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The Appetizer Strategy For Weeknight Meals

Appetizer or Hors d’oeuvres?

The appetizer strategy for weeknight meals.

Today the words appetizer and hors d’oeuvres are used interchangeably.  But traditionally, they’re different.

Appetizers are considered a part of the meal while hors, d’oeuvres, a French word which when translated means, “outside of the work”, are served separately from the meal.

Acclaimed French Chef, Auguste Escoffier, states in his cookbook that in a long ago age in Russia it was common to have a sideboard adorned with a variety of hors d’oeuvres.  These were served in a room separate from the dining room where guests whiled away the time prior to being seaed for dinner.

The typical modern American dining-out course is appetizer, entree, and dessert.

Use The Appetizer To Create a Fabulous Table Experience At Home

Whatever term you choose, use these little bites of food to your advantage to create a fabulous table experience at home.

Certainly one strategy is to tease the tastebuds and make them think “wow” this is amazing!  The entrée will certainly be scrumptious!

Sometimes appetizers are used to stimulate the appetite.

Another strategy is to keep the appetite at bay and stimulate conversation prior to the meal.  So very often we are famished at the end of the day.  And the turn of the clock to the hour of five seems a surprise.  It’s only then our thoughts turn to dinner.

The Appetizer Strategy For Weeknight Meals

Use an appetizer to keep the pangs of hunger at bay while you prepare dinner.  In my last segment I shared an appetizer – whipped feta dip.  Check this out as a possibility for you next meal.

A small bite of food while prepping the meal will satisfy the angst of hunger, prepare us for what’s to come, and stimulate conversation.  All of this is excellent preparation for the beauty of sharing a meal at home in an intimate setting with friends and family that you love.