Smoked Salmon Canapes

On November 21, 2009, nearly 11 full months after I pledged to make The Gastronomer 5 three-course meals as a Christmas present, I finally came through with the final feast. This one needed to be extra special, so I started off with one of her all-time favorite foods: smoked salmon. You might not guess it by looking at her, but she has a Jewish soul.

The accompaniments here are classic, and they work together beautifully. As I mentioned earlier, capers have been a revelation to me; they were the obvious choice among the optional ingredients. I could have been more of a champ and cured the salmon myself, but I stuck with the offerings from TJ's, which did the job quite nicely.

Recipe by The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

• 6 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 16 slices cocktail-sized pumpernickel bread
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• Pepper
• 8 counces sliced smoked salmon
• 4 teaspoons minced red onion or shallot (optional)
• 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh dill (optional)

Spread a light layer of cream cheese over each slice of bread. Sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper. Lay the salmon over the bread. Cut each piece in half along the diagonal. Garnish with the onions, capers, and dill (if using) before serving.

Yield: 8 servings
Estimated Start-to-Finish Time: 15 minutes
Actual Start-to-Finish Time: 30 minutes
Substitutions: I felt that capers plus chives provided plenty of flavor, so I skipped the onions and dill. I couldn't track down any pumpernickel bread, but a standard French baguette worked just fine.