Caviar

You can also serve blini topped with salmon roe. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

This sophisticated appetizer from Aqua in San Francisco is nice for a special occasion.

Here's a modern spin on blini, the buckwheat pancakes that are a classic for caviar. Also topping them with smoked salmon is a delightful way to gild the lily.

Serving the sauce at room temperature helps bring out the taste of the caviar.

It's important to note that the pumpernickel used in this tart should be very dense. Although we prefer the light-brown Danish pumpernickel, the dark German-style variety works just as well. For the filling we've suggested lumpfish caviar, which is readily available in the States; in Sweden, the fish roe called lojrom would probably be used. It comes from bleak, an ocean fish from the Baltic Sea.

Barquettes are small, boat-shaped pastry shells that can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients.

For the start or close of a millennium (or almost any other significant occasion), this is an opulent but fuss-free combination. Purchase the crabs from a busy fishmonger to ensure absolute freshness. Inexpensive caviar (which is often dyed) can turn the dipping sauce gray; invest a little more if you can. Champagne — not too dry — is naturally the beverage of choice.

Here's a delicious new take on smoked salmon.

Crème fraîche makes these potatoes extra rich and utterly delicious.

Using a pastry bag to pipe the hummus onto the pita toasts saved us a lot of time (and made for nice-looking hors d'oeuvres). You can make your own pastry bag with a heavy-duty plastic bag. Just spoon the hummus into the bag and squeeze it into one corner. Then snip off the corner to make a small hole and begin piping.

My mom ate a lot of things — frogs' legs, escargots, sweetbreads — that horrified me as a child, but I took to caviar right away. She didn't use the good stuff, but even made with supermarket roe, this dish makes an elegant impression. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min (includes making pancakes)

Tartines de Caviar à la Crème Aigre Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Though the chips and purée can be served at room temperature, the caviar should be chilled, so assemble these hors d'oeuvres in batches as platters need replenishing.

(Buckwheat Yeast Pancakes with Three Caviars)

We topped these rolls with a combination of plain tobiko (flying-fish roe) as well as seasoned and wasabi-flavored tobiko and golden whitefish caviar. The specialty tobiko and caviar are available from the mail-order source given below.

A creamy sauce and a trio of caviars are the "dream" of this party dish. Buy the quality and quantity of caviar that fit your budget.