[2] Puff pastry is a great asset if you want to turn out elegant appetizers and desserts (photo © Our Harvest).

[3] “American Kobe, a.k.a. wagyu beef hot dogs from Snake River Farms (photo © Snake River Farms).

[4] these 6″ bamboo skewers (photo © Hopelf | Amazon).

[5] Sesame Chicken Lollipops. You can substitute tofu for vegetarian guests.

July 20th is National Lollipop Day. But lollipops are more than sugar-on-a-stick. There are also savory lollipops—not the hard kind you lick, but more popularly known in catering circles as hors d’oeuvres at cocktail parties and snacks at kids’ parties. Or as some like to call it, food on a stick.

The difference between savory lollipops and other food-on-a-stick—such as corn dogs and kebabs—is the size: single bites, in the case of lollipops. Lollipops add a touch of whimsy, a new way to present the classics.

Just in time for weekend fun, here are two recipes from Andrea Correale, owner and founder of Elegant Affairs Caterers, a company in metropolitan New York that is one of the leading Hamptons caterers and event planners (she has catered events for L.A. Reid, Mariah Carey, Russell Simmons, and P. Diddy, among others).

While the two recipes below require preparation, you can make simple variations without planning ahead.
 
Just keep a package of six-inch bamboo skewers on hand. Then, if you need an hors d’oeuvre or kid treats in a hurry, you can look in the fridge and freezer and make lollipops from whatever you have: meatballs, chicken nuggets, hot dog and sausage chunks, and cubes of cheese, with a dipping sauce.

If you don’t have wheatgrass or other food to anchor the sticks, put them in a short jar, or lay them on a tray.

Following the Kobe/wagyu hot dogs are recipes for White Sesame Chicken Lollipops and Miso Dipping Sauce.
 
 
RECIPE #1: KOBE/WAGYU HOT DOG LOLLIPOPS

The famed Kobe beef of Japan is imported at very high prices. Instead, most Americans substitute Wagyu, a beef made from the same breed of cattle that are farmed in the U.S.

Here’s the difference between Kobe and Wagyu.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Flour the puff pastry sheet and add Cheddar to one side of the sheet. Evenly distribute and flatten with your hands.

2. PLACE one end of the pastry dough over the cheese end and fold over. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough.

3. MIX mustard and eggs and brush Dijon egg wash all over the dough.

3. TAKE a hot dog, place it at the edge of the dough. Take puff pastry and roll around a hot dog. Use the egg wash to adhere.

4. CUT away the excess dough and pinch the ends together. Repeat with each hot dog.

5. PLACE on a carving board and cut the ends off. Slice into 3/4″ thick pieces.

6. PLACE on a parchment-covered baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Insert a skewer into each piece and place it in a wheatgrass-filled tray.
 
 
RECIPE #2: WHITE SESAME CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS

You can also make these with tofu for vegetarian guests.

1. SIFT the flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix together the soy sauce, water, vegetable oil, and a pinch of sesame oil; stir into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in the chicken pieces until coated with the batter, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. HEAT the oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to a temperature of 375°F. Drop in the battered chicken pieces and fry until they turn golden brown and float to the top of the oil, for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

3. SPRINKLE with toasted sesame seeds to garnish. To serve, skewer chicken pieces using long wooden skewers. Lie on a platter with the dipping sauce, or stick into a 2-day-old loaf of round bread.
 
 
RECIPE #3: MISO DIPPING SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. WHISK together in a small bowl the miso, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. While whisking…

2. GRADUALLY ADD the peanut and sesame oils until you have a creamy dressing.

3. SERVE with the White Sesame Chicken Lollipops.
 
 
See the Elegant Affairs website for more delicious party ideas.
 
 

Add a cornichon—along with an optional olive
or cocktail onion—to your Martini (photo by Elvira Kalviste | © THE NIBBLE.

Why aren’t these cute little pickles served with Martinis? People love pickles—and many people don’t like olives or cocktail onions.

Voilà: the Cornichon Martini.

Unlike gherkins, which tend to be sweetened for the U.S. market, French cornichons are tart and very addictive to sour pickle lovers.

You can buy cornichons in most supermarkets. The better brands include cocktail onions and add mustard seeds to the brine. The best brands imported from France (and found in specialty food stores) are Edmond Fallot and Maille. A jar, $11-$12 for top brands, makes a great gift for foodies and Martini fans.
 
 
WHAT ARE CORNICHONS?

