Appetizer

Appetizer is the first course, are food items served before the main courses of a meal. If there is an extended period between when guests arrive and when the meal is served (for example during a cocktail hour), these might also serve the purpose of sustaining guests during the wait, in the same way that apéritifs are served as a drink before meals. Appetizers are sometimes served with no meal afterward. This is the case with many reception and cocktail party events. Appetizer may be served at the table, as a part of the sit-down meal; or they may be served before sitting at the table. Appetizer prior to a meal is either stationary or passed. Stationary Appetizer is also referred to as "table appetizer ". Passed hors d'oeuvre are also referred to as "butler-style" or "butlered" appetizer.

Types of appetizer
1. Hot- Hot appetizers are served warm and are often bite-sized. These appetizers can be either finger foods and snack type foods or small portions of main course dishes, such as miniature sandwiches. Popular hot appetizers include chicken wings, mini quiches, mini tacos, meatballs, nachos, onion rings, and potato skins. Hot appetizers can also include some dips and even gourmet offerings, such as cheese fondue.

2. Dip - Dips as an appetizer are served with chips, pieces of bread, or vegetables. Dips can be served hot or cold. Different types of dressings, cheeses, meats, chicken, or vegetables can be featured within or served next to the dip. Dips commonly used as appetizers at parties include spinach and artichoke dip, taco dip, pizza dip, buffalo chicken dip, bean dip, and salsa.

3. Relishes and pickles- A relish is a cooked, pickled, or chopped vegetable or fruit food item typically used as a condiment in particular to enhance a staple. Examples are jams, chutneys, and the North American "relish", a pickled cucumber jam eaten with hot dogs or hamburgers.

4. Canapé - a small, prepared and usually decorative food, held in the fingers.

5. Crudités - are traditional French appetizers comprising sliced or whole raw vegetables, which are sometimes dipped in vinaigrette or other dipping sauce. Crudités often include celery sticks, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus spears; sometimes olives depending on local customs.

6. Antipasto- means "before the meal" and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats and vegetables (both in oil or in vinegar).