Are you looking for something simple, satisfying and perfect for polite company or a living room full of game fans?  If so, I have just the recipe for you today.  It’s a mouthful of flavor in a small package.  The perfect finger food for a party of any kind.  In a word, it’s delectable.

I was thinking about the mushroom and Swiss burger at my favorite diner when I came up with this. It became something I just couldn’t shake.  I had to do something about the craving for mushrooms and cheese before it drove me mad (or to the Diner for a $9.00 burger plate I’d never be able to finish!)

The end result satisfied my cravings perfectly.  It also turned out to be an exceptional dish in its own right. It’s meaty, savory and perfect nosh food.  It’s good hot, great at room temperature and not too bad chilled.  the flavors are bold but the package is small, so there is no need to eat too much, just nibble to your heart’s content and enjoy the flavors.

One warning…  These are addictive, so you might want to make sure you have double the ingredients on hand, just in case…

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Popularity: 4% [?]

I can’t remember the first time my mother brought home a tub of Rondelé cheese, but from the moment she did, I was hooked.  We all were.  It was the staple on wheat crackers in our home for years.  It was used with vegetable platters, smeared on sourdough with salami and a favorite at parties.  It only took one taste.

Of course, not every store carries this delicately herbed cream cheese, nor its it carried in all regions.  I have not been able to find a good quality replacement in Texas, though I’m sure it exists somewhere.  The thing is, I’m not looking any more.  It’s so easy to make that I’ll never buy the ready-made version again.

This particular version was made to go with a wrap we made for a friend’s commissioning reception, but it would be fabulous with any savory accompaniment. The flavors can easily be adjusted to suit your needs or be made with what you have on hand, so there really is no excuse not to give it a try the next time you have a need for a dip or spread that’s a little bit different from the fare found at the local BigScaryMegaMart.  I hope you enjoy this as much as everyone at the reception did.

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 – 8 oz container cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder

Method:

Mix milk and cream cheese together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix well, scraping sides of bowl constantly.

Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Use as cheese dip, or spread on crostini, for wraps or wherever else you would use flavored cream cheese.

Share and enjoy!

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

The possibilities for flavors is pretty much limited only by your imagination.  Adjust herbs and garlic to suit the dish you are making.  Dill for fish, mint for lamb or heavier, more savory herbs for beef.  Add in some sun-dried tomatoes and use as topping for toast points, crostini or as a dip for crackers.  It’s really up to what you want at the time.

Links to other recipes like this:

• Herbed Cream Cheese, from The Crispy Cook
• Herbed Cream Cheese Spread or Dip, from Seasonal Ontario Food
• Herb Garlic Cream Cheese, from Chaos in the Kitchen

Popularity: 5% [?]

This is the second in a series of three white chocolate mousse tartlets for the holiday season, look to the end of the article for other recipes.

This version of white chocolate mousse tartlet bears the same humble base of white chocolate mousse and mini fillo pastry shell as the others in this series, but the flavor combinations are most decidedly more refined.  Topped with toasted macadamias, macerated golden raisins and white chocolate chips, this tartlet is awash with subtle yet intensely different flavors and textures that will tantilize even the most fearsome food snob in your group of friends.

The silky mousse is contrasted wonderfully by the crunch of the white chocolate chip, fillo dough and macadamias, while the raisin packs a small but very potent burst of flavor that is beyond heavenly.

Note: this is an adult treat.  There’s too much alcohol in this particular version for the kiddies!

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Popularity: 2% [?]

Matt Armendarez recently posted about his love of sardines on his incredible food blog Matt Bites. In that post, titled An Open Letter, Matt’s outlook on the situation is satirical, light and downright hilarious but as he put it, he just couldn’t keep his love of tinned fish a secret any longer.

I have a confession of my own to make. While I agree with Matt that tinned fish are a tasty snack, in fact one I would happily sit back in a public venue and enjoy right along with him, I have a much deeper love for another tinned seafood product, namely smoked oysters.

Wow! You should have seen the look on your face!

Right now a whole slew of people are thinking thoughts along the lines of “Wait a minute! I thought this was the food snob guy! You mean he actually eats those little eraser looking things? …From a CAN?”

Yes, I do. I absolutely adore the smokey-and-ever-so-slightly-briny flavor of a good smoked oyster, especially paired with just the tiniest bit of good sea salt. They work perfectly as both a quick snack on a cracker right out of the tin, but serve equally well as a fairly upscale appetizer if they are presented properly. The flavors are complex and the texture is surreal.

Yup, I just waxed poetic about a little mollusk in a tin can, packed in cottonseed or olive oil (I prefer the latter.)

Please don’t hate me for this!

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Popularity: 2% [?]