entertaining
SMALL PLATES, BIG FLAVORS
Prepare party fare with flair using these helpful tips.
WRITTEN BY HEIDI BETHEL
PHOTOS BY JACI GOODMAN
Call them tapas, appetizers, or finger foods. No matter how you describe these bite-sized offerings, home hostesses around the region are embracing the not-so-traditional party fare. And local business owners have a few snazzy food ideas for that next happening.
Cheese it up
Wedge – A Cheese Shop in Reno is new to the area, bringing hand-selected cheeses, specialty meats, breads, crackers, and jams from the world’s finest producers to Northern Nevada. For that next gathering, owner Laura Conrow suggests serving a theme of cheeses, such as all goat cheeses, cheeses from the U.S., or a hard-cheese assortment.
“It’s great to have a specific story to tell through food,” Conrow says. “Creating tiny plates with a jam, nuts, or fresh fruit and a really nice baguette will hit the spot!”
A little fishy
Alongside a flavorful dairy companion, Fionn Samuels, seafood team leader at Whole Foods Market in Reno, suggests serving salmon in a creative way. He offers up two recipes here. Salmon-stuffed mushroom caps and pumpernickel-and-salmon-wrapped mangoes are two favorites that bring an interesting palate-pleasing punch.
Make the salmon-stuffed mushroom caps by mixing 6 ounces coarsely chopped fresh salmon with one minced bell pepper, ¼ cup chopped parsley, and ½ cup panko bread crumbs. Place tablespoon-sized dollops in 18 jumbo mushroom caps with the stems removed and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
For the pumpernickel-and-salmon-wrapped mangoes, place a piece of cold, smoked salmon around a mango spear on a small slice of pumpernickel and top with a dollop of crème fraîche, a sprinkle of lime juice, and a dash of chili pepper.
Bundt surprises
For a complement to any meal, Nothing Bundt Cakes in Reno makes bundtinis — tiny, three-to-four-bite versions of the traditional bundt cake — that come in 10 different flavors.
“They are the perfect size for passing and they give guests the option of trying a few different kinds if they want to,” says owner Shele Faretto.
Succulent centerpieces
These desert plants that double as attractive table décor are popping up all around town, and Tracey Foster, owner of Twigs in Yerington, has a few creative concepts for the do-it-yourselfer.
“Put a single succulent inside a tall, cylinder vase layered with colorful rocks; use succulents as place-card holders; or keep them in their original containers, lined up in a low, wood box with candles,” Foster says. “The best part about succulents is they are sustainable. You can transfer them to a planter or give them to guests as party favors. They are great.”
Heidi Bethel has hosted a few friendly gatherings in her day and agrees that small plates are a creative way to offer variety to cherished guests.
