It’s the holiday season, and we need appetizers! ,Yummy bites to share with family, neighbors and friends.
The holidays always bring a flurry of gatherings—family dinners, neighborhood parties, work celebrations—and sooner or later, you’ll be asked to contribute something delicious.
Are you like me and ready for some fresh inspiration this season? I hope so because I have 3 more winning recipes, you and your people will love.
At A Taste of Paris, I love sharing festive, foolproof recipes that help you walk into any event with confidence and a little sparkle.
For this second part of my appetizer series, we’re celebrating bright, cheerful flavors: jewel-toned Cranberry Salsa and mouthwatering Blue Cheese Stuffed Pears, and for a bonus, I’ll tell you how to make adorable Individual Cheeseboards fashioned in coupes!
Fun, elegant, and wonderfully simple—just the way holiday entertaining should be.
Roasted Pears with Gorgonzola and Pecans
4 firm Bartlett pears
1 Tablespoon honey
4 ounces of cream cheese softened
¼ cup of blue cheese crumbles
½ cup toasted, chopped pecans
Rosemary leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with the blue cheese and set aside. Cut the pears in half, remove the core with a spoon, and place the pears on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon a teaspoon of the cheese mixture into the center of each pear. Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 4-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the pecans. Next, drizzle the pears with honey and sprinkle the rosemary leaves on before serving.
Cran-Salsa
1 10-ounce package of frozen cranberries
Zest and juice of one orange
½ cup sugar
1-2 fresh jalapeños, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste
Place frozen berries in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Salsa can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Serve with tortilla chips.
Elegant Cheeseboard Coupes
12 silverplate Coupes
12 slices of brie
12 cubes of cheese
12 wedges of cheese
12 cornichons
12 kalamata olives
12 green olives
12 cherry tomatoes
12 sprigs of rosemary
12 rectangular crackers
12 of 2 types of round crackers
12 small bunches of grapes.
Assemble the coupes when you are ready to serve them. Pull the stems off of ½ of each of the rosemary sprigs. Thread the olives and tomato onto the rosemary sprigs and set aside. Place the 3 cracker varieties in the bottom of each coupe, with the tips pointed upwards. Add the cheese, cornichon, and bunches of grapes artfully, top with the sprig of rosemary, and serve on a tray.
I hope you have enjoyed my Two-Part series on appetizers this week. I will be posting how-to videos on my Instagram in the coming days. Tune in and feel free to share with friends!
WAITLIST FOR TRAVEL
If you’re craving even more inspiration, I’d love for you to travel to France with me in the coming years. Only a few seats remain open for travel in 2026, and 2027 waitlists are OPEN. Be the first to know when seats open for travel with A Taste of Paris.
I’m thrilled to debut two brand-new cooking class titles—for 2026, come cook with me and learn something delicious.
Friday, February 13th, from 11:00-1:30 Valentine’s Chocolate Lunch & Learn Join me this February for an indulgent, chocolate-kissed afternoon designed to warm your heart and inspire your inner chocolatier. We’ll begin with a cozy, elegant lunch served with wine, featuring comforting, tender Pot Roast draped in a silky Dark-Chocolate Sauce, rich, Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes, and crispy Parmesan White-Chocolate Carrots that strike the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and utterly irresistible. Then we’ll roll up our sleeves and dive into the sweet side of the day—a decadent lineup celebrating chocolate in all its forms: First, we’ll unlock the mystery of French Hot Chocolate Served with Chantilly Cream, followed by a beautiful Triple-Chocolate Tart READ MORE AND REGISTER
Friday, March 6th, from 11:00-1:00 Forest to Flame: A French Lunch & Learn Join me for a lovely French Lunch & Learn, where we’ll slow down, savor, and cook our way through a beautifully composed four-course meal—each course paired with wine. We’ll begin with a silky Marshmallow Tomato Basil Soup, a playful twist on a classic that’s both cozy and bright. Our main course is flavor-drenched Poulet de la Forestière—tender chicken simmered in white wine and finished with magnificent Normandy Mushrooms—all served alongside caramelized Roasted Root READ MORE AND REGISTER
See you soon!!
Lorie
