Casting around for ideas

I am going to a large gathering of Pumpkin's friends in mid-February. I'd like to bring along a starter / canape / finger-food course. Two catches:
(1) The party is at someone's house in Andover MA and the kitchen is a madhouse, so my dish can't require much in the way of heat. I'm sure I can get a burner or two but not sure I can get oven time.
(2) I will travel by train on Friday to a different destination and only reach Andover on Saturday midday. So, whatever it is should not be too perishable and probably should really be carried as components that I will assemble when I get there.

Browsing around in here I recalled some nice ideas:
...the mini Cuban sandwiches http://forums.wineloverspage.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=56896&p=473455&#p473437
...the potato-chevre terrine http://forums.wineloverspage.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=47659&p=439708&#p439708
...the bouillabaisse terrine http://forums.wineloverspage.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=47659&p=435259&#p435259
...the lobster-gin-cream ravioli http://forums.wineloverspage.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=61851#p473656

I'd recast the lobster ravioli as a spoon of filling on a bread round / cracker / crostini of some kind.

Anybody else have any other ideas that tickle their fancy nowadays?

(And, if I do a terrine, Jenise, I will ask for some guidance; I think these are both yours.)

I have no idea, but wanted to say that you are displaying admirable dedication. Given all those constraints, I would very quickly opt to buy something pre-made/liquid as my contribution.

Thanks for the moral support, Rahsaan. Indeed, when Pumpkin goes without me he brings wine and chocolate.

[Jenise]

Jeff, neither of the terrines would work as finger food. The cuban sandwiches would, beautifully. If you make them the way I did, wrapped in Lavash and then pan sear to 'glue' them shut, all you need to do at the location is oven-bake to re-crisp them, then slice. But you'd need about 10-15 minutes oven time. So maybe that's not a good plan, either.

I love stuffing cold fillings, like smoked salmon/cream cheese/onion in crepes. Good do-ahead, and they travel well. They also stand up and you can put quite a few on one plate. Another party hit I've done many times involves Asian rice wrappers. I'll buy rare sliced beef at the deli counter. Stack one slice of beef on a soft lettuce leaf (core cut out). Inside each piece of beef put fresh mint and cilantro and some crumbled blue cheese, then roll it up tightly in the softened rice wrapper. Cut each in half, then crowd them upright on a plate, cut side up. Pour just a touch of a good red wine vinegar vinaigrette in the center just before service. Cold, salad-y, keto-diet friendly, delish. And no one will have ever had it before unless they've been to one of my parties, because I made them up!

Another idea for a lobster, shrimp, crab etc type 'salad'. Buy square wonton skins. The little ones, about 3 and a half inch square. Cut each in half. Lay them side by side on a sheet pan, brush with a meager amount of olive oil, sprinkle a bit of salt. Bake at around 450 until golden, about 3-4 minutes. You've now made your own crackers. Load a bit of seafood spread on one end. Easy to pick up, easy to eat, and no one will say gosh didn't I just have this last week.

Thanks, Jenise! I am keen to try the Cuban roll and I have a convenient covered-dish wine dinner on Saturday.

Thinking about the ingredients, this idea could also easily make a roll of Reubens (put a cup of Russian on the serving plate for dipping), Philly Cheesesteak, or, really, any sandwich type that has cheese and not too many wet ingredients.

A tricky situation Jeff!
Open sandwiches can be easily assembled and just require a little imagination. Slices of baguette or a similar size base, pastry, cracker, pumpernickel etc.

Cream cheese, smoked salmon draped on top artistically, baby capers, dill sprigs
Hard boiled eggs mashed with mayo and seasoning/fresh herbs a curl of jamon/prosciutto
Caprese
Endless variations.
No heat required. Generally well received. Simple, and obviously recognisable ingredients .

Whatever you do enjoy!

Thanks for the suggestions, Barb. You're right that the little canapes are always good (and easy). And you have brought to mind a pleasant memory from years ago when I did just exactly that for a friend's wedding!

Chef Grossman checking in: I went to my local TJ. They didn't have lavash -- "We discontinued that." -- so I picked up a package of whole wheat tortillas. The TJ had the rest of the ingredients. I made four rolls: all had ham and cheese, three had pulled pork, two were sprinkled with chopped cornichons (I'm not crazy for dill pickles), one with a chunky tapenade, and one of the cornichon ones had an additional smear of Dijon. All were seared shut (5 minutes in a hot pan) then baked-off two days later. They were a tad loose when cut but they did fly off the plate. I liked the +cornichon,+Dijon one the best.