Cornichon (core-nee-SHONE) is the French word for gherkin. These are not necessarily the West Indian gherkin, which is a naturally miniature variety of cucumber. Most are European cucumbers harvested at one to two inches in length.

You can also add cornichons to a relish tray, as a garnish for sandwiches and on an hors d’oeuvre skewer with an olive, cheese cube, cocktail onion and chunk of sausage or other meat.
 
 
MORE MARTINI GARNISHES

Don’t let olives and cocktail onions dominate Martini garnishes: Get creative with:

 
You can use a cocktail pick or cut a small slit in the bottom to rest the garnish on the rim. If you have oversize Martini glasses, get longer cocktail picks.

A pinch of heat enhances the taste of dishes from pizza and pasta (the classics are Pasta Puttanesca and Seafood Fra Diavolo) to dips, eggs, salads, soups and cooked vegetables. You can make barbecue sauce, hummus and salsa spicier to taste.; you can create spicy mashed potatoes, spicy rice and spicy yogurt.

Here’s a gadget for people who’d prefer a finer sprinkling than the conventional chunks of crushed red pepper. The find grind creates a more even seasoning:

The Trudeau Red Chili Pepper Grinder has a ceramic grinding mechanism designed for just for chili flakes. For $19.99, it’s an affordable gift for those who like their heat. You can pick one up at Amazon.com.

Grind chili flakes into a more delicate grain—just as with peppercorns. Photo courtesy Trudeau.

Chili flakes are made by roasting red chiles—generally cayenne or New Mexico chiles—then crushing them. The heat comes from the seeds, which contain the chemical capsaicin (cap-SAY-sin).

Check out our Chile Glossary to discover the history, different types of chiles, and why it’s inaccurate to call them “peppers” or chile “peppers.”
  

We were inspired by this Spumoni Sundae cupcake from Hey There Cupcake! of Denver, Colorado.

One of many flavors (see them all here), Spumoni Sundae is a cherry cupcake filled with ganache, topped with a scoop of pistachio buttercream frosting and garnished with a cherry and a miniature waffle fan (gaufrette).

We saw this as inspiration for ice cream cupcakes in any flavor. Just replace the buttercream with ice cream—it’s easier than making an ice cream cake.

ICE CREAM CUPCAKES RECIPE

1. Use your favorite cupcake recipe. When filling the cups, add less batter than the recipe instructs. For example, if it says to fill halfway, fill to only the one-third point. This creates room at the top to anchor a scoop of ice cream.

2. Scoop a round ball of ice cream atop each cupcake. Place in the freezer. Don’t garnish until ready to serve.

3. At serving time, garnish with your favorite sundae toppings: chocolate sauce, butterscotch sauce, whipped cream and a cherry. If you like, gild the lily with chopped nuts, mini chips, sprinkles or other favorites.

Here are two tips from the bakers regarding general cupcake purchases:

 
MORE CUPCAKE FUN: RECIPES

Recently, NIBBLE writer Leah Hansen joined a group of journalists on a press trip to Belgium. She came back very excited about the country, and used her camera to capture tips from everyday life.

DECORATE DAIRY

For a cheese board or a buffet, use fresh herbs to decorate cheese—and butter, too.

Press fresh herbs or flowers into soft or semi-soft cheeses before serving.

Lavender (in the photo) and rosemary look pretty and add a layer of aroma and hint of herb flavor. Don’t limit yourself to these choices, though: Use your eye and your palate to find herb-cheese pairings that please.

You can turn cheese decorating into a party activity. Give each person or small group a Camembert or baby Brie to decorate. Provide some fresh herbs and whatever you have on the spice shelf. Serve the cheeses with fruit for dessert.

Use fresh herbs from the market to decorate butter and cheese. Photo by Leah Hansen | THE NIBBLE.

Switch out the mayo for some fresh,
unsalted butter on a ham sandwich. Photo by
Leah Hansen | THE NIBBLE.

In Belgium and France, butter is the condiment of choice on a ham sandwich.

The flavor of unsalted butter with ham on French-style bread (you need good bread!) is very elegant. Try it. We add a bit of Dijon mustard as well.

Plan your own trip to Belgium to enjoy the history, the cuisine, and lots of great beer and chocolate. These websites will get you started:

BELGIAN WAFFLE TRIVIA

In Belgium, there is no such thing as a “Belgian” waffle. Every region has its own style of waffle (called a gauffre, pronounced GO-fray or GAW-fray) based on two major styles: the Brussels waffle and the Liège waffle.

 
Check out all the types of waffles in our Pancake & Waffle Glossary.