Great Appetizers From Around The World

My father has introduced me to food in general and chocolate in particular, and the two have become my main passion outside my family and work.

Here are some of my favorite appetizers from around the world, in no special order. Main courses, desserts and chocolate will follow in subsequent articles.

• Abu shukri's hummus. The Old City of Jerusalem is a magical place. One of the world's greatest tragedies is that it has become unsafe in recent years. Yet, there is one worthwhile reason to risk your life and go there, beyond the three focal points for the three main monotheistic religions: Abu Shukri's hummus. Abu Shukri has been making hummus for three decades. Legend has it that he spits into the divine mixture of cooked chickpeas, tehini sauce lemon juice and untold seasonings (probably only salt and pepper, and garlic clearly does not pollute this purebred hummus) to give his hummus its unique flavor, but I don't believe it. I think it's simplicity that accounts for the pure taste, the perfect balance between the salt and lemony flavors, and the silky texture. Abu Shukri has perfected the hummus, working it with a huge mortar poised between his thighs day in and day out. Sweep a pita-ful of his hummus and enjoy – it's perfect!

• Yank Sing's dim-sum, and especially sticky rice. Yank Sing is a restaurant in San Francisco that has invented the Westernized dim sum, those delectable Chinese dumplings that you can find in Hong Kong, Beijing and cities all over China. The problem with dim sum outside Yank Sing's two San Francisco locations is that it is too authentic. I confess that my western palate cannot appreciate the refined blandness of Cantonese cuisine. Instead, I thoroughly enjoy Yank Sing's combination of traditional dumplings, especially those paper-thin, sea-through shrimp dumplings, with some new world inventions, such as the minced squab in hoisin sauce served on a beautifully rounded lettuce leaf. Yank Sing does have the beloved chicken feet dish adored by Chinese world wide, but it also has dishes that boors like me enjoy, including the Seven Treasure Rice. Seven elements, including barbequed pork, dried shrimp, duck, beef and other delicacies are buried in the heart of a rice ball which, in turn, is wrapped in lotus leaf and steamed. The lotus leaf imparts its unique aroma on the rice, as the seven treasures within infuse it with flavor as well. The results is a delicious dish that will please any palate!

• Gnocchi in oxtail sauce from Babbo, New York. I admire Mario Batali. This man has brought authentic Italian cuisine into the US and has satisfied our need for superb pasta on American soil. There are other restaurants which have done the same, but his noble effort to recreate authentic recipes from Italy has been immensely successful. Among my favorites in his flagship restaurant are the gnocchi, those pillowy (not at all doughy) potato-based ovals smothered in a flavorful, not overly tomato-ey, naturally thick sauce made of oxtails, the perfect compliment to the gnocchi. In fact, the gnocchi might be perceived as an excuse to sop up as much of the sauce as possible, although they do a great but subtle flavor of their own. The balance of this dish and the combination of flavors, textures and viscosity are terrific. Also worth noting is Batali's Spaghetti Bolognese. This dish, my kids' favorite pasta (in meat and tomato sauce), offers the ideal combination of tomato with ground veal and beef that are not overly seasoned with Italian seasonings. While many argue that Emiliano Colline's Bolognese sauce in Rome is better, my kids prefer Babbo's, which they eat regardless to the state of their stomach (i.e. even if they just had a Big Mac).

• Marius' hearts of palm. I love hearts of palm. I'm not sure why or where this love story began, but I know they are one of my favorite veggies (or are they bark?) of all time. In the US we buy them canned. In Brazil you can get them fresh. The best are found at Marius, a churrascaria (meat restaurant) that serves phenomenal meat of all kinds and cuts. Marius also owns a palm plantation, and his hearts of palm are fantastic. I heartily recommend it.

• Cabbage stuffed with black truffle, Cote St. Jacques, France. Cote St. Jacques is a three Michelin star restaurant in the heartland of France. The chef, Michel Lauren, is the second generation chef/owner. His desserts left my daughter and me wanting, but the rest of the meal was remarkable. The appetizer was a traditional dish. Take a cabbage, the most unglamorous of vegetables, and blanch it. Stuff it with a mixture of minced chicken, put a huge black truffle at its heart, and wrap the cabbage around the mixture. Tie some stomach lining around it (a traditional French binder) to hold everything together, brown and then bake. Sounds awful? Trust me; it's incredibly delicious!

• Artichoke puree and poached scallops, Restaurant Beurheisl, Strasbourg. Chef Antoine Westermann has enjoyed the recognition of three Michelin stars for years. He has not strayed far from his Alsace cuisine roots, but that has not hampered innovation. A great example is this appetizer. It looks like a sunshine made of emerald green artichoke leaves (I have no idea how he keeps them so green; mere lemon juice cannot achieve such color, I suspect). At the heart of each leaf is a delicate puree of artichoke hearts, topped with a perfectly poached half scallop. A dot of red pepper completes this simple but striking dish, which pleases both the palate and the eyes.

• Thomas Keller's Egg. No list of favorite foods of mine is complete without a dish from the French Laundry, but this one isn't just a dish; it is an addiction and a power struggle. Let me start by describing the food. You get a hollowed egg which has been half filled with the world's most perfect savory custard. It is silky, intensely broth based and delicately flavored. It is never over-baked, and therefore never has air bubbles inside that disrupt the silky texture. The custard can't stand by itself, though. It needs a complimentary flavor, and that comes from a veal demi glace (concentrated stock) touched with black truffles. That is poured over the baked custard. A sprig of chives is then sandwiched between two paper-thin slices of potatoes and baked to a crisp. That "spoon" is then inserted into the egg in the last minute. It is served in a silver egg cup at the table. There is only one serious problem with this egg: Thomas Keller serves only one per meal per person. I have begged, cajoled, pleaded with waiters and chef alike, to no avail. I could easily eat ten of these eggs a meal, but two are the bare minimum to truly savor the flavors. Keller doesn't agree, and I remained egg-deprived each and every time I go to the French Laundry, feasting on one solitary egg and pining for more.

Please share with me your favorite appetizers and where one can find them, as well as recipes. I'd love to hear from you and learn from your experiences!