Visions of sugarplums (but savory)

November 27, 2023 9:15 AM

Friends and I are planning a Nutcracker-themed tea with our kids (ages 3-10). We will watch a version of the Nutcracker ballet, and have some related drinks and things to eat. We have lots of ideas for sweet things already. What are your recommendations for savory Nutcracker-evocative foods?

Yes, I will be bringing nuts in the shell to crack with nutcrackers. Would love more savory ideas!

posted by jolenex4 to Food & Drink (15 answers total)

Kind of a reach but whenever I eat a certain type of Chinese mushroom soup I think of the Chinese Dance sequence in Fantasia
posted by potrzebie at 9:21 AM on November 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

At the time of the Nutcracker, high society in Russia was emulating the high society in Europe, Paris, Vienna, etc. That suggests "highly manufactured" food. So pate'. Caviar. Little sausages. A modern interpretation might include scallops wrapped in Bacon.

For kids, I'd suggest some crackers, or cocktial rye, with meatballs, deviled ham, egg salad. A deep fried cheese, or some sort of cheese puff.
posted by SemiSalt at 9:45 AM on November 27, 2023 [4 favorites]

Hmm... you could do little triangular cheese wedges as a riff on the mouse/rat theme, maybe?
posted by wormtales at 9:45 AM on November 27, 2023 [13 favorites]

I would do some "high tea" type tea sandwiches -- little ham & cheese cut into triangles etc.
posted by DoubleLune at 9:46 AM on November 27, 2023 [3 favorites]

The original story "Nutcracker and Mouse-King" has a story-within-the-story that features a "sausage feast" with sausage balls and regular sausages. There's also a plot point to do with there being too little fat, so low-fat or vegetarian sausage balls / pigs-in-blankets would make sense too.
posted by Wobbuffet at 9:47 AM on November 27, 2023 [3 favorites]

Pickles of course...very Russian....Maybe sliced cucumbers in a sour cream and dill sauce.
posted by Czjewel at 10:19 AM on November 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

Pickled plums
posted by adamrice at 11:34 AM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

The kids I know would likely prefer something like gougeres (or the Brazilian gluten free equivalent to pickles or pate'. (Cheese works more or less with the Rat King theme.)

Savory spiced nuts are also addictive and on-theme.

Little meatballs are appreciated by all ages.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:01 PM on November 27, 2023 [5 favorites]

Blinis with sour cream and... probably not caviar. Maybe a little smoked salmon?
posted by essexjan at 12:24 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

Sausage rolls, mini quiche, deviled eggs.
posted by Enid Lareg at 2:05 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

I would get some actual bags of mixed nuts in shells and invest in a few nutcrackers (kids aged 7 -10 should be able to use on their own, help littler ones so as not to pinch fingers. ) Amazingly most kids have never cracked a nut and it's fun! Gen Xers like myself remember wooden bowls of nuts on the coffee table with a nutcracker whenever company came; we used them from a very young age and I still remember the fun of picking the meat from the shell.
Big nuts like Brazil, walnuts, pecans would be easiest.
No need for fancy Xmas soldiers, just get the cheap tools that look like they can double on lobster claws.

ON edit: OH SORRY DID NOT SEE YOUR LAST LINE!
posted by barnowl at 2:27 PM on November 27, 2023

And so I would get cheese pierogis with sour cream for dipping.
posted by barnowl at 2:33 PM on November 27, 2023

Perhaps a bit too literal, but you could buy or make crackers made out of nuts.
posted by jordemort at 7:18 AM on November 28, 2023

If they do like lox, salmon eggs on blinis.
posted by brujita at 3:12 PM on November 28, 2023

Of the dancing sweets in the ballet I think tea is the only one that has common uses in both sweet and savory dishes. Maybe tea egg, or tea smoked protein?
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 5:29 PM on December 1, 2023