Have you ever tried appetizer spoons? It’s the solution to turn any dish you like into finger-food! Possibilities are endless, all you need is Chinese soup spoons and a little imagination…Mix textures and flavors, have fun! You can make sweet ones, warm ones…They’re just great when you need to feed many people but don’t have space enough to have them all around a dinner table. Parisian appartments are pretty small (or expensive!), it explains I’m a huge fan of appetizer spoons

These ones are made with smoked duck and pear slices, but what gives it a special flavor is its spice and honey vinaigrette. Four spices blend is a widely used mixture in France, made with cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg. if you can’t find it already made, mix 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground clove and 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. you can also add it 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper if you like. In that case, don’t add pepper to the below recipe.

Preparation time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

10 smoked duck slices
3/4 pear
2 tablespoons of walnut oil
1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of four spices mix
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ In a bowl, blend oil, vinegar, honey and spices (including salt & pepper).

2/ Peel and slice pear.

3/ Fill spoons with a piece of pear, topped with a smoked duck slice and another pear piece.

4/ Add a little vinaigrette to your spoons.

5/ That’s it! Ready to serve

Here’s a great appetizer recipe, very easy although it takes a little time  to make .
It’s very common in France to have friends over for a pre-dinner drink (apéritif). But we also often invite them for what we call « apéritif dinatoire » which means there is no dinner after it, you eat while drinking! In these occasions, I make different finger-food like Spanish tapas. It’s important to vary tastes and types so your guests don’t get bored.  There are tons of delicious recipes I’ll try to share with you in the finger-food pages.

Preparation time: 15 minutes – Marinating time: at least 30 minutes

Ingredients (for 20 skewers)

20 toothpicks

20 tomatoes cherry
20 small mozzarella balls
10 basil leaves (5 if they’re big)
2 tablespoons of parsley
2 tablespoons of small chive
2 tablesoons of olive oil
salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Chop parsley and small chive. Pour mozzarella balls in a bowl. Add olive oil, parsley, small chive, salt and pepper. Cover and leave aside for at least 30 mn. (If you can leave it overnight, even better).

2/ Cut tomatoes and basil leaves in half. On a toothpick, line up one half of tomato, a piece of basil leaf, a mozarella ball and finish with the second tomato half.