of my favorite casual appetizers to serve are antipasto skewers. On long wooden skewers, thread a Kalamata olive (or other type of olive as you prefer), a grape tomato, a basil leaf, a folded thin slice of Genoa salami, a piece of chopped, marinated artichoke heart, another tomato and another olive. Continue threading until the skewer has 2 bare inches on the bottom and a bare half inch at the top. If you want to go to a little more trouble, you can marinate cooked cheese-stuffed tortellini in 1/2 cup of Italian salad dressing and 1/2 tsp of Tabasco, drain and add a periodic tortellini to the skewer lineup. My personal preference is to omit these. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/146 "2024-01-01T02:11:10Z")
Do you grill these or serve them raw? I’ve never been a big fan of antipasta. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/147 "2024-01-01T02:15:57Z")
I just serve them as is. One is an appetizer. Two are a meal. They’re tidy and people seem to like them, so they’ve become a go-to for me. And shoot, I forgot to list the mozzarella balls! Those are an important addition! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/148 "2024-01-01T14:02:15Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But liver has a pretty wide range of “acceptable doneness” for me. There is a Turkish appetizer made from calf liver and onions ( _Arnavut Ciğeri_ ). I’ve had it at two different Turkish restaurants, and each time the liver is _very_ well done, and delicious. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/149 "2024-01-01T14:04:48Z")
Those sound nice to me. Tasty, and fairly easy to carry around the party and eat. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/150 "2024-01-01T14:07:59Z")
[![](https://i.imgur.com/DQcFRGi.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/DQcFRGi.jpeg) My favorite nephew’s wife made this charcuterie tray for our xmas eve party. I laughed when she said she’d made it, but she really did! Took a class about charcuterie as well. Once devoured, the underlying board is a xmas tree. Much of the cheese looks the same, but there are at least a dozen different cheeses! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/151 "2024-01-01T14:32:23Z")
And three meats? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/152 "2024-01-01T15:08:28Z")
More than 3, though all very similar. Very fatty meats, so I skipped over that part. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/153 "2024-01-01T15:50:05Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > > [@carrps](#): > > > > Like the St. Louis Sushi? > > You mean Minnesota Sushi. 😉 That’s what we call it and it’s always on the same table as the tater tot hot dish. I just realized that I have thin-sliced ham, cream cheese and pickles in the fridge. I think I may try making some Midwest temaki today. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/154 "2024-01-01T16:37:29Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My favorite nephew’s wife made this charcuterie tray for our xmas eve party. That’s gorgeous and very clever! I may steal the idea! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/155 "2024-01-01T17:10:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My favorite nephew’s wife made this charcuterie tray for our xmas eve party. That looks great. If I had one criticism it is I would be reluctant to tuck in and ruin the cool display. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/156 "2024-01-01T17:13:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My “secret” for making perfect Rumaki and bacon wrapped scallops is to sous vide the bacon 8-12 hours in its original packaging. Then snip a corner and pour out the fat into a container for later use. I finally tried this last night. I’ve always been worried that the package might break open. Some time in the night, the package broke open. It’s about as big a disaster as can fit in one pot. Grease water, sodden bacon, I haven’t yet disassembled the circulator to perform a damage assessment but I’m expecting a nasty mess. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/157 "2024-01-01T19:17:28Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@carnut](#): > > > > > [@carrps](#): > > > > > > Like the St. Louis Sushi? > > > > You mean Minnesota Sushi. 😉 That’s what we call it and it’s always on the same table as the tater tot hot dish. > > I just realized that I have thin-sliced ham, cream cheese and pickles in the fridge. I think I may try making some Midwest temaki today. The result was tasty but not quite as photgenic as I’d hoped. It turns out it’s not easy to spread a nice even layer of cream cheese on a thin slice of ham: [![](https://i.imgur.com/RFHSI3J.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/RFHSI3J.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/158 "2024-01-01T23:00:29Z")
I forgot worse appetizer. I enjoy most non-desserty-sweet foods on some level or another and I can’t think of a typical appetizer (or hors devours or party munchie) I **dislike.** There is plenty I probably won’t bother with, though. I’m seldom interested in whatever’s in the bread basket and basically never use butter for bread alone. I’ll pass on popcorn. I wish restaurant nachos were ever good but they never get above fair. Cold shrimp cocktail checks the ‘fancy’ box but that’s all. Whatever flatbread is supposed to be makes me wish it was pizza, crackers, bread. > [@solost](#): > > It turns out it’s not easy to spread a nice even layer of cream cheese on a thin slice of ham: This I like! Brainstorming here: For the pickles, I’d try some baby dills and some sweets and cut them into thinner ribbons or perhaps matchsticks and layer those in for a little more texture and a sweet/sour hit And mortadella is calling my name today so I’ll sub that in for the ham. The difficult cream cheese might be chilled and formed with plastic or parchment paper. And I think there’s room for one more little touch of something… Olive? Celery seed? Roast red pepper? Herb up the cream cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2024, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/159 "2024-01-01T23:14:00Z")
I’ve been eating these wonderful things lately, and I have no idea what they’re called - they’re pickled spicy cherry peppers (pimentos), stuffed with cream cheese, in olive oil. Anybody heard of these? I thing they’re Spanish in origin. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257/160 "2024-01-02T12:18:06Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Some time in the night, the package broke open. Wow, I’ve cooked bacon sous vide in the original packaging many times and never had a problem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-appetizer/995257.md?page=9)