
What apps are you serving on your holiday table?
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Andy Gosnell
Listener support. WNYC Studios.
Alison Stewart
You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Maybe right at this moment, as you're listening to this, you're stressing out about what to bring to your Christmas or Hanukkah celebration tomorrow. And while main courses tend get all the love, some of the easiest and most crowd pleasing recipes are appetizers. So whether you want to master a meatball, nail a chip and dip, or wow your guests with a fancy puff pastry, we have you covered, carnivores and vegetarians alike. Joining me now to discuss some great holiday appetizers is Andy Gosnell. She's an assistant food editor at Food and why. Hi, Andy.
Andy Gosnell
Hey, Allison.
Alison Stewart
Listeners, we want to hear from you. What is your go to appetizer recipe? Something that is a hit every time or maybe you're wondering what appetizer to make and want some inspiration. We are talking all things appetizers till the end of the hour. Our number is 212-433-WNYC-212-433-9692. Andy, why do you think appetizers don't get as much love as the main course?
Andy Gosnell
You know, appetizers are my favorite part of the party. Anytime I leave a holiday party, I always find myself thinking about those small bites and then requesting of the host the following year. Oh, my gosh, I loved this little thing, this dip, this gougere. I think they don't get as much love because I think people believe that there's a limit on creativity. With appetizers, I think the opposite. I think they're some of the most creative bites you can get with those main courses. You have a lot of those rich, stodgier, heavy flavors, which are incredibly delicious. But I think appetizers are a great way to get those hits of acidity, a little bit of heat, maybe some sweet, maybe a little bit of brine. And I think there's tons of ways that you could go.
Alison Stewart
All right, let's start off with some of your easiest recipes for a crowd pleaser. You recommend pigs in a blanket. All right. Should we try to make the blanket the dough yourself?
Andy Gosnell
No. Unless you happen to be hiding that you're a French pastry chef. Pigs in a blanket are a classic appetizer. We joke amongst, you know, the food editors and also chefs that everybody loves this dish, whether it's kids, adults, and really take crescent rolls. Pop that tube. You can also use puff pastry to cut out small triangles. This is a total crowd pleaser. It comes Together really quickly. And also you can do a variety of dipping sauces. Whether that's a stone ground must mustard. You can brush the outside of the roll with a little bit of extra butter, maybe some cracked pepper to give it a little bit something extra. But I think this is just such a crowd favorite. Nobody's gonna be unhappy with the pigs in a blanket unless you're a vegetarian.
Alison Stewart
Well, that's. We have them coming up, don't worry. But when you think about some, like, fancier ways to elevate your pigs in a blanket to make them a little bit less of, you know, the average party, the average appetizer.
Andy Gosnell
Yeah. So I'm making pigs in a blanket for an appetizer that I'm bringing over for a party tonight. And I'm going in a cacio e pepe kind of direction inspired. So I'm using traditional puff pastry, frozen from the grocery store. It's defrosting in my fridge right now. And then I'm also going to, before I roll that whole thing up, I'm gonna layer in a bit of grated parmesan cheese. Really fine. So that way it's gonna really get into that pastry. It's gonna give it a nice little umami around that meat. And then as I roll it up, I'm gonna go ahead and brush with a little bit of extra butter, a little bit more parmesan, and a really good hit of cracked pepper. So you get those notes of that, like, fragrantness from the black pepper, a little bit of nuttiness from the cheese, and that salty, sweet deliciousness from the meat. It's gonna be amazing.
Alison Stewart
Up next, under easy recipes, you recommend trying a flatbread. Huh? What makes this an easy thing to tackle?
