Top 10: Fast Appetizers

The secret to Boston chef Matt Jennings’s four-ingredient mignonette is cava, the Spanish sparkling wine.

Sweet and meaty sea scallops make the perfect party skewer, great for dipping into this sweet-spicy sauce from Boston chef Matt Jennings.

Lebneh is yogurt that’s been strained to remove all the whey, resulting in a thick, creamy fresh cheese. Here, it provides the base for a light and tangy smoked trout spread.

Maria Helm Sinskey likes to use Italian Fontina cheese, which melts beautifully, but young Gouda would be equally delicious.

This timeless tapa from Spanish cookbook author Penelope Casas has everything going for it—it's sweet, smoky and savory, all in one bite.

Antonio Ciminelli prepares this starter year-round with whatever produce is in season. In the fall, that means apples, mushrooms and late-harvest zucchini, fried in a batter made extra-light and crisp by adding sparkling wine and whipped egg white. The fritto misto is best eaten hot from the pan, perhaps served in a paper cone.

Hummus can do more than cling to a carrot stick. Grace Parisi's sublime version adds nutty flavor to potato salad, eggs and soup.

This fantastic sweet-savory mix of pecans, almonds and walnuts from The Casual Vineyard Table, by Carolyn Wente and Kimball Jones, makes a great gift.

"I like the idea of making a healthy kind of potato chip that's not one of those packaged, dehydrated vegetable chips," Seamus Mullen says. He roasts kale with extra-virgin olive oil and garlic until it's crunchy.

Daniel Boulud makes this oozy appetizer with Vacherin Mont-d'Or, a creamy cheese sold at top cheese shops. Camembert is as rich and runny as Vacherin Mont-d'Or, but much easier to find.