"canapes" news and stories

With 650 guests invited to celebrate Kate and Wills' big day, and the Buckingham Palace kitchens only equipped for formal dinner service for around 150, the menu for the Royal Wedding will not exactly be a five-course affair. In fact, it will consist of nothing more than a "modest spread of Champagne, wedding cake and two-bite appetizers, or canapes," reports the New York Times.

The 21-chef kitchen plans to make 10,000 appetizers, which comes to about 15 canapes per guest. Among them, mini Yorkshire puddings with roast beef and horseradish cream (above left, being prepared by sous chef Mark Stewart), and bubble-and-squeak confit with lamb shoulder (above right, being arranged by Royal Chef Mark Flanagan, Head of Kitchens at Buckingham Palace). Other house specialties include smoked salmon, herbed crèpes and Cornish pasties. The two-bite factor is aimed at convenience, "should a guest need to put one away in order to greet a passing dignitary."

In the evening after the wedding, Prince Charles is hosting a three-course dinner for 300 guests in Buckingham Palace catered by London restaurateur Anton Mosimann.

Join in on the party -- the Los Angeles Times recommends these 22 canapes to make at home. Or to be made by your own Royal Chef.

I became aware of cottage cheese dill bread when I started working in my pastry kitchen. It's one of the breads that I have to make on a regular basis, as it's used for all kinds of canapes and finger sandwiches. I've never seen it in a retail bakery and so far as I can tell, it's not a very popular bread, but it should be.

Cottage cheese dill loaves are made with a variety of savory ingredients that make for a saliva-inducing aroma and taste. In addition to the cottage cheese and dill you've got onion and horseradish, and in some cases Parmesan cheese (I've seen it in recipes, but don't use it in my bread).

The dill loaves I make are used mainly for smoked salmon canapes and cucumber finger sandwiches, and I also make a cottage cheese dill dinner roll. They make the pastry kitchen smell absolutely wonderful. They can make your house smell just as good, and you'll be very pleased with what this bread can do for your sandwiches, not to mention toast! This recipe I found online looks good, but I'd add a tablespoon of horseradish if you have it. Also, there's a good version in Bernard Clayton's "New Complete Book of Breads". Check out the gallery below for some inspirational photos.