Thinking of a different appetizer to serve on New Year’s Eve? Here’s something that might be of interest to you. You see, I love crostinis. I love the various dips that you can whip up even more. That’s why when I saw this recipe for piquillo pepper cheese crostini, I was hooked. You can’t go wrong with peppers and cheese! Thanks to Epicurious for this recipe.

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped drained piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers from jar
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (green part only)
• 2 teaspoons drained capers
• 2 teaspoons sweet or hot smoked Spanish paprika*
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
• 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Blend until almost smooth. Add all cheeses and 1 tablespoon oil; process until blended. Transfer to small bowl; season with salt and generous amount of pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange baguette slices in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet; brush slices with oil. Bake until golden at edges, about 15 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Place bowl with cheese spread in center of platter. Surround with toasts.

* Sweet smoked Spanish paprika (sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce) and hot smoked Spanish paprika (sometimes labeled Pimentón Picante or Pimentón de La Vera Picante) are available at specialty foods stores and from tienda.com. Sweet smoked paprika (labeled “smoked paprika”) can be found at some supermarkets.

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

What’s next

Combine the garbanzo beans, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, water, salt, pepper, and cumin in a blender or food processor, blend until smooth.

Ingredients

2 medium baking potatoes
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream
Paprika

What’s Next
Pierce potatoes and bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Cut a thin slice off the top of each potato. Scoop out the pulp and place in a mixing bowl. Add butter, milk and salt; beat until fluffy. Beat in cream cheese and sour cream. Spoon into potato shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Place on a baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and tops are golden brown.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish of pickled cabbage. The cold, sour flavor is a great accompanment to grilled meats. Recent research has linked regular consumption to lower incidents of heart disease and cancer.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pickling salt 6 cups water
2 lbs. Chinese (Napa) cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, then slivered
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Korean ground dried hot pepper (or other mildly hot ground red pepper)
1 teaspoon sugar

An Asian vinaigrette has that perfect combination of tartness and sweetness — for a lot of flavor, with little fat. Just mix the following.

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 drops sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or to taste)

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