HeyMarlana wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2025 2:09 am
//passes around h'orderves//
Pre-party happening now! Happy Anniversary Duome 
I had a little difficulty understanding what it meant at first, but it is probably referring to the French term hors d'œuvres.
First of all – in "cuisine," the French are in the lead, and the Americans have mixed it all up… sorry.
Hors d'œuvres (NL: voorgerecht = dish served before the main course) are served at the table and eaten with fork and knife (or spoon, whichever is most practical).
This is in contrast with amuse-bouches, which are served while standing with the apéritif (or at least before sitting down for the main meal). These "amuses" are bite-sized little bits to keep you busy before the butler—or host—calls, "Madame, c’est servi!" (Often, it’s not that formal, of course.)
Some amuses are served on plates, from which you take one or two (if you dare, or have a good excuse). Others are served in a glass, like a small chilled gazpacho, or on a spoon that brings it straight to your mouth in one go (or, after your fourth bubble of champagne, it may land somewhere else).
In Belgium and the Netherlands, we have the concept of "op de borrel" or being invited for "een natje en een droogje" (something to drink and some chips or crackers). Strictly speaking, a "borrel" is a very small glass of something strong, like jenever or oude klare.
However, this "borrel" concept has expanded to include beer in normal-size glasses—after all, in a tiny glass, it would evaporate before you finish praising yourself for your week's achievements at work or on DL.
The "dry" bits served with drinks are called borrelhapjes. You could also call these "amuses," as they can be cold or warm—like bacon rolls filled with dates or prunes, baked until crispy in a pan.
At a drinks event with a simplified buffet, real food may also be served (not just crackers or chips). In that case, there’s no full dinner afterward. Canapés are small sandwiches, usually made with bread or a bread roll, cut into halves or bite-sized pieces, and topped with layers of various ingredients. These can include meats, cheeses, spreads, vegetables, or seafood—essentially any flavorful combination you like. They are very similar to the Danish "smørrebrød" and the Swedish "smörgås", both of which are open-faced sandwiches traditionally garnished with a variety of toppings.
And the best part: they’re all ready-to-eat! You don’t have to "build" them yourself—it’s a party, after all, not a work lunch.
I have a problem with the word appetizers : (IT oder Latin: aperire = to open)
it's not the small amuses that make you hungry. It's the "apéritif", a light bitter drink to open your stomach.
Beer is a good "opener" but a bit inappropriate because of the volume, and smaller sweet things like "port wine"/"claret" are in fact not openers. They rather "close" it. So they are better suited for after dinner.
Better apéritifs are Martini, Cinzano, or French equivalants, or specific cocktails.
/ using 
/ learning 
/ once learnt 
/ trying to understand at least a bit 
