A P P E T I Z E R

Whether they are called canapés, hors d' oeuvres, antipasto or antipasti, nibblers or nosh they are all bits of tasty food that are meant to stimulate the appetite and prime one's sense to enjoy the main plat de resistance.

Today's appetizers are also used to calm the hungry while awaiting the other guests or the meal that will be the main attraction of the lunch or dinner.

When choosing appetizers, one should select those that balance the flavors or contrast with the dishes that are to come.  If the main dish is focused on meats or fish, hors d' oeuvres should be vegetable that can be used to dunk, spear or pick up with fingers into a tasty dip with cream, yogurt or cheese.


With the world of food crossing national boundaries as never before, appetizers can go from fried wontons, lumpia, ukoy, crispy spinach leaves to cucumbers, carrots and celery dunked in a dip with innumerable variations.

In Manila where almost all Filipinos come to spend some time during that year, those who have traveled and lived abroad come back and serve appetizers and meals they have learned and adapted all over the world.  Food in Manila now features those found in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Singapore