Polenta Rounds with Cheese, Chive Pesto, and Red Pepper

Name: Polenta Rounds with Cheese, Chive Pesto, and Red Pepper
Yield: makes 30 to 40 appetizers
Ingredients: 4 cups water; Kosher salt; 1 cup yellow polenta; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 large egg; 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; Pinch of cayenne pepper; Olive oil, for brushing; 2 cups goat cheese; 1/3 cup half-and-half; Freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts; 2 cups chopped fresh chives, chopped; 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese; 2 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 red bell pepper

December 14, 2011

Chef Quincy Adams Erickson and I worked together in Austin during my stint as executive chef for a national chain. A graduate of the famed cooking school Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Quincy now owns Austin’s Fête Accompli, a catering company specializing in fresh, handmade appetizers. I asked Quincy to give me a cocktail party recipe for this book and, as usual, she came up with a winner. Make sure you have a small cookie cutter that will make bite-size shapes that your guests can easily pop in their mouths. Use whatever shape you’d like: circles, hearts, stars, triangles, or squares.

Recipe notes

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