Appetizer Quotes

“Merriem goes to the kitchen and quickly returns with a wooden tray piled high with thickly sliced bread and brightly patterned dishes of olive oil and dark vinegar.
The bread is vivid yellow. It crumbles in my mouth and tastes sweet, honeyed.
"Dandelions," Merriem says to me.
Papa is staring at his half-eaten piece. "I thought dandelion was a weed?"
"It is," Merriem replies with a grin. "Isn't it marvelous?"
"Yes, it's very nice," Papa says, still looking a little puzzled.
"Dad and I call it sunshine bread, eh, Dad?" Huia says.”
― Hannah Tunnicliffe, Season of Salt and Honey

“When you fall for your appetite too early, you may not be able to endure to the end.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Become a Better You

“Your daughter is delightful!" Sejanus was saying to Aelia. I gripped the edge of the bench and bit my tongue as he spoke. "She is a living testament to the good looks that seem to follow the gens Aelia."
Aelia smiled. "Cousin, you flatter me."
Sejanus had set the tone for the evening with the clear slight against the Gavia clan. "It's only a shame I share the name through adoption- not blood- or who knows how much more attractive I might have been!" Nearby guests laughed at the joke but to me it seemed the true intent was to point out that Apicius had, at least at one time, found him attractive. Sejanus looked directly at Apicius directly as he spoke, a smile on his face.
Apicius gave away nothing. He waved a boy over with a tray. "Have you tried the fried hare livers, Sejanus?"
Apicata jumped up and down and smiled at her father. "May I? May I?"
Her father smiled. Apicata could always melt his heart. "Only one and don't share with Perseus!"
The serving boy lowered the tray so she could reach for the liver but not so low that the jumping puppy could steal treats for himself. She snatched a morsel and popped it into her mouth. I knew what she tasted, a sublime mixture of textures, the crispy breaded exterior and the smooth, sumptuous richness of the liver itself. The combination is unexpected. When I first introduced the recipe, it immediately became a family favorite.
Apicata turned to Sejanus. She did not appear to recognize him from the market. "Oh, you must try! These are my favorite!"
"If you say so, I must try!" Sejanus reached for the tray. He took a bite of the liver and surprise registered in his eyes.
Sejanus reached for another liver. "Where on earth did you find your cook?"
"Baiae." Aelia reached for her own sample. "Thrasius's cooking is always exceptional. Wait until you try the hyacinth bulbs!"
"Hyacinth bulbs are one of my favorites." Sejanus ran his fingers affectionately through Apicata's hair as he talked.
I stared, wondering what his intentions were. My right eye began to twitch.
Apicius nodded at Passia to come forward and collect Apicata and her puppy. The girl went begrudgingly and only after Sejanus had planted a kiss on her forehead and promised he would visit again soon.”
― Crystal King, Feast of Sorrow

“We are eating warm bread slathered in cold butter and topped with salty anchovies, one of those three-ingredient Italian constructions- a shopping list more than a recipe- that can stop a conversation in its tracks.”
― Matt Goulding, Pasta, Pane, Vino: Deep Travels Through Italy's Food Culture

“That casing of white armor traps the meat's juices, its fragrance and the umami goodness of its blood inside, waiting to explode the moment you bite into it! The dish's enormously delicious flavor impacts every sensory organ you have!
"Not only that, its already impressive flavor has been imagined by the appetizer.
By being presented after an appetizer centered on mushrooms- which pair exceptionally well with venison- and being accented with the flavor booster formic acid...
...its deliciousness has been raised to even greater heights!"
"Rindo's dish pointed the way...
... but not to a mere final dish in a banquet.
It was a signpost to a Gourmet Eden!
A paradise where all chefs are freed from earthly troubles...
a beautiful land of peace and tranquility that we all desire!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 30 [Shokugeki no Souma 30]

“The room hushed as Alim introduced the first course, and everyone cooed over their plates---fresh oysters in a pool of black squid ink bouillon, served on stark-white china with a sliver of pickled onion and a bright strip of shaved Scotch bonnet on top. There was a dash of black bouillon inside the oyster shell and a rocket flower on the side, delicate and white. Feyi sipped at the accompanying drink, an expensive champagne with pomegranate seeds in it.”
― Akwaeke Emezi, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

“Sex is a drop in the ocean of sensuality. I call it an appetizer.”
― Lebo Grand

“So," he explains. "Take the piece of bread, dip it in the olive oil and then in the spice and nut mix, and then smear some of the spicy carrot dip on top."
The appetizer is complicated to assemble, but absolutely delicious. The bread, a hearty baguette from La Boulangerie, is a chewy, crusty foil for the buttery oil, savory crunchy nut mixture, and sweet and spicy carrot puree. An explosion of flavor and texture. He also has some creamy local chèvre, and marinated olives.”
― Stacey Ballis, Out to Lunch