Andy Gosnell
Yes, flatbreads are really simple. One, they're very easy to transport because they're flat. So you don't have a lot of things standing up tall or bobbling around. They're easy to wrap up, but also too flatbreads. Store bought flatbread dough is a great way to save time. Again, when you're thinking of appetizers, you really don't want to be spending tons of time making lots of things, waiting for things to rise. You want to try to get as much store bought components as possible. That way, if you are in a situation where you need to kind of put things together last minute, everything's kind of all ready for you to go ahead and just put up together. I personally love a frat bread because they're also really sharable. You can go ahead and Bring it who over to your party and then cut it through a little bit of razzle dazzle in front of your guests. You can have it all prepared and sliced. It makes everything really simple. And it's a really great finger food that feels a little bit heavier for people.
Alison Stewart
What are some good ingredients, ingredient pairings to go on a flatbread?
Andy Gosnell
Yes. We have this amazing miso mushroom flatbed on foodandwine.com it's fabulous. So using the white miso, which is a Japanese pantry staple, you can find it at any grocery store. It kind of gives the element of a white pie instead of a marinara sauce, but it has this really, like, nutty, savory note. And when paired with beautiful, wintry mushrooms, it creates this gorgeous layer of flavor topped with a little bit of arugula to offset some bitterness. It is 100% fabulous. I highly recommend it not just for appetizers but also a great weeknight treat.
Alison Stewart
I'm speaking with Andy Gosnell, assistant food editor of Food and Wine. We're talking about great appetizer recipes for your holiday gathering. We do want to hear from you. What is your best or favorite appetizer recipe? What appetizers are you bringing to your holiday gathering this year? Maybe you're looking for some suggestions. We have you covered. Give us a call. 2124-339692-22433. WNYC. Let's check in with Lisa from Westfield, New Jersey. Hi, Lisa.
Listener
Hi. How are you doing?
Alison Stewart
Okay.
Listener
I have an appetizer that's very common, but every single family holiday, the family asked me to please make one or two, which makes me feel wonderful because I'm really a lousy cook. And that is brie and puffed pastry with fig on top, sugared walnuts. I wrap debris around it, take a little extra dough, cut out a shape with the cookie cutter, put an egg wash on it, bake it, and serve it with sliced apples. And it makes me feel like I really am a good cook. Everybody loves it. Everybody love it.
Alison Stewart
Lisa, thanks for the tip. Let's talk to Jake in Manhattan. Hey, Jake.
Listener
Hey.
Alison Stewart
How are you doing? Okay.
Listener
Good, good. So I have a crowd pleaser that I stole from a restaurant in the Village called Po years ago. If you remember that restaurant, I think it was a Batali restaurant. So it's a white bean croissant. So easy peasy. Get a good sourdough bread, toasted lightly. Take a piece of garlic. When the toast is still warm, rub that garlic on the warm toast. Now a Good olive oil. Now a navy bean or a white bean that you like with some olive oil, salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, parsley. It never fails. It's so good you can eat it as a meal.
Alison Stewart
I'm so hungry now.
Andy Gosnell
That sounds amazing.
Alison Stewart
This text says deviled eggs are always the best appetizer. Make deviled egg variation like eggs with salmon caviar, pickles and Tabasco.
Andy Gosnell
Yes, yes. Deviled egg variations. I love that this text came through. Deviled eggs classic appetizer and they are perfect for small little toppings. That sounds like a great idea. We also have this fabulous shakshuka deviled egg recipe on the website. It is a really nice version of traditional shakshuka, those elements of that acidic tomato and instead reducing it down to a nice consistency. Tomato jam over that creamy egg based filling over a deviled egg. It is divine. I love deviled eggs. They're super poppable and you can go as many different ways with those toppings and flavors.
Alison Stewart
Now do I need to have a special piper to put it back into the egg white?
Andy Gosnell
You know, I traditionally I like to use a piper, but you don't need any special like star tip or round tip. You can always go ahead and use a regular zip top bag. Cut a small hole open and fill your filling in about halfway. Twist the top and then pipe it in that way. Or if you're really gentle about it, you can go ahead and just use a small spoon or even like a small melon baller to go ahead and put your filling in.
Alison Stewart
Let's talk to John from Brooklyn. Hi, John, thanks for calling all of it.
