Appetizers at Bloomingdale's Medinah Temple

Right before New Year's Eve, I gave a cooking demonstration at Bloomingdale's Medinah Temple. Given the season, I thought it appropriate to give folks some appetizer ideas. The following are the recipes that I demonstrated.

Crab Puffs
Makes 28

INGREDIENTS:
Puff Pastry Cups:
1 14-ounce package of all-butter puff pastry such as Du Four, defrosted for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator
1 egg
Crab Mix:
8 ounces crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/3 cup good mayonnaise, preferably Hellman’s
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch cayenne
½ teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup chopped scallion greens
Finely-grated parmesan cheese, preferably parmiggiano-reggiano, for dusting

METHODS:
Puff Pastry Cups:
Preheat oven to 400º F. On a well-floured, cool surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet. If necessary, roll it out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Cut the pastry into 28 rounds with a floured 1 ½-inch fluted cutter. Chill for ½ hour or until firm. With a floured ¾-inch fluted cutter, cut the center out of 14 of the rounds. Mix the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the bottom rounds with the egg wash. Center the top rounds on the bottom rounds and brush with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Let cool on a rack.
Crab mix:
Mix the crabmeat, mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne, paprika and scallion greens together in a medium-size bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serving: Fill the well of the pastry cups with crab mix. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes.

Proscuitto & Honey-Mustard Spirals
Makes approximately 30

INGREDIENTS:
1 14-ounce package of all-butter puff pastry such as Du Four, defrosted for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator
Flour for rolling, if necessary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons clover honey
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese, preferably Parmiggiano-Reggiano
1 egg

METHODS: Preheat oven to 400º. Mix the mustard and honey in a small bowl. On a well-floured, cool surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet. If necessary, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness on a well floured. If necessary, roll pastry to a 1/8-inch thickness. Take care not to flatten out the edges. Trim uneven edges. Spread the honey-mustard mix evenly over pastry to about ¼ inch from the edge. Cover with prosciutto and cheese on top. Roll up lengthwise. Refrigerate for a half hour or freeze until ready to use. If frozen, allow to defrost in the refrigerator until soft enough to slice, approximately 1 hour. Mix the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the roll with the egg wash. Cut log crosswise into ¼-inch slices and put the slices onto a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Puff Pastry Straws
Makes approximately 20

INGREDIENTS:
1 14-ounce package of all-butter puff pastry such as Du Four, defrosted for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator
Flour for rolling, if necessary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese, preferably Parmiggiano-Reggiano
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1 egg

METHODS: Preheat oven to 400º. Mix the mustard and honey in a small bowl. On a well-floured, cool surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet. If necessary, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness on a well floured. Take care not to flatten out the edges. Trim uneven edges. Spread the mustard on the half of the surface. Sprinkle cheese and cayenne pepper on top of the mustard. Fold the clean side over the cheese. Slice into ¼-inch slices lengthwise. Take the end of one slice and carefully twist in opposite directions. Place on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet, pressing down each end to prevent the straw from unrolling. Repeat with remaining pieces. Chill the straws in the freezer for about an hour. Mix the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the straws with the egg wash. Bake until golden, approximately 15-20 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tartlets of Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraiche & Capers
Makes 15

INGREDIENTS:
1 package filo tartlets, baked according to the manufacturer’s directions
8 ounces smoked salmon
¼ cup crème fraiche
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

METHODS: Cut the salmon into ¼-inch slices. Put a dollop of crème fraiche into the bottom of the tartlet. Top with salmon and garnish with capers.


Tartlets of Brie & Pear Drizzled with Local Honey
Makes 15

INGREDIENTS:
1 package filo tartlets, baked according to the manufacturers directions
8 ounces brie at room temperature, sliced into bite-size pieces
½ pear, sliced ¼-inch thick, each slice cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons honey

METHODS: Put one piece of brie and one piece of pear in each tart shell. Drizzle with honey.

Asian Chicken Tartlets
Makes 30

INGREDIENTS:
2 packages filo tartlets, baked according to the manufacturer’s directions
1 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast half
6 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 garlic clove
1 1 ½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 drops of Tabasco
2 scallions, sliced diagonally

METHODS: Place the chicken breast in a small saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook until a meat thermometer registers 165º F. Begin testing after 15 minutes. Cool in poaching liquid. To make sauce, put the peanut butter, garlic clove, ginger, lemon juice, soy sauce, water and Tabasco into the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until smooth. If thick, add an additional tablespoon of water. Shred the cooled chicken and add to peanut sauce. Fill each tartlet with chicken and top with a bit of the scallions.

Sweet Potato Chips with Cranberry-Shallot Chutney & Smoked Duck Breast
Serves 30

INGREDIENTS:
Terra Spiced Sweet Potato Chips
1 smoked duck breast
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon port (optional)
Kosher salt abd freshly ground pepper to taste

METHODS: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the shallots and cook until golden. Add cranberries, sugar, water, vinegar and thyme sprig and cook until the cranberries have burst and the chutney is thickened. Season to taste. Thinly slice the duck breast. Top sweet potato chips with a piece of duck and a dollop of chutney.

Beet Chops Topped with Blue Cheese Mousse & Peppery Greens
Serves 15

INGREDIENTS:
1 box beet chips, such as Papa Lenas
½ pound blue cheese, preferably Maytag, at room temperature
½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
Peppery microgreens, sprouts or small greens, such as arugula

METHODS: Mix together the softened cheese and the crème fraiche or sour cream. Top each chip with a dollop of mousse and with a peppery green.

Radishes Topped with Goat Butter
Serves 15

INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces goat butter, softened
2 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs (such as basil or tarragon, chives, chervil or parsley)
1 bunch radishes, stemmed and cleaned
Coarse sea salt for garnish

METHODS:
Mix together butter and chopped herbs. Slice radishes thinly and soak in cold water. Dry slices and top with goat butter. Garnish with coarse sea salt.

Apples Cups with Green-less Waldorf Salad
Makes 36 cups

INGREDIENTS:
Apple Cups:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 apples
Salad:
1 ½ cup walnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 apple
6 ounces aged cheddar
¼ cup good mayonnaise, preferably Hellman’s
2 teaspoons good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

METHODS:
Apple Cups: Preheat oven to 200º F. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely. Cool. Slice whole, unpeeled, apples horizontally (through the core) to 1/8-1/16-inch thick. Dip each slice in sugar syrup. Place slices on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet and cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until pliable and light brown. Fit each slice into a non-stick mini-muffin cup to form a cup. Let dry.
Salad: Heat butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and add walnuts. Cook until golden. Let cool and coarsely chop. Peel apple and dice. Dice aged cheddar. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add apples, walnuts, cheddar and parsley. Fill cups with salad.