Apetizers- Will Old School Recipes Make Sense to a Younger Generation?

The game was heartwrenching! The quarterback, injured in the first drive of the game, was replaced with a very young freshman. The team played valiantly, making a comeback in the 3rd quarter, but ultimately lost the much sought after national title. Well maybe next year.

So, how did the new/old recipes fare? Well, that depends on your taste and point of view of course…

The starting lineup included: Braunschweiger Apetizers, Lou Gmitro’s Cheese Spread, Oyster Snack Crackers, and Chicken Wings. Could they stand up to the criticism of two college kids and a highly sensitive 14 year old feeling the pains of her hero quarterback? Would the EC (Eternal companion) slam the unfamiliar tastes down before they were even room temperature? What of the Boise local food critic a.k.a. BFF? Here’s the rundown:

Braunschweiger Apetizers (Page 2)

I was feeling all domestic while making this lovely paté and aspic creation until the reveal when my 21 year old daughter shamelessly and loudly (in ear shot of the sensitive 14 year-old with the undeveloped palate) proclaimed it as “meat jello” and vowed never to let such a thing touch her lips. Luckily, I anticipated such a reception. I actually like Braunschweiger since a child but decided to make a half recipe. Whew! Good call! The middle child did recant later to inform me that although this was very beneath her discriminating palate, it was artfully done. A backhanded compliment, but I’ll take it. Aspic creations are apparently passé to most 20-something and younger individuals.

I am not averse to aspic however, and I thought it quite good on freshly sliced, warmed French bread. If you like Braunschweiger, essentially pork liver pate, give it a spin, but beware of aspic where neophytes are concerned. This might be great for a 50’s or 60’s themed party. Here are a few hints: I used Campbell’s Beef consommé bringing it back to normal concentration with a can of water. Since cream cheese doesn’t come in 6 oz packages, you can increase to 8 oz if you don’t have a bagel to schmear the leftovers. One tablespoon of gelatin is a little less than two packets of Knox gelatin and you can probably through the rest in without any harm. Finally, an immersion blender or food processor makes blending the pate ingredients quick business.

Chicken Wings (Page 4)

This was a clear winner among the young and old. Easily made and appealing on a plate. Make sure to have lots of napkins around. Michael believes that all chicken wings should be deep-fried after consuming hundreds at Wingman while serving his LDS mission in the Denver area. Be that as it may, this disappeared quickly.

Lu Gmitro’s Cheese Spread (Page 8)

This measurement absent recipe is tasty if you enjoy a mild curry taste. Here are the adjustments: ¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ to 1 teaspoon curry powder, 2 scallions, 1 or 2 six-oz cans of tiny shrimp. I went with two cans because I like shrimp in every bite. Turn up the heat with a spicier curry.

Oyster Snack Crackers (Page 9)

These heavily dilled crackers were tasty, but making them was a revelation. Plain oyster crackers require oil to carry and keep the seasoning on them without causing them to go mushy. But one cup??!! I couldn’t quite buy off on so much oil so I used two packages of Oyster crackers. This worked well for the seasonings, but I still think you could use the two packages of crackers and cut back to ½ cup of oil. Hidden Valley doesn’t make Italian dressing mix any longer so I substituted Good Seasons Zesty Italian dry mix. You could probably use the ranch dressing mix satisfactorily as well. Cut out or down the amount dill weed if you aren’t a fan.