“Ah, there is pâté on the inside!"
I see! By wrapping the exterior with thin slices of beef...
... he was able to make his presentation look like a cartoony leg of meat.
"AH! HWAAAAA?!"
The meat wrapped around the exterior is marinated strips of beef! Their richly fragrant scent yet light and almost fruity juices pack a knockout wallop! Directly underneath them is a layer of bacon slices! Not only do they serve to hold the pâté firmly in place...
The impact of all that powerful protein in one bite reverberates through my entire body!"
"By the way, for the base of my marinade...
... I used Yakiniku Sauce Even store-bought Yakiniku Sauce has a great balance of soy sauce, mirin, garlic and ginger. It makes a good, solid base for the marinade!
I took that and adjusted it with some honey, grated onion and freshly squeezed orange juice so it would pair better with the pâté... before asking Nakiri to taste test it to ensure it came together properly."
"The pâté in the middle is the most spectacular part of all! Full-bodied yet delicate, it matches beautifully with the aromatic layer of meat. Each bite sparks an explosion of powerful flavor in the mouth!"
Using a base of chicken liver, he added chicken breast and cream along with carrots and Shimeji mushrooms. But what really stands out is the preparation of each individual ingredient!
Confit. Grill. Braiser. Suer. Each piece was prepared in the way best suited to its strengths...
... teasing out its natural sweetness and ratcheting up the dish's overall goodness!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 30 [Shokugeki no Souma 30]

“We'll start with oysters on the half shell and homemade salt-and-pepper potato chips, just to whet the appetites. Then a wedge salad with homemade ranch dressing and crumbled peppered bacon. For the main course, a slow-roasted prime rib, twice-baked potatoes, creamed spinach, tomato pudding baked into tomato halves, and fresh popovers instead of bread. For dessert, the world's most perfect chocolate cream pie.
Marcy and I went on a Sunday boondoggle to Milwaukee last year and had lunch at this terrific gastropub called Palomino, and while the whole meal was spectacular, notably the fried chicken, the chocolate cream pie was life changing for us both. Marcy used her pastry-chef wiles to get the recipe, and we both love any excuse to make it. It's serious comfort food, and I can't think of a better way to ring in the New Year.”
― Stacey Ballis, How to Change a Life

“L'AMUSE-BOUCHE
Pan-Seared Scallops wrapped in Jambon Sec and Prunes with a Balsamic Glaze


L'ENTRÉE
Pan-Seared Foie Gras with a Spiced Citrus Purée, served with Candied Orange Peel and Fresh Greens
OU
Velouté of Butternut Squash with Truffle Oil


LE PLAT PRINCIPAL
Bœuf Bourguignon à la Maison served with a Terrine of Sarladaise Potatoes
OU
Canard à l'Orange served with a Terrine of Sarladaise Potatoes along with Braised Fennel, garnished with Pomegranate Seeds and Grilled Nuts
OU
Filet of Daurade (Sea Bream) served over a Sweet Potato Purée and Braised Cabbage


LA SALADE ET LE FROMAGE
Arugula and Endive Salad served with Rosemary-Encrusted Goat Cheese Toasts, garnished with Pomegranate and Clementine, along with a Citrus-Infused Dressing


LE DESSERT
Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine with Vanilla Ice Cream”
― Samantha Verant, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

“Kaitlyn's bread was still hot coming out of the oven; it emitted the most heavenly steam as she sliced into the golden crust. "The liver!" she called. Kel and I swarmed her, schmearing slices of toasted bread with the chopped chicken liver made with schmaltz---chicken fat---spicy and smoky with paprika and za'atar, and sweet with blackened, almost burned caramelized onions. I topped it with fried leeks and some microgreens.”
― Amanda Elliot, Sadie on a Plate

“On a typical night at the Pudding, I might order an appetizer of shrimp rolled in brown-butter bread crumbs on skewers, so the oil wouldn't spread on your hands. For an entree: squab with black lentils and bacon, only in the pink light of the dining room the lentils weren't black, but blue--- a deep, inky blue. And for dessert, I might ask for my favorite treat: candied violets on a lace doily. My teeth cracked open each crystalline blossom, and I could smell the sheets of wax paper they came in mingled with the sugar.”
― Charlotte Silver, Charlotte Au Chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood