This December, caterers are culling from the classics to create familiar hors d’oeuvre with a twist. Here, the most stylish and sumptuous small bites
Mac-and-cheese
Chef Evan Wright’s haute iteration combines pasta, house-cured bacon and sharp old cheddar. It was a hit with the ladies who lunch at a recent Forest Hill fundraiser. To Go, 416-921-1717.
Pumpkin soup shooters
Drinking these exquisite creations feels a little like defacing art (the garnish is made from radish seedlings, candied beets and edible gold leaf), until you realize they taste even better than they look. Lindsey Shaw, 416-926-9133.
Spinach salad
The greens are dressed in a tart raspberry vinaigrette and topped off with a two-bite brie crostino that puts lowly croutons to shame. Plus, everything tastes better in a Chinese takeaway box. Bite, 416-222-2483.
Annatto pan-seared scallops
The peppery annatto seasoning plays well against the smooth guac (gussied up with apple and cucumber). The Chinese soup spoons make tricky hand-to-mouth issues a moot point. Sabrosito, 416-624-9157.
Buckwheat blini
These treats are 100-Mile Diet approved: the buckwheat flower, duck and goat’s milk cheese are all Ontario born and bred. They may account for the Leafs’ early winning streak; Dish became the official caterer to the boys in blue this year. Dish, 416-920-5559.
Oysters Rockefeller smores
The Mad Men–era classic gets a lusciously campy make-over: the rich, gooey middle is a savoury, spinach-flavoured marshmallow. Daniel et Daniel, 416-968-9275.
BLT éclairs
Who wants whipped cream when you can have double-smoked bacon? The buttery choux makes an ideal shell for one of the world’s most beloved sandwich combos. Salt and Pepper, 416-924-0715.
Chèvre truffles
Crunchy endive makes a perfect vessel for its rich contents (which also includes chili pralines and fig jelly). These snacks have pedigree; they’ve been served at a private dinner for Bill Clinton, a National Ballet gala and several TIFF soirées. Eatertainment, 416-964-1162.
Bud Light Lime coconut shrimp
Chef Jason Smidt got the idea one afternoon while enjoying his citrusy beer of choice. The dijon-horseradish marmalade is good enough to gulp. Jay Caterers, 647-345-3386.
coconut shrimp? Endive leaves? Spinach salad?
November 29, 2010 at 9:18 am | by reallyI really don’t get what you were attempting to accomplish with this?
This does not even look appetizing. It is really disappointing.
Sorry, I’ve got to agree with ‘by really’. Nothing looks or sounds that good or new. Sponsors perhaps?
November 30, 2010 at 1:37 am | by ljwtorontoI’m with the others
November 30, 2010 at 1:51 pm | by ElizabethNothing looks like anything I’d go out of my way for
TOO much creative – not enough reality
Spinach flavoured marshmallow? C’mon……………….
Open mind = open palate…
What I see are comfort foods recombined in tasty bites.
December 2, 2010 at 10:08 am | by excursionistaI’m going to try these out at my next dinner party!
Where are the prices?
December 6, 2010 at 12:58 pm | by S