June 18, 2009 7:42 pm

Big Things in Small Packages: Wine Down Satisfies My Hor D'oeuvres Craving

If I had to choose a final meal on death row, it would be passed hors d'oeuvres. Sure. The logistics here are a little absurdist. Would I get a butler in my jail cell? Do maximum-security prisons stock toast points? I don't really care.

I'm not sure when my obsession developed or where it came from, but I love the idea of eating little things off trays that someone else is carrying around the room. It doesn't even have anything to do with the ingredients of said little things on trays—I would probably eat endive leaves filled with cat food. My love isn't influenced by the party's atmosphere either—I once attended an alumni bowling association fundraiser for the snacks.

I had no problem clearing my schedule last Wednesday evening when my friend Sheila invited me to Wine Down, an event hosted by Gourmet Magazine wine consultant Michael Green. Not only did the invite promise passed hors d'oeuvres, but it also hinted at the possibility of passed desserts supervised by James Beard Award winning chef Charlie Palmer. As far as I'm concerned, hors d'oeuvres are second only to desserts in the hierarchy of small edibles passed on trays. On a side note, I love to attend foodie events because unlike, say, fashion and art parties, you are not ostracized by other attendees for cramming shrimp salad canapés into your mouth.

Held in the penthouse space at Astra in Midtown, Wine Down was exactly the type of place where one might hope to eat hors d'oeuvres. On my way into the party, I helped myself to a glass of sparkling rose and went to linger on a balcony that stretches around the periphery of the restaurant to wait for Sheila. Then, I saw the first tray.

From what I could make out, it was seared tuna on melba toast. But, as I mentioned before, it could have been a sliver of Slim Jim and I would have approached it with the same excitement. By the time Sheila arrived, I had eaten two pieces of peppered tuna, little bits of nearly raw beef with horseradish, asparagus in a crispy roll of phyllo, a remarkably good scoop of smoked chicken salad with mango and anything else that passed my sightline. I can't say for sure, but I think some of the catering staff had started to avoid me.

Luckily, Sheila reminded me that the event was about tasting wine not chasing the final piece of tuna back to the kitchen. To give Wine Down the credit it deserves, we tried some fantastic wines. Among my favorites were a sparkling variety from California with notes of hazelnut and yeast that gave it a pleasantly cake-like aroma. We also tried a lovely, slightly funky, very grapey white wine from Santorini and an unusual "frizzante" Riesling from the Umbria region of Italy.

I left Wine Down in the state that I normally leave functions with passed hors d'oeuvres—stuffed to the gills and a little bit drunk. If you have an extra fifty dollars to spend and share my love of miniature food, I urge you to blow it on the next Wine Down event. In addition to all the foodie benefits, the party was also packed with cute corporate boys in fancy suits...

For any one who's keeping their money in a shoe box on top of the fridge as a result of the, ahem, complete economic meltdown and doesn't feel like spending fifty dollars on nibbles and booze, I decided to add my favorite hors d'oeuvres recipe.

Deviled Eggs with Cornichons and Herbs

A dozen eggs
A cup of cornichons
Handful of fresh parsley, basil, dill
2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon of high quality olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Paprika

1. This recipe is pretty much idiot proof: Cook the eggs. I normally start them in enough water to cover and leave them in for about ten to twelve minutes, but it really boils (ha ha) down to preference (excuse the terrible pun).

2. Slice the eggs in half and scoop out the yolks.

3. Combine the olive oil and the mustard and chop the cornichons finely.

4. Put the yolks in a bowl with herbs, cornichons, a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and mash them together in whatever way strikes you as most efficient.

5. Scoop yolks back into egg whites, sprinkle with paprika and sea salt.

6. Recruit a friend who owes you a favor to tote them around on a tray all night, replenishing as necessary...

—Cecilia Estreich

— Written by Cecilia Estreich

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