That's Entertainment! Parmesan Rounds

by Julie Gale

(March 24, 2005) Unlike my own household, which is in constant motion, I grew up in a very quiet environment. My parents were busy with work or with their friends, my brother was most commonly found by himself in the basement working on his latest “clay-matic” film and play-dates were not an everyday event by any means.

However, all this changed when my parents were planning to entertain. The kitchen became the staging area and all the inhabitants of the house were called upon to participate. I will never forget stringing mountains of lamb on skewers for shish kebab and peeling piles of mangos for a luscious mango mousse. My father has never been content to do anything in a small way and every party was an event. They gave big parties and they gave them often. They usually had a theme, such as Caribbean, Chinese, Mexican, Middle Eastern and even a Texas Bar-B-Q complete with a pig on a spit. Sometimes they hired caterers or special chefs, such as a certain Mr. Yip who prepared a 16-course meal for 60 guests for an unbelievable $10 a person.

When they weren’t throwing an enormous party, they had and still do have dinner company several times a month. On these occasions, my mother and I did all the preparations. One of my mother’s favorite and very easy hors d’oeuvres are these parmesan rounds. They are simple to prepare but absolutely scrumptious. I haven’t given amounts for this recipe because it is completely dependent on how many people you are planning to serve. People with self-restraint will eat 3 or 4 of them, but those of us with little or no shame can eat 6 or 7 without blinking, so plan accordingly.

PARMESAN ROUNDS

• Best-quality, very thinly-sliced white bread (such as Arnold’s)
• Onions, sliced as thinly as possible (try using a Japanese slicer)
• Hellman’s mayonnaise
• Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped or dried parsley
• Sweet paprika

Assembly:

• Using a 2-inch round metal biscuit cutter, cut as many circles from the bread as possible
• Spread the circles evenly with the mayonnaise.
• Cover the mayonnaise completely with a slice of the onion.
• Sprinkle thoroughly with the cheese and then with parsley and paprika.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Place the rounds next to each other on cookie sheets.

Broil, watching closely, until the cheese and bread become lightly browned. Serve hot .

Julie Gale will be teaching an entertainment menu at her cooking class in her home on Tuesday, March 24 from 7-9 pm.

Ethnic Cooking with Julie Gale

1. Thurs., Feb. 10- 10-12 PM VALENTINE’S DAY:Champagne Chicken, Salad of Hearts, Chocolate Pots de Crème

2. Thurs., Feb. 17 - 7-9 PM CHINESE NEW YEAR: Hot & Sour Soup, Mu Shu Chicken, Spun Apples

3. Thurs. March 3 – 12:30-2:30 PM COOKING LITE: Stuffed Zucchini, Ratatouille Chicken, Roasted Fruit

4. Tues. March 15 –7-9 PM SAINT PATRICK’S DAY:Glazed Corned Beef, Braised Cabbage w/ Bacon, Soda Bread

5. Thurs. March 24 – 10-12 PM COOKING FOR COMPANY: Easy Hors D’oeuvres, Chicken Kiev, Sacher Torte

6. Sun. April 3 – 7-9 PM MEN’S NIGHT OUT: Mexican Layered Dip, Chili, Free-form Apple Pie

7. Thurs. April 14 – 7-9 PM PASSOVER SPECIALTIES Matzo Ball Soup, Gefilte Fish, Chocolate Torte

8. Tues. May 3 – 3:30-5:30 PM - KID’S COOKING Homemade Pasta , Tacos, Homemade Ice Cream

9. Thurs. May 19 –7-9 PM - TEENAGER CLASS Homemade Pizza, Vegetarian Sushi, Killer Brownies

----------------------------------------------

CLASSES LIMITED TO 7 STUDENTS, SO REGISTER NOW!

COOKING CLASSES MAKE A GREAT GIFT- GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

Classes are held at 1 Lancia Lane, Larchmont
$65 per class or $180 for any 3 (Make check payable to Julie Gale)
Name__________Phone____________
Address________________________
Email________________________
List Classes_______________________
Amount of Check________

Return to : Julie Gale 1 Lancia Lane, Larchmont, NY 10538 (914) 834-5353 Email: PJAZTEGale@optonline.net

Print This Page--For best results, highlight text, then print selection
Email this article