Bite By Bite: 100 Stylish Little Plates You Can Make for Any Party [Hardcover]

Peter Callahan (Author), Raquel Pelzel (Author), Martha Stewart (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: August 30, 2011

Celebrated caterer Peter Callahan knows how to throw a party. With a career spanning more than two decades and a client list including celebrities, politicians, Fortune 500 companies, and New York City socialites, Peter has earned a reputation for creating hors d’oeuvres that are as inventive and beautiful as they are delicious.

A two-sip shot cleverly matched to a small bite is an incredible icebreaker, especially when the appetizer is playfully served on an edible spoon or inside a miniature Chinese take-out container. Bite-size cheeseburgers are served on tiny home-baked poppy seed buns with all the trimmings. Mango-marinated shrimp are served individually on lollipop sticks sprinkled with fresh cilantro; diminutive plantain cones are filled with dollops of tuna tartare; and chicken is rolled into nori “cigarettes.” And for an impressive encore, how about shots of coffee with sugar donuts, or mini bagels with lox and cream cheese paired with caviar cones and champagne?

In Bite by Bite, his debut cookbook, Callahan welcomes readers to share in the fun and beauty of his creations, providing inspiration for parties—whether casual gatherings, dinner parties, baby showers, or formal occasions such as weddings and holiday soirees—and 100 recipes for the home cook, ranging from savory to sweet, comfort food to haute cuisine. According to Peter, being prepared is the key to pulling off a self-catered party like a professional. With that in mind, he has included a “Kitchen Tools and Conveniences” section, listing the key equipment that will help you create the delicious masterpieces in this book. In the recipes he also notes what can be made in advance, how best to schedule your time, and any emergency substitutions and shortcuts that will make life easier on the big day. Along the way, he divulges his secrets and inspiration, recounting stories of how he dreamed up dishes that he’s catered for his impressive roster of celebrity clients.

Full of creative recipes, unique party ideas, and vibrant food photography, Bite by Bite is your go-to source for inspired hors d’oeuvres and whimsical treats that will transform any gathering into an unforgettable event. 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Featured Recipe: Baked Beans in Bacon Cups
Makes: Two dozen

Ingredients
For the honey
1 cup honey 1 fresh habanero chile, thinly sliced

For the beans
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large yellow onion, very finely chopped 2 1/2 cups canned navy beans, drained and rinsed 3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar 2 thick-cut bacon strips, finely chopped 1/4 cup port wine 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1 1/2 tablespoons dark molasses 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoons coarse salt

For the bacon cups
Nonstick pan spray 2 pounds thin-cut bacon

For serving
1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup finely chopped red or yellow bell pepper (or a combination of the two) 2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Instructions
Honey
Pour the honey into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat, add the habanero, and allow the honey to cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into an airtight container.

Beans
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, brown sugar, bacon, port, cilantro, molasses, 1 tablespoon of the habanero honey, and the chili powder and salt. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the mixture is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Bacon Cups
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Turn a mini muffin pan upside-down and lightly coat the bottom with nonstick pan spray.
Crisscross 3 slices of bacon over each upturned cup, and then place another mini muffin pan on top so that the bacon slices are compressed between the two pans. Place the pans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the bacon cups are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
Lift off the top pan. Carefully remove the bacon cups from the bottom pan and place them on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, wrong side up.

How to Serve
Gently reheat the beans in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through (add 1 tablespoon water if they’re too thick or dry). Place a spoonful of the beans into each bacon cup. Top with a dot of sour cream, some bell peppers, and a scallion ring. Serve.

Review

“We never wanted to have a party until we found Peter. And now, we can't have one without him. Peter’s delicious and imaginative creations are always the talk of the party.”
—JOY AND REGIS PHILBIN
 
“Peter’s food is always the entertainment at my parties. His small bite-size offerings make such an impression. Bite by Bite is the next best thing to having Peter in your kitchen.”
—KATE SPADE

“This first book from caterer-to-the-stars Callahan has been a long time coming and does not disappoint. Over 100 photographs accompany 100 recipes for some of his most famous and lauded creations… the average home cook can re-create these enticing dishes. An essential purchase for fans of tapas, mezes, dim sums, and other small bites.”
- Library Journal 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (August 30, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307718794
• ISBN-13: 978-0307718792
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.9 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Meals > Appetizers
  • #18 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions

More About the Author

PETER CALLAHAN is the owner of New York City-based Peter Callahan Catering and is widely credited with having created the megatrend of miniaturized savory and dessert hors d'oeuvres. He has been catering for more than twenty-five years and has created food for Martha Stewart, Vera Wang, Kate Spade, JPMorgan, Tory Burch, Valentino, Regis and Joy Philbin, Tony Bennett, and Al Gore, among other clients. Peter and his wife, dress designer Josephine Sasso, divide their time among New York City, a country house in Pennsylvania, and a summer house on Nantucket. For more information, please visit CallahanCatering.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Wanted to love it December 15, 2011

By Danielle

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

So here's the deal. I read the reviews, purchased it anyway. The photos are really nicely done and I wish every cookbook had pictures like this. The problem is (which other reviews have stated) is the dishes etc. shown are exclusively made for this guy - the normal person can't just go replicate it. Yes there are plenty of websites where you can purchase the tasting dishes and I have a lot of them, but for me - I would never make my own tiny bread to make a tiny sandwich - it's cost/time prohibative if you are a hostess who wants to spend time at her party rather than in the kitchen whipping this stuff up so it will be hot and tasty.

This book is tiny food porn for me and probably nothing more. The tiny spoon cookie cutters do not exist in the world, I've googled them everywhere. I did find a cool idea to just use pliers and bend an old bell into a spoon shape so you'll need to be creative. It has inspired a couple of more realistic ideas for me but unless you have a staff of 15 prep chefs to help you dice these tiny ideas it just isn't really practical for the regular person - even one wanting to have a tasting party.

I wanted to love this book and I do but unfortunately just for the pictures and a little inspiration - most of the recipes would need to be hot to be delicious and how can you make enough even for a small dinner party without spending 3 days prepping.

If you are practical foodie looking for great easy ideas for a tasting party this probably isn't your book. I think in this case I'm going to have to go TO the bookstore, look through what would work for me and then order.

This was a waste of money for me and it breaks my heart to say that.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Where does one get a mini popsicle mold? October 20, 2011

By JB43085

Format:Hardcover

I like that Mr Callahan instructs readers to use store-bought available items like pizza dough. Making your own popsicle molds, however is different. I wanted to make the fudgesicles from the book and I read the recipe where it says "Pour the mixture into a mini popsicle mold". My search for "mini popsicle mold" on Amazon.com only came up with ones designed for teething babies, and nothing on the rest of the web looks like it will produce anything like the picture in this book. A friend of mine called his catering company to ask where to get the molds to make mini fudgesicles, and she was told that essentially "we don't share that type of information."
A cookbook is meant to show the reader how to make something, so why would he include 2 recipes (fudgesicle and limoncello popsicle) that call for equipment that one can't get anyhere? Grant Achatz's book doesn't have any recipes that say "add the mix to your volcano vaporizer" or "insert the lamb shanks into a pot with a thermocirculator". But if he did, they would at least be available. Volcano Digital Vaporizer + Solid Valve Set + Travel Case + Bonus Grinder
Thermo Scientific Haake Open-Bath Circulators; Circulating Bath, Model C10-w19b, Capacity: 19L

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So fun! September 22, 2011

By coreyandcorrine

Format:Hardcover

I own a catering company and I ordered this book because catersource recommended it, now I am not in love with all the recipes but it definitely gave me a lot of great ideas and resources totally worth the cash! :D