Appetizers

Once they have a microwave, hosts learn to serve freshly heated hors d'oeuvres rather than those that are mushy and soggy. The microwave oven does its best when heating small portions, and it performs this task with phenomenal time savings and the convenience of a cool kitchen. Here are a few tips to think of when microwaving hors d'oeuvres: --When you plan to reheat precooked appetizers, round up suitable microwave-safe dishes ahead of time and check to see that they fit inside your oven.

L&E Oyster Bar , everybody's favorite little seafood shack in Silver Lake, is getting a little less little. Tonight L&E is opening its second story - an extension that will roughly double the seating capacity to nearly 100. The upstairs version of L&E will focus almost entirely on appetizers and cold dishes - oysters and some of the new fish “charcuterie” being cooked up by chef Spencer Bezaire. Think dishes such as beet-cured salmon, like gravlax served with Meyer lemon crème fraiche; house-cured tuna belly, called mojama , with harissa; albacore rillettes, served in their own little sardine cans; and assorted seafood terrines and sausages.

  Appetizers? Before Thanksgiving dinner? Yes. Yes. And yes (in answer to your next question: "But will I have time to make them?"). The main event might be the big golden bird, but a thoughtful appetizer or two goes a long way toward making dinner special -- to say nothing of keeping your hungry guests occupied while you're putting the finishing touches on the real food. With so much of the Thanksgiving menu scripted in stone, this is your opportunity to put something on the table that's unexpected: wedges of Fuyu persimmon wrapped in prosciutto; servings of avocado mousse topped with crème fraîche, caviar and a little pistachio oil; or olives warmed with crushed red pepper, fennel seeds, lemon peel and garlic.

Restaurant and bar patrons cheaped out last year, swapping expensive bottles of wine for more affordable single glasses, ditching entrees for appetizers and sides and even passing on dessert. Though consumer spending is ticking up , the unstable economy and high food prices have kept diners wary of hefty checks. Hence the 2.8% boom in appetizer and side orders last year, compared to a 1.5% slide in demand for entrees, according to GuestMetrics, which tracks hospitality industry data . The average starter dish - oysters, chicken wings and empanadas are increasingly popular - costs $5.57.

"You don't look Armenian," said Nanik Kopalian when I asked for soujouk (pronounced sue-JUKE). It's a heartily spiced homemade sausage, and I suppose Mrs. Kopalian doesn't get many orders for it from non-Armenian customers. But after tasting this soujouk, I have to wonder why. The sizzling, lean, reddish-brown beef sausage is a killer, redolent of garlic and perhaps sumac berries, wonderfully pungent and begging to be sandwiched between pieces of pita bread.

Think back to the appetizers of 20 years ago. Dips, dips, dips. And more dips. Remember? To be generous, let's also throw in chicken livers wrapped in bacon. They weren't bad, but they stuck to the roof of the mouth like paste. Well, those days are gone. Dramatic shifts of the wind over the past 20 years have brought appetizers of such variety, creativity and scope to the entertaining scene as to boggle the imagination. What did it?

If you've been knee-deep in Christmas preparations for weeks and only now are catching a breath and beginning to think about New Year's, welcoming 1986 with a party may sound appealing, but the idea of spending the next two days in preparation probably doesn't. No better time than now for some quick-and-easy recipes. Whip up those old "tried and trues" that everyone still raves about. Add a few that maybe aren't quite as familiar but need only a minimal amount of preparation. A few tips to keep in mind when planning an express menu: --Include one or two hot recipes, rounded out with cold items.

L&E Oyster Bar , everybody's favorite little seafood shack in Silver Lake, is getting a little less little. Tonight L&E is opening its second story - an extension that will roughly double the seating capacity to nearly 100. The upstairs version of L&E will focus almost entirely on appetizers and cold dishes - oysters and some of the new fish “charcuterie” being cooked up by chef Spencer Bezaire. Think dishes such as beet-cured salmon, like gravlax served with Meyer lemon crème fraiche; house-cured tuna belly, called mojama , with harissa; albacore rillettes, served in their own little sardine cans; and assorted seafood terrines and sausages.

Bastide Rating: 2 1/2 stars Location : 8475 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, (323) 651-5950. http://www.bastidela.com Price : Dinner appetizers, $10 to $15; salads, $11 to $16; main courses, $21 to $36; desserts, $9 to $14; lunch appetizers and main course salads, $9 to $21; tartines, $15 to $18; main courses, $19 to $28; desserts, $9 to $14. Details: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m and 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday...

