Bacon-Wrapped Dates

December 6th, 2011 // 0 comments

These salty-sweet snacks are absolute musts for any party. 1) Because they're delicious. 2) Because they're quite possibly the easiest appetizer in the world to make. Roasted salted almonds are stuffed into sticky-sweet dates, wrapped in bacon, and baked until crisp and brown. What's not to love??

For a holiday party on the fly, make some crostini (cut a baguette into thin slices, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and bake at 375°F for about 8 minutes or until golden and crisp) and serve with good quality jarred olive tapenade, a few nice cheeses (I like a combination of a soft goat cheese, an aged blue, a creamy cow's milk, and a hard cheese like aged Gouda), and my Tuscan white bean dip with some crudités–radishes, carrots, thinly sliced fennel, and raw haricots verts. With this spread of tasty nibbles–plus your bacon-wrapped dates–your friends will think you're a party-planning pro. Just don't forget the bubbly!

[recipe:best-bacon-wrapped-dates-almonds-recipe]

Two Delicious Party Dips

'Tis the season for holiday parties, and despite the trays of pigs-in-a-blanket and bowls of cheesy spinach dip you'll encounter, there's no need to fear. The key to feeling good this holiday season (and to avoid packing on the pounds) is simple: eat your vegetables! If you're eating a balanced diet with plenty of veggies–and making sure to get in some exercise–then you can enjoy your holiday treats guilt-free. Of course moderation is key. (I just wrote a piece on healthy holiday eating in the...

Q&A with Signe Birck

Photo by Lee Edward These days, with myriads of foodies tweeting photos of restaurant dishes and bloggers featuring ever-increasingly sophisticated photography, it seems that everyone wants to be a food photographer. And yet, when you look at the stunning images of Danish photographer Signe Birck, you quickly realize that she is the real deal. Not only is she passionate about shooting food–as evidenced by her crisp, clean images (with no clutter to distract from the food itself)–but she's also...