Why it works: Cream cheese and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,003 recipes. Both carry methyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells apple, fatty. The science ↓
Salami Appetizers
12 wedgesIngredients
Directions
Prepare
Soften the cream cheese and spread each slice of salami with the cream cheese.
Stack the slices on top of each other, ending with the top slice having no cheese on it.
Cover and refrigerate until the cheese is set and the meat is cold.
Cut and serve
Cut the stack into 12 wedges.
Garnish each wedge with an olive on a toothpick.
Push the toothpick into the top of each wedge.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Cream cheese + olivetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,003 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Salami + olivetop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together139 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).
-
Cream cheese + salamitop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cream cheese
- Binds the salami slices together and adds a creamy, mild layer between them.
- Salami
- Provides the savory, salty flavor and the main body of each wedge.
The step that matters
Refrigerate until the cheese is set. Chilling firms the cream cheese so the stacked layers hold together when cut. Cutting before the cheese is set can smear the layers and cause the wedges to slump.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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