The base for these Chèvre and Mushroom Tartlets is versatile. Recently, I decided to experiment with the filling as the crust could not be easier to make. Using the same ingredients for the dough, I created a savoury filling using fresh goat cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano and mushrooms. Serve these tasty bites with a chilled rosé or white wine, and this might just become your go-to appetizer recipe!

Sometimes a sampling of little bites makes for a  more interesting evening than a single main course. The Spanish have this perfected with their culinary tradition of tapas and pintxos. We decided quite a while a go to celebrate the New Year (on Paris time) and to do so by tasting our way around the world, in small bites. This year was no different. The seafood themed plates started with skewered shrimp and ended with Salt and Pepper Calamari.

This quick appetizer has a sweet, crunchy finish. Pretty, colourful and fresh cherry tomatoes with a touch of cheese, your guests will love this taste of Provence.

This recipe combines sharp, creamy blue goat cheese and ripe Anjou pears in a lovely savoury flan or timbales. The Anjou pear is also called the Genovian pear (in Italy), and perhaps that is a good example of the transferability of the language of cooking. A timbale in French cuisine is a sweet or savoury, custard-like recipe that is cooked in a cylindrical pan or bottomless dish (flan ring). In Italian, the same dish is called a Timballo.

We all agree that food waste is terrible, and in North America where shopping for many tends to involve large format stores with bulk packaging…often we buy too much. Even if you are a conscious shopper and dedicated cook like David sometimes there end up being some leftover bits in the fridge. Now, in Cocoa & Lavender’s kitchen nothing gets wasted so he created this recipe for spicy carrot goat cheese pâté.

My two favourites are mushroom with asiago and “tartiflette” with crème fraîche, caramelized onions, potatoes and lardons. When I go to Pizza Phil’s in Bédoin, and when I can’t get it, I make it myself. Perfect Pizza dough recipe (PDF) or print the version below.

These delicious chickpea fritters are known in the Mediterranean and a favorite Provençal dish. I found Panisse to be an incredibly delicious yet simple appetizer, a perfect way to whet your guests’ appetite before a sumptuous meal. 

This easy-to-make appetizer uses local goat’s cheese (chèvre), ripe tomatoes and fresh peaches with just the right amount of spices. The recipe (bouchees de fromage de chèvre aux epices) is found in Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living

Devilled eggs might be one of the easiest appetizers to make. A bit old fashioned, this classic recipe was all the rage when our mothers were younger. However, the addition of truffle takes the recipe to a heightened level of sophistication. Truffled Devilled Eggs

Any easy variation on hummus with chickpeas and shallots