Verrines of Cambozola Mousse, Spiced Rosé Gelée & Crystallized Rosemary or Cambozola Mousse served in glassware. I’ll leave it to you to decide.  This appetizer is simple to prepare and can be made in advance (note: make the rosé gelée ahead).

Amuse bouche roughly translates into tempt your taste buds. These three appetizers are easy to make and can be prepared in advance of your guests’ arrival. Enjoy Smoked Salmon Rolls with Horseradish and Granny Smith Apple, Crab and Avocado Spoons and Chicken Satays with your favourite cocktail.

This appetizer requires no cooking, which is perfect for a hot summer day. The preparation time is limited and the combination of red radish with green olive makes for a lovely tangy “tartare.” Enjoy the combination on top of fresh bread with a glass of chilled Mirabeau rosé and these other starters.

We created this recipe as part of a trio of starters to stimulate your hunger and to pair with a glass (or two) of chilled Mirabeau rosé. With a slight Asian influence, the stir-fried Provençal beef and zucchini (courgette) are served on a bed of little gem lettuce (baby romaine). This light starter works well as an appetizer or a tapas style menu.

This recipe for Madeleines Salées uses ingredients more typical of Provence – olive oil, tomatoes, cheese, basil and thyme. These little bites are perfect with some chilled Provencal rosé.

This curried chickpea terrine is simple to make, and the homemade curry adds an exotic flavour. Serve the terrine cold as an appetiser with chilled Provencal rosé or another beverage of your choice. Keep the homemade curry powder in a jar with a good seal, it will keep for an extended period, and you can use it in many recipes.

Verrine appetisers and desserts remain popular in France. The idea of layering flavours and textures in a small glass vessel is visually appealing. Think of this recipe as a savoury parfait starter to serve with drinks or as the first course. I make this Verrine Tricolore with two different coloured bell peppers and fresh goat cheese.

My recipe for Tomatoes Provençales is inspired by the typical cuisine, but it is a lighter version with a zucchini-herb stuffing (farce) intended as a pre-dinner bite. The tomatoes filled and baked and then served as an appetizer with cocktails.

This appetizer recipe is from Il Cucchiaio d’Argento. Thin zucchini strips are “stuffed” with easily found ingredients, canned tuna, capers, cheese. The result is pretty and tasty.

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.