Mozzarella sticks (beignets de mozzarella in French) are sticks of mozzarella, breaded and then fried. Here is an easy recipe for making delicious mozzarella sticks at home. Enjoy them as a snack, as a starter with a good homemade tomato sauce or in a nice salad, for a change from warm goat cheese salad.

A complicated name for the best zucchini fritters you will ever make. They vanish in seconds every time I make them.

Sweet potato doughnuts for a change from the traditional Hanukkah sufganiyot. They are soft, sweet and light, and sweet potato is a surprising ingredient that gives them charm and a delicious flavor! No need to fill them, a little powdered sugar and you’re done. Parve recipe.

Served as a cold starter or as a more generous main, the assiette nordique (Nordic platter) is an elegant dish of smoked fish and salad, served with blinis or toast. Here is my suggestion for the one I like to make; you can adapt it to your taste and to whatever you have in the fridge.

Roasted and marinated vegetable antipasti are a staple of Italian starters. Colorful and full of flavor, they also make a great side, especially with a beef carpaccio or a beautiful burrata.