Good Things to Eat

To get your meal off to a great start, perk up pats of butter with zesty herbs and spices. These four delicious combinations, include (clockwise from top left) turmeric and mustard seed; Asian nori and sesame; smoked chipotle and lime; and lemon basil. At your reception, set each table with assorted compounds in passable dishes; between bites, total strangers can become friends while trading their tasting notes on each variety.

Like the carnival apples you'd drool over as a tyke, these fruits, which include pears, cherries, and apricots, were popped on sticks and dunked in various glazes. Contributing editor Peter Callahan, of Peter Callahan Catering in New York City, who made all the desserts on this page, suggests setting out a selection after dinner. Or, have servers pass them to revelers later in the night.

Packing some major flavor ammo, these "spoons"— each dipped in different delectable chocolate combos—are meant to be swirled in coffee or warm milk served in petite demitasse cups. And, with a sugar-cookie base, the mouthwatering delights can withstand repeat dippings.

Macaroni and cheese becomes an elegant passed appetizer when served in dainty ramekins. Our version features sharp white cheddar and Gruyere.

These tiny ice cream cups are ideal for a no-mess refreshing dessert -- or a snack during cocktails. The cups are made on a pizzelle iron, which is available at cookware stores and looks like a flat, decorative waffle iron.

Combine the luxury of caviar with the simplicity of a soft-boiled egg in a delightful dish for a wedding brunch or shower. We used salmon caviar and orange roe, which are pretty, flavorful, and relatively inexpensive. Acknowledge Cupid with toast cut into hearts and arrows.

Top espresso cups of hot cocoa with oversize pastel marshmallows. Serve the whimsical pairing with dessert or in to-go cups as guests depart; unlike mini marshmallows, these generous cubes won't melt in moments.

Porcelain cups from ASA Selection.

Choose the smallest, most blemish-free red-skinned potatoes, allowing two to three per person. You can either boil or bake the potatoes -- either will work for this dish.

With a puff-pastry blossom resting atop a flaky crust, a miniature pot pie makes a delightful and delicious first course at a wedding. This favorite home-style dish is filled with a medley of vegetables, including asparagus, carrots, and pearl onions, and baked in a ramekin. Wonderful for a country-themed reception, it would be appropriate to serve at a shower, too.

Thin breadsticks are enriched with a lively flavor and hue when they're infused with extracts of beet, carrot, parsley, or tomato.

The dough for these cookies is firm, making it ideal to cut out in shapes.

End your celebration by passing out these traditional breakfast treats as a dessert with coffee service, either skewered on coffee spoons or set in dainty piles. Any way you serve them, guests are sure to circle back for more.

Roasted wild mushrooms lie on a bed of Robiola, a mild and soft Italian cheese. Ribbons of flat-leaf parsley and a drop of white truffle oil perfume the whole.

Let guests cleanse their palates with a miniature "cake" molded from sorbet. For a sweet decoration, the bride's and groom's initials are piped in chocolate along the edge of each plate, and the sorbet cake is garnished with raspberries.

These egg desserts, made with delicious white chocolate, will remind you of the snowstorm outside as they warm up your taste buds.

For a milder version, eliminate the wasabi peas and red pepper.

For these savory napoleons, wonton wrappers are sprinkled with coarse salt, baked, then layered with herbed ricotta cheese. A basil sprig, black-olive slice, and wedge of shiny roasted red pepper form a topknot.

Savory madeleines can be flavored with many varieties of herbs, seasonings, and cheeses. Some options are Gruyere cheese, fresh rosemary, and cayenne pepper.

In this version of pan tomate, Serrano ham and sun-dried tomato butter create a Spanish-inspired union of savory flavors.

Frozen phyllo dough is available in most supermarkets. To keep it from drying out while you work, cover the dough you're not using with a damp kitchen towel.

A deviled quail egg dressed with caviar and dill sits atop a piece of pumpernickel bread.

Just don't call them Jell-O shots. These sangria-inspired gelees, infused with sweet wines and subtly undercut with citrus flavors, are for sophisticated palates. The glistening, gemlike squares make a refreshing dessert and add fetching sunset hues to a reception table.

White treats are just right for a winter wedding, while the coconut flavor gives just enough sweet nostalgia for the summer months.

Everyone knows you and your groom are cut out for each other; these monogrammed shortbread sandwich cookies just drive home the point. Let store-bought cookie cutters do the heavy lifting; we used a round ruffly one to get the shape and mini alphabet cutters for the monogram. Between the layers: sweet-tart rhubarb jam -- another perfect match.

This delectable display starts with votive candleholders filled with chocolate pudding and topped with crushed-cookie "dirt." Lemon verbena, lavender, and basil flowers sprout from each pot. Serve your treats with wooden ice cream spoons stamped with your and his initials to resemble plant tags.

"Beaker" candleholder, CB2. "Taster" spoons, WEBstaurant Store.

The diminutive scale of lady apples transforms a fall favorite into a dainty nibble; offer to guests on passed trays as a sweet-tart surprise at the cocktail hour. A paper leaf is an elegant touch: Use a computer to design and print "Enjoy!" on card stock, then cut out with a leaf-shape craft punch; affix to short skewers with adhesive dots.

Melted chocolate is nearly synonymous with indulgence. Serve it alongside yummy delectables to dip, such as dried apricots, pretzel sticks, and cubes of pound cake. Or consider cookies, caramels, fresh fruit, and chunks of coconut. Use Japanese porcelain teacups and sushi trays to yield single-size portions for guilt-free double-dipping.

A few handfuls of our fluttery tuiles, made with floral cookie cutters and dipped in pink chocolate, make for a delightful (and delicious) favor or reception snack.

This upscale version of potato skins features Red Bliss potatoes with creme fraiche, bacon, and leeks.

This trio of shortbread cookies, meringue kisses, and lemon marshmallows is a riff on the tangy pie that's meant to be eaten in one tasty bite. To make them, bake shortbread onto sticks, and add the meringue and marshmallows once they've cooled.

For a heavenly presentation, line a serving tray with a sheet of Styrofoam, poke the finished skewers through so they stand upright, and cover with a layer of candy. (Try Economy Candy's white stars.)

Consider this small but sassy dessert the love child of two classic sweets: cupcakes and ice cream cones. Bake cupcake batter in store-bought cones, pipe on buttercream, and add edible glitter; they're kid tested and adult approved.

Mini cones, Home Chef Marketplace

You've heard of macarons for dessert, but as an appetizer? Your friends will be every bit as intrigued. This savory take on the traditionally sugary recipe combines sesame seed-spiked batter with a center of smoked salmon, shallots, and creme fraiche.

Your appetizer will feel right at home served in a seashell, at least if you're serving ceviche -- a dish made with marinated raw fish (we added pink grapefruit in this version). You'll feel secure knowing that these particular shells are oven -- and food -- safe.

White Irish scallop shells, Conch King.

Proust waxed poetic about madeleines for a reason: They're buttery and delicious! To make the shell-shaped cookies even more mouthwatering, spread a layer of fruity frozen yogurt or lemon curd between two store-bought madeleines, and serve.

Think of it as a gift that doesn't need to be unwrapped: small slivers of vegetables usually found on a crudite platter, tied with an edible ribbon. To make each mini bunch, group thin slices of carrot, cucumber, red cabbage, pea sprouts, blanched haricots verts, and red, yellow, and orange pepper. Tie each cluster with a chive and serve alongside a tangy carrot-ginger dipping sauce.

Seaweed salad atop a crispy bread slice is paired with spicy wasabi powder for a refreshing appetizer that packs a flavorful punch.