My sweetheart, Peggy, and I enjoy Lox in the traditional Jewish Deli manner, except that we typically use various types of crackers instead of bagels. This combination makes a wonderful appetizer that does not spoil your appetite for a meal.

Today I was vacuum sealing portions of Lox in amounts typically used at one time by two people. The vacuum sealing helps extend the life of the Lox, which without vacuum sealing will spoil within a few days once the package is opened.

I got a wild idea while doing the vacuum sealing. The geometry of trying to balance the ingredients of this appetizer on a cracker is peculiar. Often pieces of the ingredients fall off before the item is completely eaten and that is rather sloppy. Thus, my wild idea. Why not make a mixture of the cream cheese, diced onions and capers? By so doing the mixture is easily spread onto a cracker and then the piece of Lox is added. Ah, a definite improvement, and proof that a bit of imagination can work wonders. And it seems other folks have had the same idea as me.

I know you will really enjoy this appetizer, and the recipe is quite simple.

Ingredients: (Serves two people)

1/4 pound of smoked salmon (LOX)

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup of diced sweet onion

1/4 cup of capers

A bowl of crackers of your choice. We often use Keebler® Club crackers.

Directions:

Put the cream cheese, onions and capers into a small bowl and carefully blend those ingredients with a spoon.

Serve the Lox on a saucer, cut into pieces suitable to be placed on top of a cracker.

Serve those items with a bowl of crackers.

Use about two teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture and spread that onto a cracker.

Place a piece of Lox on top of the cream cheese mixture.

Enjoy!