Canapes

This is from the same cookbook as the shrimp tree and the flaming cream puffs from Thursday.

I took yesterday off from the computer to recover from the wonderful but crazy week of three programs. I'm back on the asthma steroids and am up or sleeping at all strange times. The voice is returning though. I discovered this morning about 50 email from participants of the programs who want to continue the discussion of recipes and memories. How fun!

In the meantime, I found this recipe, actually called "Ripe Olives for Little Parties." This is a heck of a lot of work for 9 little appetizers, but they certainly are pretty. I can't imagine piping anything, though, let alone two flavors!

2 c. canned pitted ripe olives

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese

1 tsp. salt (wow)

6 drops of hot sauce

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 c. mashed avocado

8 candied cherries, chopped

1 tbsp. chopped sugared ginger

1/4 c. chopped nuts

1 bunch hearts of celery (I've never seen it described that way before!)

1 cucumber

1 green pepper

1 tomato

1 red onion

1 pkg. Cheddar cheese

Chop 1 1/2 cups ripe olives very fine. Cut remaining olives into halves, quarters and rings for garnish. Soften the cream cheese in a bowl. Add the chopped olives, salt, hot sauce and lemon juice and mix well. Spoon equal amounts into 3 bowls. Add tomato paste to 1 bowl, mashed avocado to 1 bowl and cherries, ginger and nuts to remaining bowl. Stuff celery with cherry mixture and press together to form bunch. (???) Roll in waxed paper and chill. Cut the cucumber into slices. Cut green pepper and tomato into wedges, scooping out seeds and membrane. Cut the onion into wedges and separate. Cut cheese into triangles. Pipe cream cheese mixtures onto canape bases with a pastry tube and garnish with reserved ripe olives. Cut celery into slices. Chill all canapes well before serving.

I don't know about hot sauce, cherries, celery, ginger - all together! I know they may be on separate canapes, but likely someone would eat a few at once, right? (Or maybe that's just me...)

I have a teen mystery column due next week so it will be mayhem reading here for the next few days. In the meantime we have a few holiday events, including my husband's work function,which is always a lovely elegant affair. I'm trying to figure out how to surreptiously snap photos of the food as the desserts and children's buffets are always works of art. Art is in the eye of the eater, readers!