District on Sunset Where: 6600 Sunset Blvd. (at Seward), Los Angeles When: Tuesday through Sunday, 6 p.m. to midnight Price: Baked breads, $3; appetizers, $7 to $18; main courses, $24 to $27; dessert, $8 to $10. Contact: (323) 962-8200; www.districtonsunset.com (website under construction)

Rick Bayless, the famous American chef who is known for his modern Mexican cuisine, will be in Los Angeles to sign copies of his new book, "Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks," recipes from one of his several Chicago restaurants.  Red O on Melrose Avenue, with which Bayless is affiliated (the restaurant's tagline is "Mexican Cuisine by Rick Bayless"), is hosting the signing and will be passing out free guacamole and snacks, if not margaritas. Dinner guests will start their meal with a complimentary bite from the book on Nov. 8 and 9. Copies of "Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks" will be available (first come, first served)

Dear SOS: I'd love to have the recipe for the pimiento cheese appetizer served at Magnolias in Charleston, S.C. Thanks! Leslie Kenan Arcadia Dear Leslie: Magnolias was happy to share its take on this pimiento cheese, a true Southern classic, which we've adapted below.   Total time: 15 minutes Servings: This makes about 4½ cups pimiento cheese. Note: Adapted from Magnolias in Charleston, S.C. 5 large red pimiento peppers, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 2½ cups jarred chopped red pimiento peppers, drained 1 cup finely chopped pimento-stuffed green olives 5 cups shredded sharp Vermont cheddar cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Dash cayenne pepper, more if desired Flatbread, for serving In a food processor, pulse the peppers a few times.

Cancel your evening plans and cue the dramatic music. It's Shark Week , and Discovery Channel is running its 25th annual marathon of everything we love to fear about getting in the open water. Celebrate Shark week with 16 snack and appetizer recipe ideas from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen! Even shuddering and cringing in front of the screen can work up an appetite, so we've compiled no less than 16 of our favorite snacks and appetizers for your Shark Week pleasure. From caramel popcorn to super-size wings and everything in between (guacamole, cookies, bacon-wrapped pork belly bites -- even fish!

Aside from summer pool parties, the hottest thing in Las Vegas these days are steakhouses . The Range Steakhouse at Harrahs gets into the act with a summer menu of appetizers and drinks that start at $7 each for those who arrive before 7 p.m. The deal: I guess you call this yet another twist on lucky seven. The $7 Before 7 p.m. deal applies to items  served in the restaurant's lounge for early birds who want to save money and sample some good steakhouse fare. Along with $7 cocktails, beer and glasses of wine, guests also score a 30% discount on bottles of wine too. And there's live entertainment in the lounge too. When: The deal is good 5:30 to 7 p.m. daily.

Any discussion of Tar & Roses must begin, as your dinner probably will, with what is probably its simplest appetizer, a concoction of popcorn tossed with brown sugar, lardons and chile, like a bowl of Cracker Jack with chewy cubes of bacon instead of peanuts. (Why can't there be chewy cubes of bacon and peanuts? That is an excellent question.) The popcorn falls solidly into a genre new in Los Angeles cooking, something we may call an elevated bar snack, a staple of the many, many gastropubs that have come to dominate casual dining here over the last couple of years.

The Strand House Rating: half a star Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality. ****: Outstanding on every level. ***: Excellent. **: Very good. *: Good. No star: Poor to satisfactory. Location: 117 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, (310) 545-7470, http://www.thestrandhousemb.com Prices: Salads, $11 to $15; appetizers, $13 to $18; pizzas, $13 to $19; mains, $23 to $39; sides, $8; desserts, $8 to $12. Corkage fee, $30 per bottle.

Celadon Thai Kitchen Where: 11364 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City When: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., daily Price: Appetizers, $4.95 to $8.95; entrees, $7.95 to $18.95; noodles and curries, $7.95 to $8.95 Contact: (310) 823-8100; www.celadonthaikitchen.com

A chapeau is a hat. But it is also an expression. When the French think something is really swell they say "chapeau!" Clearly the owners of Melrose Avenue's newest restaurant want us to think the place is swell. It's called Chapo, it's at 7661 Melrose Ave., (213) 655-2924, and it seems to have opened almost overnight. The new Chapo's a sleek little place whose size and shape give it the air of a restaurant hidden away on a back street in Manhattan. But when it comes to cooking, Chapo is strictly Californian.

From Las Vegas — Boxing will give its fans another nice appetizer Saturday night. Promoter Bob Arum, a master of such things, has kept hamburger sliders as a mainstay on his fight menu. Manny Pacquiao, the world's current top fighter, both in the ring and in fans' perception, will take on Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden. They will fight at 144 pounds, a catchweight and a concept that is becoming the norm in making big fights. The WBO welterweight title is at stake, but the only people who care about that are the WBO sanctioning people, who are here on expense accounts.

Break out the chips and cold drinks but let Chris Dufresne handle the remote. Each Friday, the Times' national college football writer handicaps what's worth watching, and skipping, on Saturday's menu of games: MORNING No. 21 Auburn (2-0) at Clemson (2-0) 9 a.m., Channel 7 The Tony the Tiger Frosted Flakes Bowl. We pick the Tigers to win. Injury report: Auburn's eagle mascot is listed as "perch-to-perch" after crashing into a luxury-box window last week.