I recently made these with the anchovies from a Middle Eastern Grocer in my neighborhood. Now I know that for some of you the idea of eating anchovies sounds awful. Well here’s the deal, anchovies are in a lot of delicious things that you probably never realized. For example, take the real-pure Caesar salad, it is made with anchovies. Trust me, you’ll never know that they are there. If you’re afraid of them, make the recipe starting with 1 or 2 filets and add more as you go.

My wonderful mother hosted a number of representational events when we lived in Budapest. Often, they required a collection of delicious hand passed hors d’oeuvres. Fortunately for my brother and me, our mother spent time collecting recipes from all over the world and ensuring that the food served was delicious! He and I enjoyed filling our plates with these tiny treats and watching movies upstairs as the guests mingled in the living rooms. This creation stemmed from one of my Mom’s favorites which was cherry tomatoes filled with a creamy anchovy paste. I didn’t like anchovies at the time, but I loved these anyway. Over the years my love for anchovies has grown, so here is the bigger version with a few exciting twists. Love you Momma!




Can i substitute the anchovies with something else to make it a vegetarian recipe?
Yes! I would suggest something salty like Kalmata olives. Squish them (against a collander) and drain your Kalmatas as much as possible to avoid everything getting too wet. The filling should be similar to a thick Ranch salad dressing. It's ok if it's runny, either way this requires a knife and fork! Be prepared to add salt and pepper as needed. :)How's that?
That sounds pretty good. I do not like olives though 🙂 Any other thoughts, you are my food guru!!
Thanks! Ok, how about capers, do you like those? If yes, you could put in a teaspoon of capers, taste it, and decide whether or not you want to add more. You could also try adding 1 tbsp of diced roasted bell peppers or some avocado, in lieu of the capers. I would add more salt if you decided to use avocados or bell peppers. I would also pat dry the bell peppers before using. You don't want the mixture to be too wet. Or you could just use anchovies in some (the ones you eat) and not put them in the others. A lot of things would go well with this, if you have something in mind – ask, and I'll let you know if I think it'll mix nicely. 🙂
That sounds great. Capers are a great idea! I will try those:)