BREAD AND PASTRY APPETIZERS

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS RECIPES FOR BRUSCHETTA, quesadillas, biscuits, and phyllo triangles. Bruschetta is an Italian appetizer that starts with slices of broiled or grilled country bread that are rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil, and topped with everything from chopped tomatoes to olive paste. The quesadilla comes from Mexico and is a hot "sandwich" made with two tortillas. This tortilla sandwich is usually filled with cheese (and other ingredients) and cut into narrow wedges for serving.

Biscuits are an all-American favorite. For use as an appetizer, they need to be cut quite small. In our recipe, we split and fill the biscuits with ham and cheese after they have been baked.

This chapter ends with a recipe for phyllo triangles. In our testing, we found that phyllo must be slowly brought to room temperature to prevent sticking or cracking. This means thawing phyllo (which is almost always purchased frozen) overnight in the refrigerator and then bringing it to room temperature in the box. To keep phyllo from cracking, keep sheets in a stack between two barely damp cloths until you need them.