little bites

Is this a tapa, or little bite, possibly an hors d’ oeuvres, (it is definitely not dinner, unless you plan on eating lots of them at one time), it also might be a snack…..no no….it is an amuse-bouche!

This might be one of those phrases that might run its course very quickly….or not. It has been popping up everywhere about all kinds of subjects other than food. It has been used to describe everything from delightful little bites bestowed on diners at no cost in certain restaurants as a “gift” from the chef to entice the appetite……..as well as in regards to Mitt Romney’s run for the President in an article written by a columnist for the Chicago Tribune titled “Romney’s Tax Amuse Bouche”. It was sighted in a magazine article called “Yoga for Foodies” and I ran across a mystery novel written by a Canadian, Anthony Bidulka, entitled “Amuse Bouche: A Russell Quaint Mystery”. I continue to be amazed and amused at the things I don’t know.

Here are some pretty “amuse-bouche” I whipped up for New Years Eve earlier this month.

I had some French bubbly with my “amuse-bouche” which I think would be correct? I do not think Romney was having bubbly when he was discussing his “amuse-bouche” which might have been more correctly referred to as a “amuse-gueule”.

Basically here is what this all means:

amuse-bouche (uh-MYUZ-boosh) noun

Similar to but not to be confused with hors d’oeuvre. This is a tidbit, often tiny, served as a free extra to keep you happy while you are waiting for your first course to come. It gives you an idea of the chef’s approach to cooking and the restaurant’s attention to your appetite.

From French, literally, “mouth amuser”, from amuser (to amuse) + bouche (mouth).

Its more informal twin, amuse-gueule, (see above in relationship to Mitt Romney) is the same thing, but may be considered vulgar in some circles. Gueule is the French term for an animal’s mouth, bouche for a human’s.

You don’t really need a recipe to create some interesting “amuse-bouche” for your next get-together. I made mine from what I had in my pantry and refrigerator/freezer. Here is what you will need & instructions:

One box of frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions, cut into shapes using cookie cutters to top with various ingredients. Cut & fit dough into small muffin tins to fill & bake. Cut some of the dough into squares & circles to top and bake with ingredients.

Gather a collection of the following:

Creamy spreadable cheeses such as Boursin, cream cheese, goat cheese, etc., olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, shredded cheeses, caramelized onions, crispy cooked bacon or ham, cooked fingerling potatoes, steamed asparagus spears, grape tomatoes, capers, etc…

Spread, top & fill puff pastry cut-outs with ingredients. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees until your little bites are hot, bubbly and the pastry is golden brown. Serve immediately…with Champagne, Prosecco or Cava chilled.