Guacamole
Serve with tortilla chips or crisp vegetables.
For a less pungent taste, use fl at-leaf parsley
instead of cilantro.
2¼ cups yield
1
large garlic clove, peeled
1
medium jalapeño pepper, halved
and seeded
½
cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
1
medium scallion, white part and
2 inches of green, cut in 1-inch pieces
3
ripe medium avocados (½ pound each),
peeled, halved and pitted
3
tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch cumin
¼
teaspoon salt
¼
teaspoon chili powder
1
medium tomato, quartered, seeds
removed
Use metal blade to chop garlic, jalapeño pepper,
cilantro, and scallion until minced, about 15
seconds. Scrape down work bowl. Add avocados
and all remaining ingredients except tomato.
Process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping
bowl as necessary. Add tomato and pulse about
6 to 8 times, until it is fi nely chopped. Adjust salt
if necessary.
Blue Cheese and
Pecan Spread
You can substitute cottage cheese for all or part of
the cream cheese and you can substitute walnuts
for pecans.
1 cup yield
¼
cup shelled pecans
6
ounces cream cheese, in 1-inch pieces
2
tablespoons blue cheese
Process nuts with metal blade until they are
fi nely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add cream
cheese and blue cheese. Process until well mixed
and smooth, about 10 seconds. (If substituting
cottage cheese, process it until smooth, about 90
seconds.)
Chicken Liver Pâté
An extraordinarily good party dish that is easy to
make and keeps well. Serve it on toasted French
bread or apple slices.
2¼ cups yield
1
large, unpeeled garlic clove
3
tablespoons butter, for sautéing
1
pound chicken livers, trimmed
8
ounces unsalted butter
1
teaspoon salt
⁄
1
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8
¼
teaspoon freshly ground allspice
1
tablespoon Cognac
Put garlic in small saucepan, cover with water
and simmer 10 minutes. Reserve. Heat butter in
skillet until it bubbles. Sauté chicken livers over
medium-high heat until brown on the outside, but
still pink within.
Squeeze softened interior of garlic into work bowl.
Add livers and remaining ingredients. Process
until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape
down bowl as necessary.
Transfer pâté to crock or serving dish, cover and
refrigerate at least 4 hours. Let stand at room
temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Well
covered, can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Cheese Coins
These tender and fl avorful appetizers are easy to
make, convenient to serve, and they can be refrig-
erated or frozen.
Makes 100 cheese coins
8
ounces cheddar cheese, cut in
1-inch pieces
4
ounces unsalted butter, at room
temperature, cut in pieces
¼
teaspoon salt
¼
teaspoon hot sauce or pinch of cayenne
pepper
1
cup fl our
Use metal blade to chip cheese until it resembles
coarse meal, about 30 seconds. Add butter, salt
and pepper. Process until smooth, about 60 sec-
onds. Scrape down bowl, add fl our and process
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