Elevate Your Holiday Spread With These Buzzworthy Treats

by Fayeruz Regan 12.2023

The holidays are upon us, and chances are you’ll be at a party standing before a spread with the usual suspects: hummus and crudites, crackers and cheese, cookies – you get the idea. 

While all these foods are delightful, they’re staples. We almost come to expect them at gatherings. People tend to stick to familiar foods while grocery shopping, but partygoers are in a different mindset altogether. They’re unwinding, and willing to experiment with new foods. Especially when they aren’t paying for them. Worst case scenario, the offending canape quietly ends up in a napkin. 

This holiday, whether you are hosting or were raised right and know not to attend a party empty-handed, think beyond the dip. There are so many delicious and aesthetically pleasing dishes that can elevate a spread - and be the talk of the party. Here are a few of my favorites…

Roquefort Grapes

For a recipe that requires only four ingredients and zero cooking, the end product is a real showstopper. Little spheres can be piled together to resemble a cluster of grapes, but are in fact a little charcuterie in each bite.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of Roquefort cheese

• 1/2 pound of cream cheese

• 1/4 pound of pistachios

• 1 bunch (about a pound) of seedless green grapes

Directions

• In a food processor, chop the nuts finely and add them to a large plate.

• In the now-empty food processor, blend the cheeses well.

• Cover and refrigerate the cheese mix for two hours. 

• While the cheese is cooling, remove the grapes from their stems. 

• When the cheese is cooled, place a small amount of the cheese mixture in your palm, then gently roll the grape around in your palms to coat it. 

• Transfer to a wax paper-lined try and refrigerate for three hours until firm.

• Once firm, gingerly roll the grapes in the chopped pistachios until they are completely covered.

• Pile the grapes into clusters to resemble a real cluster of grapes. 

• At the top of the cluster where the stem should be, place a few leaves to resemble where it was plucked from the vine.

Roquefort grapes are elegant and uncommon – something you’d see at high tea. And should you wish to replace green grapes with red, or replace the Roquefort with Stilton, substitutions are fine. 

The next recipe is an upgrade to the old standby artichoke and spinach dip. Only this handheld bite offers the airy crunch of a toasted baguette and the oozing sharpness of parmesan cheese. 

Artichoke Parmesan Canapes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise

• 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1 large jar of marinated artichokes, chopped and drained

• 1 small can of chopped green chiles

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 French baguette

• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Mix all the ingredients, save for the bread

• Slice baguette into capape discs

• Toast these rounds slightly at 400 degrees Fahrenheit

• Remove from oven and top with the artichoke mixture

• Toast for five minutes longer, until the topping starts to bubble and ooze, and becomes slightly brown

When your guests tuck into these, you’ll hear the distinctive crunch. And when you hear this sound, you’d better be quick. I guarantee that they will run out.

There are so many ways to wow your guests when putting together a spread. Sometimes setting up the table is more fun than the party itself because it’s like an art project. 

Tips for an unforgettable spread

• If any of your appetizers require toothpicks, be sure to lay out a ramekin to hold the used ones, so guests don’t wander around looking for a trash can. Place a toothpick in the ramekin so your first guests will know what to do.

• If serving cured olives, make sure they’re pitted.

• Use a gorgeous tablecloth.

• Use cake dishes and other platforms to lay your food at varying heights. The eye likes to travel, and it creates the feeling of abundance.

• Encourage your guests to circulate around the table, rather than being stationary and reaching.  Lay a festive centerpiece down the center of the table. Then circle your dishes around it.

• So there is no fire hazard, use low tea candles, rather than towering taper candles. That way, no errant sleeve catches on fire.

• Bring the outside in. It’s winter, but that doesn’t mean the world is dead. Pine cones, spruce branches, winterberries and strung magnolia leaves look gorgeous running along the length of a table. Feel free to add bowls of ornaments for good measure. 

Happy holidays!