The Complete Small Plates Cookbook: 300+ Shareable Tapas, Meze, Bar Snacks, Dumplings, Salads, and More

Getting a Head Start

No matter the scope of your small plates cooking, here are some test kitchen tips to help you get a leg up.

1. Stock Your Freezer and Pantry (up to 1 month ahead): Stocking your freezer with indispensable frozen components such as puff pastry, shrimp, and biscuits means you can cook something wonderful with no notice. Having some well-chosen ingredients in your pantry or fridge means you can freestyle on the fly. Superhero ingredients include nuts, olives, pickles, salsa, roasted red peppers, preserves, and tinned fish. Chocolate and dried fruit make an instant dessert plate.
2. Make or Buy Things That Keep (up to 1 week ahead): Cook and refrigerate grains for use in salads or other dishes. Make and refrigerate dips and spreads such as hummus or tapenade or make a special sauce. Shop for perishable foods such as fresh produce.
3. Prep Ahead (1 or 2 days ahead): Organize and prep ingredients ahead. Many fruits and vegetables can be chopped and refrigerated in an airtight container for at least a day or two without loss of quality.
4. Gather Serving Items (hours ahead): Shop your house to put together an interesting collection of cute bowls, Mason jars, and other serving pieces. We find that thinking about and labeling serving dishes in advance is time well spent. Assemble more delicate dishes, such as salads with leafy greens or fresh fruit. Take out cheeses at least an hour ahead for maximum flavor.
5. At the Last Minute: Cook any dishes, such as meat or fried foods, that cannot be prepared ahead. Reheat frozen or refrigerated premade dishes and dress preassembled salads.