So... thank you, Jenise, for the excellent idea!

[Jenise]

Fantastic, Jeff. Yes, you DO have to do a very tight roll.

Can't believe they've discontinued the lavash. Probably true at my store as well then--I'll miss them!

Don't know how complicated you want to get for that sort of thing, but one that I trot out periodically is Parmesan tuiles

https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/parmesan-tuiles/8335/

Few ingredients (I also add a touch of kosher salt) and the look neat and work very well with white wine. They disappear here in record time.

Thanks, Bill. Those look really good, too. I wonder how well they keep? If made two days ahead and kept in a closed container, do they stay crisp?

They are only temporarily crisp - right after you make them, and then gradually soften, but are nice and chewy. Kept in a sealed container they might hold for a day, but we usually make them, form and cool them and serve them within a couple of hours.

Superb accompaniment for just about any white wine.

Noted. So, not good for the make-it-two-days-ahead event but good at almost any other time when wine glasses come out.

Right - but you can make the little piles of grated cheese on the Silpat a long time ahead and then stick it in the oven just before, or right after the guests show up. You can even get them to help forming them over a rolling pin or something (I like a smaller diameter rod for a tighter curve, myself). Don't forget to sprinkle with rosemary and thyme before heating - it makes a big difference.

These things disappear quicker than anything short of shisito peppers (which you also have to do a la minute). Did up a platter of those yesterday and my friend and I scarfed them down (dressed with flaky Maldon salt) while drinking a bottle of white Bordeaux. (Some people sprinkle with furikake spices but I prefer simple salt and maybe a squirt of lime juice if I remember to have some handy).

[Jenise]

Bill, Italy has a name for these: fricco. I've done lots with them, including adding as a layer in an Italian version of a hamburger with a pesto mayonnaise--killer.

Btw, shisito peppers? Try Bonito flakes next time, you'll never want them without again.

Bonito flakes are de rigeur around here - remember, home of the largest percentage Asian population (and markets) in North America. You have to go to Hawaii to get a higher Asian component. T&T Market is 15 min. away. Only thing that bothers me os that they have separate sections for Filipino, Japanese, Chinese etc. which means that if you are after a single item you need to look in five different places. Tons of umami to be had just soaking bonito flakes for a few minutes for a sauce.

BTW, we refer to shisito peppers around here as Asian roulette for guests as one in every dozen or two turns out to be much hotter than the average. We scarfed down a plate of them with Maldon salt yesterday, or rather I did as SWMBO was the one to hit the hot one of the bunch early on and retired from the field of battle wounded....but I gamely stepped up and finished them.

[Jenise]

That's pretty typical of peppers in general, jalapenos too. One in every dozen, on average. But oh how I love them! Padrons are better than Shisito, but at least shisitos are easily acquired. Glad you like them--I'd have actually worried about serving them to you. Had the impression that you like red bell peppers, but not green, so would have thought that all green peppers would be off the table for you.

BTW, we refer to shisito peppers around here as Asian roulette for guests as one in every dozen or two turns out to be much hotter than the average.

Yes, well-known effect. Bears repeating each time they're served but it doesn't really make the unlucky person feel better.

Not a big fan od green capsicum (in peppers or wine aromas) but am fine with red, orange , yellow.....

Have only had Padrones a couple of times - pretty similar to Shishito IIRC, but I'm up for pepper taste off some time if you are.

[Jenise]

Not a big fan od green capsicum (in peppers or wine aromas) but am fine with red, orange , yellow.....

Have only had Padrones a couple of times - pretty similar to Shishito IIRC, but I'm up for pepper taste off some time if you are.

I would do that! But Padrones are hard to find. A few years back a friend and I found some at a farm stand near Santa Barbara and I talked her into buying a batch to serve at the wine tasting we were doing that night. Whew boy, the old rule about one in a dozen? These were like only one in 12 was MILD one, not the other way around. No one could eat them! But they're all over Spain, as I'm sure you know. Sweeter with thicker skins than shisitos, and better for that reason (at least in my memory). But yeah, if I ever see them around again, you're on.

So... thank you, Jenise, for the excellent idea!

This past weekend was the event. I made an entire package of tortillas -- eight large ones, about 60 pieces -- and they were very popular indeed. The host snagged a dozen or so, set them aside, and said they were going to be Monday's lunch!