Entertaining 911: The Crostini

This is the first in a little series I'm going to be calling "Entertaining 911" : it's a survival guide to the ins and outs of everything from drinks to dessert. To find more articles in the future, click on the tag "Entertaining 911" in the sidebar. 

Plans are hastily made, a doorbell rings. The impromtu cocktail party: there's plenty of wine and spirits, but what about the food?!

Enter the crostini: This little h'ors d'ouerve is going to be your very best friend. Some fresh crusty bread or a baguette, an oven, and almost anything in your fridge can transform into what is essentially a fancy piece of toast. Basically, you will want your bread slices/pieces to be 2 bites - the perfect snacking size at a party. The sky is the limit, and the bread is a blank canvas waiting to make your lack of preparedness a thing of the past. Top it with whipped goat cheese and freshly cracked black pepper, some caramelized onion with figs, or the recipe for roasted tomatoes below.

Roasted tomatoes are one of my all-time favorite snacks. The natural sugars of these sweet little tomatoes caramelize when roasted, and fresh rosemary creates such a nice balance to the salty-and-sweet flavor combo. When they're sitting on top of some toasty, garlicky bread, it's a match made in bite-sized heaven.