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