Appetizers--the cooking world's short stories

Appetizers are versatile—at times, they are filling enough for a meal. Or several “small plates” can be shared, a style that tapas has perfected. Sometimes, appetizers merely whet the appetite for what’s to come.

The same can be said for short stories. Whenever I think of Isaac Asimov’s legendary 1941 story “Nightfall,” it’s hard to believe it wasn’t a novel. Anthologies become the equivalent of small-plate meals for readers, giving an assortment of stories for enjoyment. While I was reading Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series, I took a break from the novels to enjoy SIDE JOBS, an anthology that gave some tantalizing glimpses into what was to come. Sometimes, you just can’t get enough of a good thing!

I came across this appetizer, campechana, at Goode’s Seafood Restaurant in Houston last summer. With avocado, crabmeat, shrimp and more, it's both satisfying and light. Rather than recreate the information here, check out the recipe and a video of Levi Goode himself preparing campechana on the Houston Chronicle’s Fork and Cork website. I promise, if you make it, you’ll be glad you did. In my book, it’s “goode” enough to be a meal in itself!