Listener
Hi, thanks for having me. An appetizer that I got the recipe from the New York Times years ago. He'd take a jar like a Costco size jar. That's. That's the way I make the appetizers of Spanish olives. Pour the brine off and fill it with sweet vermouth. Let it sit for a couple of days and then light the pigs in a blanket. Using the poppin fresh dough, the crescent roll dough. Slice the dough so that you can wrap each olive. It's a little labor intensive, but wrap each olive and then bake them as you would the pigs in a blanket until the dough gets just brown and the taste of the. You still have the residual brine, the saltiness of the brine and you have the sweetness of the vermouth. And these things, people eat them up as fast as I can take them out of the oven.
Alison Stewart
Thanks for the tip. Yeah, let's talk to Nicole from Harlem. Hey, Nicole.
Andy Gosnell
Hi.
Alison Stewart
How are you? I'm doing great. Do you have a recipe? Can you recommend a recipe?
Listener
So I'm currently in the process of making 15 pounds of pickled shrimp.
Alison Stewart
Fifteen pounds? Wow.
Listener
Yeah, yeah. It varies year to year, but I've been making it since 2001, when I took it over from my grandmother. So, yeah, it's. You kind of cook the shrimp, boil the shrimp and pickling spices, and then you layer the shrimp with sliced onions, and then you pickle it in oil, vinegar, a little bit Tabasco sauce, bay leaves, capers, caper berries, celery seed, salt. I think that's it. Oh, and the celery tops, which are the hardest part to get, actually.
Alison Stewart
All right, Nicole, I'm gonna let you get back to it. Fifteen pounds. It's a lot. Thanks for calling in. My guest is Andy Gosnell, assistant food editor at Food and Wine. We are talking appetizers. Our number is 9692 212433, WNYC. You want to tell us your appetizer you love to make? Or if you need a little inspiration, Andy's here to help. All right, let's talk about some recipes that will travel easily. You have bacon wrapped dates. D A T S. What goes into making these?
Listener
Yes.
Andy Gosnell
A date with a date. So a bacon wrapped date is another classic appetizer. And again, they travel really well because they're small, and you can stick a little toothpick in them to make them even more secure. So they' chewy and crisp and savory. And then what we're doing is just stuffing these medjool dates with a mixture of blue cheese and cream cheese and a little bit of toasted walnuts for a little bit of crunch. But when you're thinking about transporting appetizers, you want to think, okay, what's the easiest way that I can. One, wrap these up. Two, make sure they don't move around too much. And three is going to be easiest for your host. Right. You don't want to give them a bunch of dishes to have to do after or, you know, make them responsible for tons and tons of things that you're bringing. So I think these appetizers are a really great way that goes through all of those categories.
Alison Stewart
I have to imagine meatballs are really important or really a way that you can bring an appetizer. But how can we spice up a meatball?
Andy Gosnell
Yes. So meatballs are, again, another classic for myself. I love to do a meatball that has a different type of meat than just regular ground beef. Right. So we have these spicy lamb meatballs on our website, foodandwine.com they're incredible. From our fabulous culinary at large, Justin Hill. So he creates these amazing meatballs where you use ground lamb and a little bit of, like, sumac and warm spices to really give the effect of, like, a merguez sausage. And then with this really beautifully delicious herby sauce. It's a great take on a meatball that adds a little bit more oomph.
Alison Stewart
Let's talk to Fidel from Jersey City. Hey, Fidel. Thanks for calling all of it.
Listener
Hello. I'm calling you because I heard about the puff pastry. And just to give you a little bit of background, I'm Cuban, and something that we often eat is guava and cream cheese and puff pastry. So what I end up doing are, like, these purses. You can make any shape, of course, and it can take many, many variations. Mushrooms, chicken, shrimp, beef. But what I specifically called about were these little pastries that we call pastelitos. And as I said, they're filled with guava and cream cheese. The only thing is that I warn. I want to make a suggestion is please don't eat them once they get out of the oven immediately, because that's usually the tendency that we want nice and hot, just out of the oven. But the guava ends up being like lava or caramel that's just been cooked.
