German Soft Pretzel Sticks
“I’ve always been a fan of any food high in salt and starch,” Grant Achatz says, “and soft pretzels right out of the oven are awesome.” You can eat these slightly sweet, chewy, dark pretzel sticks plain or with mustard; Achatz goes for ranch dressing.
Crêpes with Strawberries and Muscat-Yogurt Sauce
Nichole Birdsall tops these crêpes with strawberries, a superfruit high in vitamin C and potent antioxidants, and a creamy, orangey sauce sweetened with a splash of Bonterra Muscat dessert wine instead of sugar.
Mortadella and Cheese Panini
To make these sandwiches, use 6-by-4-inch slices of dense white bread from a peasant loaf to accommodate the hearty filling.
Chocolate-and-Pistachio Biscotti
Kevin Sbraga varies these wonderful nutty biscotti, sometimes dipping them in melted dark chocolate for an extra layer of flavor.
Gargantuan Gougères
Guests at Bar Boulud are greeted with these golden French cheese puffs, with grated Gruyère cheese and the mild Basque pepper Piment d’Espelette. Almost twice the size of ordinary gougères, they’re a bit like crispy, cheesy, slightly spicy popovers.
Olives Stuffed with Almonds, Anchovies and Peppers
“For me there is no better tapa than a really good stuffed olive,” José Andrés says. He strongly recommends homemade stuffed olives over the store-bought kind, which he proclaims are “usually terrible.” Plus, if you stuff them yourself, you’ve got a million options: “If you love almonds, use good marcona almonds. If you love anchovy, use good Spanish anchovies. If you love peppers, use peppers; I like the wood-roasted piquillo peppers from Navarra. Or if you are like me, you use all three.”
Reblochon Tarts with Bacon and Fingerling Potatoes
With a golden layer of puff pastry topped by caramelized onions, soft potatoes, bacon and tangy Reblochon cheese, this tart is lighter than the sum of its parts, making for a satisfying fall dish that’s great any time of day. The Reblochon, a washed-rind cheese from France, can be replaced with a robust Taleggio from northern Italy or the smooth French soft-ripened cow’s-milk cheese Saint-André.
Classic Belgian Waffles
Thomas DeGeest went to Belgium to learn from master waffle-makers and perfect his own recipes. He came back with ideas for two styles of waffle, including this light, crispy Brussels version. Toppings can include dulce de leche, maple syrup and Belgian Chocolate-Fudge Sauce.
Asparagus-Cheese Tartines
These open-faced sandwiches with crisp asparagus, prosciutto and three layers of melted cheese are gooey and crunchy.
Cucumber-Mint Chutney Tea Sandwiches
F&W’s Emily Kaiser, who co-authored The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea, pairs her clever tea sandwiches with spicy Indian chai, like the 500 Mile Chai ($9.50 for 4 ounces; taooftea.com).
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