32 | DECEMBER 26 • 2019

A

ppetizers are better
than food. They’
re often
savory little bites served
before the meal; but for many
people (like me!), appetizers
are the main
meal. Maybe it’
s
because they’
re
so varied in fla-
vor, texture and
ethnicity.
With the holi-
day season in full
swing, we find
ourselves invit-
ing (or invited) and looking for
ways to add festive foods to the
festivities.
Dips are easy, so they’
re a pop-
ular choice, and anything on a
stick or skewer is popular, so I’
ve
included some of my favorites
here.
So, if requested to bring
something to nibble on or mak-
ing your own to feed a crowd,
choose one of these tempters
below. Guests will literally eat
them up.

OLIVE OIL, LEMON, GARLIC
AND ZA’
ATAR KEBABS WITH
HERBED DRIZZLE
Za’
atar is a blend of herbs and

spices with sesame seeds you
can find at Arabic markets. It
often includes dried herbs such
as oregano, thyme, sumac and
marjoram.

Ingredients:
12/3 pounds boneless and
skinless chicken breasts (or
thighs)
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. za’
atar
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (or
any other good quality oil)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. grained Dijon mustard

Drizzle:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tsp. minced garlic
1½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. Black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes,
or to taste

Directions:
Cut the chicken into cubes (3/4-
inch is a good size). Transfer
the chicken to a large bowl.
Add all the marinade ingre-
dients and toss the chicken to
coat well. Cover and chill at
this point for up to a day ahead.
Thread the cubes on skewers.
Chill until ready to cook. Just
before cooking, preheat the
oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed
baking sheet with parchment or
foil and arrange the kebabs on
the baking sheet. Drizzle any
remaining marinade over the
raw kebabs.
Combine the “
drizzle” ingre-
dients in a small bowl and stir
well.
Cook for 8-12 minutes,
until just cooked through. Do
not overcook! Add the drizzle
and serve. Makes 16 appetizer
kebabs.

BAKED BRIE WITH
MARMALADE AND PECANS
I had a version of this at a party
recently and it was the hit of

the night. Note: you can eat the
white rind of the cheese, so don’
t
cut it away.

Ingredients:
1 kilo round Brie cheese (2.25
pounds) (If you can’
t find the
large-sized brie, use smaller, but I
prefer those at least 15 ounces.)
1½ cups (12 ounces) orange
marmalade
2 cups pecans, chopped or
halves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the round of cheese in a
shallow ovenproof serving dish
or pie plate (the brie is served in
this dish, so choose an attractive
dish).
Spread marmalade on top of
cheese. Sprinkle with pecans.
Bake about 15-20 minutes for
smaller round, about 20-30 min-
utes for larger round.
Serve hot with gourmet crack-
ers or sliced baguette rounds.
Makes 15-25 servings.



Arts&Life

Holiday Appetizers

Festive little bites can be easy to
make for a party or for home.

ISTOCK

Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist

dining in