Alison Stewart
Good advice. Thanks, Fidel. So we're going to talk about some appetizers that vegetarians might like. We talked about shashuka deviled eggs before, and then we're talking about spinach and artichoke dip.
Andy Gosnell
Yes.
Alison Stewart
Tell me a little bit about it. Is it the kind of thing that you should reheat? Is this something you should bring in a large batch? Tell me a little more.
Andy Gosnell
Yes. So this spinach and artichoke dip is fabulous. You're using all types of the jarred artichoke, using a little bit of the brine. You're using the hearts and, of course, hearty spinach and tons of cream cheese. Cream cheese and puff pastry are our friends for holiday appetizers. What I really love about this dip is, yes, it can be reheated, and frankly, it's better when you reheat. You can either reheat right before you get to the party, or if your host is willing to borrow a stovetop, you can reheat it directly at your party. And it's great because you can transport it in the very vessel that you make it in a cast iron. Excuse me. A Dutch oven is a great transporter for this dip, specifically because you can make it and also retain so much heat that your dip is going to stay warm for a longer period of time. Just go ahead and make sure with any dips, go ahead and put a thin layer of plastic wrap over the surface just so the dip doesn't develop a skin and you're good to go.
Alison Stewart
My guest is Andy Gosnold, assistant food editor at Food and Wine. We're talking about great appetizer recipes for your holiday gathering listeners. We want to hear from you. What's your best or favorite appetizer recipe? What appetizers are you bringing to your gathering this year? Or maybe you're looking for appetizer suggestions. We've got you covered. Give us a call. 2124-3396-9221-2433 wnyc. You can call in and join us on air or you can text to us. All right, so you have some recipes you recommend if you want to be on top of food trends. What are some ingredients that have gotten really popular this year?
Andy Gosnell
Yes, caviar is having a massive moment in 2024. So we actually did a 6010 caviar taste test, going through all the different types of caviar from different rates of affordability and different brand caviar is having a massive moment. You know, there's a Cocoa do in New York that's serving it on top of fried chicken. And I think what's interesting about caviar is this huge influx of the product is also leading to really unique ways of people using it. Right. It's no longer this ultra opulent ingredient where you could only get it at the best of fine dining restaurants. Now you can find a really great, beautifully delicious, affordable tin of caviar that you can put on a Dorito on a smashed potato with a little bit of creme fraiche in a sandwich. There are so many different ways, and I think it's been really interesting to watch how people are getting creative with caviar.
Listener
Yeah.
Alison Stewart
You have a recipe here, Four layer caviar dip. Well, we know what one layer is. Caviar. What are the other three?
Andy Gosnell
Yes. So this four layer caviar dip is white, the Showstopper. So obviously that first layer is that beautiful top layer of just beautiful caviar pearls. This also has sour cream and mayonnaise and a little bit of finely chopped red onion for a little bit of bite, fresh chives. And then of Course back to cream cheese. So again, we're really pairing caviar with ingredients that you likely already have in your home, which is fantastic. So all you need to go is go out and get the tin of caviar to make this really fabulous dip. And trust me, people are going to be like, this looks incredible.
Alison Stewart
Let's talk to Betsy from Prospect Heights. Hi, Betsy.
Listener
Hello.
Alison Stewart
Hey, Betsy.
Listener
Hi. I. I have a recipe. Can you hear me?
Alison Stewart
Yep. Go for it.
Listener
Okay. I have a recipe for vegetarian chopped liver. And it's easy to transport and fairly easy to make.
Andy Gosnell
Really.
Listener
The only hard part is you take, you take a medium large yellow onion and chop it up coarsely and then you saute it on low to get a nice caramelization. And it's easier if you sort of set it and forget it. So keep it low heat and it'll take over half an hour maybe, but it gets a really beautiful brown caramel color and that's what you want. You don't want it burnt. If you use a high heat, it'll burn. So you have to be patient. That's the only hard part. Then you take a can of peas and a couple of walnuts and you throw them in your food processor. A half cup of crumbs from preference crackers, but you could actually even use Ritz crackers. Maybe about 10 to 12 of them will be enough. And so after you do the peas and the walnuts, you add the onion and then you add the crackers to get the consistency you want.
