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I tend to get appetizer crazy when it comes to planning parties.  I usually try to cram as many new dishes as I can into my menu and then completely overwhelm myself on the actual day.  Since the chocolate dinner is going to be quite indulgent, I’ve decided to step outside my norm and only serve a few easy opening dishes.  Although I’m cutting back on the number, I’m still sticking to my appetizer rules.  I always like to have protein, veg/fruit, bread/cracker, something sweet, and of course some sort of cheese!  I mean seriously, how could we have a meal without cheese?  I know what you’re thinking though.  You already know the menu for this party and there is no appetizer with cheese.  Don’t stress…it will all be okay because I have a plan.  I’m going to have my two featured appetizers and then surround them with little bowls of goodies like nuts, cheese slices or olives.  It’s just good to have little bites for your guests to snack on while they sip their wine and cocktails. 

First up…the chocolate covered grapes.  I found this recipe online in a forum a while back.  It completely intrigued me because while chocolate is great with all fruit, I never thought about mixing it with grapes.  And while everyone is pushing chocolate covered strawberries this time of year, I wanted to do something a little bit different and unexpected.  I’m sure any grape would work fine, but I chose to use black grapes because they are my new favorite.  Just remember that whatever grapes you buy make sure they are seedless! 

This is the full recipe, which makes 3 cups.  I’m cutting it in half on the night of the party because we’re only having six diners and I don’t want too many leftovers.  I’m pretty sure that after this dinner I won’t want chocolate for a while, so leftovers would completely go to waste.

Chocolate Grapes

The Washington Post, October 18, 2006

1 pound stemmed and chilled seedless grapes
4 ounces 60 percent semisweet chocolate, melted
1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Wash and dry the grapes well; place in a large bowl. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Add the melted chocolate to the grapes, 1 tablespoon at a time, carefully scraping down the sides of the bowl and stirring through the center of the grapes so that they are evenly coated.

As the chocolate begins to set (which will be almost immediately), place the cocoa powder in a small strainer and sift the powder, little by little, over the surface of the grapes.  Gently toss or stir the grapes as you continue to sift until all of the grapes are well coated and separated.  Spread the grapes on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the chocolate has completely set, or up to 1 day.

For our second appetizer, I’m making Spanish tapas using chorizo.  If you’re not familiar with chorizo, it is a Spanish cured sausage made from pork.  If you have trouble finding chorizo at your local grocery store, you can substitute any cured sausage.  Just try to stay away from any sweet sausage because it will not work well with the chocolate spread. 

Chocolate-Chorizo Tapas

1 Spanish chorizo
1 baguette
bittersweet chocolate spread (see recipe below)

Slice the baguette into 1/4-inch thick slices, brush with olive oil, and toast in the oven until golden.  Allow the toasted bread to cool for a few minutes so the chocolate spread doesn’t melt once applied.  Slice the chorizo crosswise into 1/8-inch discs and remove casing.  Spread the bittersweet chocolate over the bread and place 1-2 chorizo slices on the chocolate.

Bittersweet Chocolate Spread

4 ounces dark chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water (or place in double boiler).  Stir until the chocolate has just melted, then slowly stir in the cream until sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat and leave to cool until smooth enough to spread.

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