Smoked Salmon

This simple appetizer is a clever blend of sweet, salty and tangy flavors.

Red onion, capers and fresh dill make nice toppings. Serve the pizza with lemon wedges.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve with: Mixed baby greens with shredded radishes in a citrus vinaigrette, and a sesame baguette.

Try serving this on toast points for an appetizer or a first course.

Of course, you must have toasted bagels with this. Spinach salad with apple cider dressing would be nice on the side, and warm cherry strudel is a fine finish.

This is terrific with sautéed green beans, a plate of sliced tomatoes topped with grated hard-boiled egg and olive oil vinaigrette, and a toasted sourdough baguette. Pound cake with strawberry sauce makes a nice dessert.

Great with pumpernickel bread.

Hot-smoked fully cooked salmon is flaky in texture and fragrant with alder smoke. This dish can be completely assembled and chilled one day before baking.

All but the most experienced of crêpe chefs will admit that the first crêpe in a batch is often not of the best quality. The level of heat under the skillet needs to be fine-tuned as you go. With that in mind, our recipe makes enough batter for 2 crêpes, even though you'll only need 1 for this hors d'oeuvre. If the first crêpe comes out well, freeze the extra, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, to use another evening. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

In France, tartines are slices of bread topped with butter and sometimes cheese, honey, or other spreads. Here that simple idea is turned into a sophisticated appetizer when the bread is brushed with chive oil and topped with smoked salmon and goat cheese.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.