Alison Stewart
Sounds good. I'm going to dive in there with a little oil, salt and pepper. Sounds great, Betsy, thank you so much. I'm starting to run out of time and I wanted to ask you this before we lose you, Andy. You want people to make a dirty martini dip? I have to know more with their.
Andy Gosnell
Dirty martinis, of course. Alice. Yes. So this ties back into one of the trends that we've been keeping our eye on is everybody loves these amazing classic cocktails. And we're like, all right, people love classic cocktails and they love the flavors and they love dip. Let's just go ahead and put them together. So this dirty martini dip is a fabulous recipe based on exactly like that, a dirty martini. So we actually go ahead and use these gin soaked olives. We're using a little bit of all of the traditional base ingredients of the original spirit. Right. We've got gin, we've got a little bit of vermouth, and then we actually use that ginsoak olive brine inside. Again, back to cream. Cheese inside that dip so it gives it that fabulous, like, briny flavor, topped with those beautiful Casa Vetrano olives. You feel like you're enjoying the cocktail, but on a delicious salty chip. It is divine.
Alison Stewart
Let's try to get one more call in. Lynn from Cold Spring. You've got about 30 seconds, Lynn.
Listener
Okay.
Alison Stewart
Hello.
Listener
I have two that I'd like to recommend. One is pickled asparagus wrapped in very thin slices of nuschinken, which is a kind of German cured ham. It's absolutely wonderful. The other one is a southern appetizer where you take a roll of cream cheese and roll it into a log, put it on a plate, make some little divots in it so that it'll hold a whole jar of sweet pickle relish, and then you serve it with Carr's whole wheat crackers, and it's out of this world. I've never seen it since I've moved to New York, but I serve it to rave reviews every time I have a party.
Alison Stewart
Love it. Thanks so much. All right, you get to finish out. What are you making, Andy?
Andy Gosnell
I am making pigs in a blanket. As I talked about my beautiful catch, a pepe pigs in a blanket. And then I'm also gonna go for that warm spinach dip. It's just so cozy and comforting. You just can't go wrong.
Alison Stewart
Andy Gosnell is an assistant food editor at Food and Wine. Thank you so much for walking us through appetizers.
Andy Gosnell
Thanks, Galston.
Alison Stewart
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All Of It: "There's an App for That!" – Detailed Episode Summary
Podcast Information:
Episode Details:
Alison Stewart opens the episode by tapping into the listeners' pre-holiday stress about preparing for Christmas or Hanukkah celebrations. She emphasizes the importance of appetizers as crowd-pleasers that often get overshadowed by main courses. Alison introduces the focus of the episode: exploring easy and impressive appetizer recipes suitable for both carnivores and vegetarians. She welcomes Andy Gosnell to discuss various holiday appetizer ideas.
Key Quote:
"Maybe right at this moment, as you're listening to this, you're stressing out about what to bring to your Christmas or Hanukkah celebration tomorrow." – Alison Stewart [00:17]
Alison asks Andy why appetizers don't receive as much attention as main courses. Andy passionately explains that appetizers are her favorite part of any party. She believes they offer a canvas for creativity, providing contrasts in flavors that complement the richer main dishes.
Key Quote:
"I think appetizers are a great way to get those hits of acidity, a little bit of heat, maybe some sweet, maybe a little bit of brine." – Andy Gosnell [01:24]
Andy recommends pigs in a blanket as a quintessential, easy-to-make appetizer. She advises using store-bought crescent or puff pastry to save time, emphasizing their universal appeal. To elevate this classic, Andy shares her cacio e pepe inspired version, incorporating grated Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper for added depth and umami.
