“What do you plan on cooking for the young one’s birthday?” asked my better half, “I haven’t really thought about it”. I answered ,“maybe finger food?” “sounds good” she said “I’m sure it will be finger licking good”. The expression on the birthday boy face that was sitting by the table changed from joy to light concern.
We didn’t really notice it at first; when we did, we blamed the excitement of his first birthday party in the new town we just moved to a few months earlier. As the big day approached and the kitchen filled up with the commotion of preparations and cooking (after all, we invited all the kids and their parents) the birthday boy became even more troubled. ״Is everything OK?” my wife asked when she spotted him standing at the corner as if he was monitoring the preparations. “Yes” he answered” “don’t you want to play in your room?” “no, I’d like to watch”. “It seems as if something’s bothering you” she said, sitting next to him. “No...actually yes, what’s dad making to eat”? He asked warily, “finger food” she answered, “so our guests will eat fingers?” he added in horror. The laughter that caught us left him even more puzzled. “Here,” I handed him a puff pastry bite filled with cranberry and cheese, one of his favorites, “it’s called finger food because you eat it with your fingers”.
Puff pastry fingers with roasted pepper and fresh mozzarella
Puff pastry cut into rectangles 1x3 inches
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat oven to 400f. Cut pepper into quarters. Remove seeds and membranes. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper and roast for about 15 minutes until peppers are tender. Let cool.
Lower heat to 375f. Cut pepper to thin slices and place on each dough finger. Bake for 20 min, until dough turns golden. Take out, leaving oven on.
Slice mozzarella to thin slices, and place each slice on top of the pepper. Return to oven and bake 5 min more.
