Appetizers are popular to have while watching football games at home, enjoying a happy hour at a local bar or snacking while your main dish is being prepared. They also often figure into a separate part of a special event like a cocktail hour at a wedding.

There are so many different names for appetizers. You can call them finger foods or tapas or dim sum or hors d' oeuvres but they are still the morsels and tidbits that often precede a main meal. However, appetizers can in themselves provide a fabulous and interesting complete meal.

Remember franks in blankets on one end of the buffet table and caviar on the other? This was standard fare during the 1960's. Today there are a plethora of finger food options - sushi, dolmades, mini-sandwiches, pita or tortilla wraps, peanut chicken satay, spicy meatballs, falafel, spicy veggie balls, and salmon en croute, to name a few. Choosing what to serve has never been so complicated.

Simple Appetizers
 
For watching a sporting event or enjoying a bite at the bar, you can have nachos or chicken wings, sweet potato french fries or guacamole and chips, among other things.  Many restaurants offer small plates which are a notch-up on the gourmet scale from the typical bar menu or freezer fare that you'd make at home. These small plates may include bacon wrapped dates, hummus, crab cakes and salmon-en-croute.

Read about serving appetizers at Events at Appetizers For Events.