Appetizers & Snacks Recipes -

Edamame Spread

A super-quick and tasty hors d'oeuvre from simple pantry and freezer ingredients.

Spicy-Sweet Pickled Cucumbers

hese pickled cucumbers are inspired by the spicy-sweet pickles served at Saffron, a popular Thai takeaway in San Diego.

Lemon Verbena Honey Granita

Lemon verbena has a heady, perfumey fragrance that gives a surprising, sensuous flavor to this refreshing granita.

Spicy Sweet Shrimp Stir-Fry

This tasty shrimp stir-fry is as versatile as it is simple to make. Serve it as an appetizer, over wok-tossed rice noodles or in an Asian-inspired noodle salad.

Ceviche Salad with Bay Scallops

This confetti-colored ceviche salad with bay scallops has Asian-leanings (think ceviche meets green papaya salad) in a versatile summertime dish.

Alberto’s Grilled Marinated Asparagus

Use this asparagus--simple and addictive--as part of an antipasto dish, tossed with pasta, or simply snacking on out of hand.

Spanish-Leaning Spinach and Chickpea Dip

I waffled about whether to name this 'hummus' or 'chickpea dip', but ultimately thought it veered far enough from tradition to go with the latter. It is, in any case, delicious. If you've ever had any doubt as to the strength of pounded garlic, this little dish will set you straight.