bacon-wrapped...

Our friend was making Jamaican spice-rubbed steaks, so I volunteered to bring plantains, to go along with the theme. I decided that fried plantains are good, but wouldn't they be even more awesome if they were bacon-wrapped? Everyone at the party agreed.

bacon-wrapped plantains
I did two small batches with slightly different techniques to see which would taste better. This photo is from the first technique, where I merely wrapped the plantain slice in bacon and fried it. The winning batch (no photo) was a variation on tostones, where you pan fry the plantains, pull them out and slightly smash them, soak them in salt water for about a minute, and then fry again. So before the second fry, I wrapped them in the bacon and fried them. They were tender, and delicious, and the slight sweet starchiness of the plantains offset, the crisp smokiness of the bacon.
[plantains, bacon, salt, oil]

trailer park

I don't know where my mom learned to make this, but it's one of the best appetizery things you can make. A family friend once served it to her high-falutin foodie friends (she's a food writer), and when people started asking for the recipe, she was too embarrassed to say.

parmesan toasts
This is basically salty, creamy, cheesy goodness cut with sharp bits of spring onion on crisp toast. Mix mayonnaise, parmesan cheese (the canned stuff will do), and chopped green onions and spread the mixture on some white bread. Broil until brown and bubbly. I suppose you could upgrade the whole thing by making your own mayonnaise, and using Parmegiano-Reggiano on some sort of artisanal bread. But there's something comforting about the cheap way, too.
[bread, parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, green onions]