Key Quote:
"Nobody's gonna be unhappy with the pigs in a blanket unless you're a vegetarian." – Andy Gosnell [02:17]
Moving on, Andy suggests flatbreads as another easy and versatile appetizer option. She highlights their portability and the convenience of using store-bought dough. Andy introduces a miso mushroom flatbread recipe, combining white miso for a savory base with wintry mushrooms and fresh arugula to balance flavors.
Key Quote:
"Flatbreads are really simple... they're easy to wrap up, but also too flatbreads." – Andy Gosnell [04:08]
Alison invites listeners to share their favorite appetizer recipes, incorporating several listener calls that provide diverse and creative ideas.
Lisa shares her beloved recipe for Brie and Puff Pastry with Fig and Sugared Walnuts. Despite considering herself a "lousy cook," this dish consistently earns rave reviews at family gatherings.
Key Quote:
"Everybody loves it. Everybody loves it." – Lisa [06:06]
Jake describes a White Bean Croissant inspired by a restaurant in the Village. This simple yet flavorful appetizer involves garlic-rubbed sourdough toast topped with a seasoned white bean mixture.
Key Quote:
"It never fails. It's so good you can eat it as a meal." – Jake [06:51]
John introduces an inventive method for making Pigs in a Blanket with Pickled Olives. By marinating olives in sweet vermouth, he creates a sweet and salty filling wrapped in crescent roll dough.
Key Quote:
"These things, people eat them up as fast as I can take them out of the oven." – John [08:49]
Nicole shares her family's traditional recipe for Pickled Shrimp, a substantial appetizer with layers of shrimp, onions, and spices, emphasizing the labor of love passed down from her grandmother.
Key Quote:
"I've been making it since 2001, when I took it over from my grandmother." – Nicole [09:53]
Betsy offers a Vegetarian Chopped Liver recipe, a plant-based twist on a classic appetizer. This dish combines caramelized onions, peas, walnuts, and crackers, creating a rich and savory spread.
Key Quote:
"It's easy to transport and fairly easy to make." – Betsy [17:55]
Lynn recommends two unique appetizers:
Key Quote:
"It's out of this world. I serve it to rave reviews every time I have a party." – Lynn [20:25]
Alison transitions to discussing vegetarian-friendly appetizers, mentioning Shakshuka Deviled Eggs and Spinach and Artichoke Dip as versatile and crowd-pleasing options.
Andy highlights the rising popularity of caviar in 2024, noting its versatility beyond traditional fine dining. She discusses innovative uses, such as topping fried chicken or creating a Four Layer Caviar Dip that combines caviar with sour cream, mayonnaise, red onions, and chives.
Key Quote:
"Caviar is having a massive moment in 2024... people are getting creative with caviar." – Andy Gosnell [15:55]
Andy provides practical advice on preparing appetizers that travel well, such as Bacon-Wrapped Dates. She emphasizes using toothpicks for security, incorporating diverse textures like blue cheese and toasted walnuts, and ensuring ease of serving for the host.
Key Quote:
"When you're thinking about transporting appetizers, you want to think, okay, what's the easiest way that I can wrap these up." – Andy Gosnell [10:39]
Andy shares her personal plans for the holidays: making her cacio e pepe pigs in a blanket and a warm spinach dip, underscoring their cozy and comforting appeal.
Key Quote:
"It's just so cozy and comforting. You just can't go wrong." – Andy Gosnell [21:10]
Alison concludes by thanking Andy for her insights and inviting listeners to continue sharing their favorite appetizers for future holiday gatherings.
Notable Themes and Insights:
Conclusion:
This episode of All Of It serves as an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to elevate their holiday gatherings with a variety of appetizer options. From classic favorites like pigs in a blanket to innovative recipes incorporating trending ingredients like caviar, Andy Gosnell offers practical tips and creative inspiration. Listener contributions add a rich tapestry of cultural flavors, reinforcing the show's dedication to celebrating diverse perspectives within the vibrant New York City culture.