Party Food

I'm not great at hors d'oeuvres, by the time I prep the dinner and tidy the house I don't have time for them. Also I'm very fond of potato chips and cheese puffs, so why wouldn't you just have a few of those?

You are lucky if I put out some crackers, cheese cubes and veggie sticks. But one day I might get around to making the crackers myself, and stretching some balloons over my glasses so you don't drop one on my hard kitchen floor just before I want to serve the turkey.

Note from oldest child:  Don't make a turkey! Nobody cares! We should go and do things, not sit and eat.

Note from myself: It takes 3 days to prepare for a party and after a little more than 3 hours everyone is going home and you have to clean up. In that amount of time you could paint a bedroom, or a picture, or read a book by George R.R. Martin. The oldest child could be right.

Drinks in Balloon Glasses

1. Cut the skinny stems off balloons, then snip about 1/4 inch from the rounded end.
2. Pull a snipped balloon over the bottom of  each glass.
3. Write guests' names on the balloon part with a permanent marker to use as "place cards" or just let guests pick what colour they want. 
4. The balloons give glass a little more grip.

Herb and Garlic Cracker Triangles

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 90 grams butter (about 6-1/2 Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 egg yolk

1. Sift flour, mustard, garlic powder in to bowl and mix.
2. Rub in butter.
3. Stir in chopped herbs, cheese and egg yolk.
4. Press mixture firmly together with hand.
5. Knead gently on lightly floured surface until smooth.
6. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
7. Roll chilled dough between sheets of parchment paper into 3 mm thick.
8. Cut dough into 4 cm squares, then cut again to make triangles.
9. Place triangles about 1 cm apart on greased oven trays.
10. Preheat oven to moderately hot (350-375 degrees F).
11. Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
12. Cool on trays.

Crostini from a Baguette

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with a large baking sheet placed inside to warm up.
2. Thinly slice a baguette.
3. Brush each slice, both sides, with olive oil.
4. Remove warm baking sheet from the oven and place the bread on it.
5. Bake 8-10 minutes or till golden and crisp.
6. To make in advance: cool and store in an airtight container for a day or two; reheat in the oven a few minutes before garnishing, or serve cold.

Crostini Toppings:

To serve 4, make 12 toasted baguette slices and, for example, 1 sliced pear, 1/4 cup crumbled cheese, 2 Tbsp honey, and greens.
-chopped pear, gorgonzola cheese, honey (optional) and arugula (rocket) 
-sweet roasted peppers from a jar with basil and mozzarella
-drained diced tomatoes and herbs (bruschetta)
-caramelized onions* with strips of ham
-cream cheese, smoked salmon and fronds of dill
-herring, sour cream and chopped chives
-finely chopped boiled egg mixed with a little mayo,  minced shallot and a sprinkling of paprika
-thin slices of rare roast beef and horseradish cream

Caramelized Onions for Crostini

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 5 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1. Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. I put in a dab of butter too. 
2. Add onions and salt. Cook slowly, stirring often, till soft and golden (4-5 min.)
3. Add sugar and vinegar. I confess I never add the sugar and vinegar, I am done.
4. Cook 5 minutes more, stirring, until onions are golden.

 Ham and Cheese Squares
Quarters of grilled cheese. If you don't like mustard, plain butter is good too.

• 180 g (about 3/4 cup) softened unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 10 thin slices good white bread
• 5 slices ham
• 150 g or 2/3 cup grated cheese (Gruyere, Emmanthal or Cheddar)
• 6-8 basil leaves, shredded, optional
• 2 tbsp olive oil

1. In a small bowl, beat 6 Tbsp  butter with 1 Tbsp mustard till well combined.
2. Butter each slice of bread thinly and evenly on one side with plain butter.
3. Spread the mustard butter thinly on the other side.
4. Place a slice of ham on the mustard buttered side and 3 tbsp grated cheese on the ham.
5. Sprinkle with basil (if using), then top with a second slice of bread, mustard-butter side down.
6. Press gently.
7. Cut off crusts. Cut into four even squares or triangles.
8. Repeat.
9. Warm the remaining butter and olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
10. Gently fry the sandwiches in batches, pressing gently with a spatula from time to time, till golden and cheese in the middle is melted. (About 3 min. each side)
11. Drain on paper towel. Cut in quarters and serve hot.

Cocktail sausages

1. Roast cocktail sausages in an oven till hot. Pierce with toothpicks and serve.
2. Variation: wrap in pancetta and roast.
3. Variation: brush with honey, soy and sesame oil.

Chicken liver pate

• 300 g (about 1-1/3 cups) unsalted butter
• 3 shallots, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 800 g chicken livers, cleaned, sinews removed, larger ones halved.
• 3 Tbsp brandy 

1. Warm 30g butter over low heat and sautee shallots, thyme, 1 bay leaf, stirring.
2. When shallots are soft (around 10 min.), add garlic and fry 1 min.
3. Turn up heat. Add half the chicken livers, season, sautee about 5-6 min. till just cooked through. Remove livers and repeat with the remainder.
4. Warm the brandy in the pan, set it alight and pour over the livers.
5. Remove bay leaf and transfer to a blender or food processor.
6. Warm 120g butter until just melted.
7. Pour this butter into the food processor with 100 ml hot water and pulse till smooth.
8. Season and spoon into a dish.
9. While pate cools, melt 150g butter and let the milky residue settle.
10. Spoon enough of this clarified butter over the pate to cover it.
11. Decorate with a bay leaf.
12. Chill 4 hours or overnight. Remove 15 minutes before serving.
13. Serve with good bread.

Pita Bread Grazing Board

Provide along with pita bread:

Roasted Artichoke Hearts: Place 2 14-oz. cans artichoke hearts, halved and patted very dry, on rimmed baking sheet spread with 2 Tbsp olive oil, cut sides down. Roast on bottom rack of preheated 425 degree F oven 10-12 minutes. Zest 1/2 lemon over artichokes, sprinkle with 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper before serving.

Grilled Baby Peppers:  In a bowl, toss 1/2 lb. halved and seeded baby peppers with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp sherry vinegar. Add 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Grill on medium high until charred and just tender, 3-4 minutes per side. Return to bowl with vinegar and seasonings and toss again, serve.

Marinated Feta Cheese: Cut 12 oz firm feta cheese into cubes.  In pan, heat 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic, a small red chile (sliced thin), 1 strip lemon zest, 1 small spring fresh rosemary needles, about 5 minutes or until garlic is golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Spoon this warm mixture over feta, let sit 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. On small rimmed baking sheet, toss 1 pint grape tomatoes with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp crushed coriander seed, 1/4 tsp crushed cumin seed, salt and pepper. Roast 15-20 minutes until tomatoes soften and look juicy. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Tzatziki

1.  Peel and seed a large cucumber, then coarsely grate.
2. Toss with 1/4 tsp salt. Let sit 10 minutes.
3. Transfer to double layer of paper towels, squeeze dry.
4. In medium bowl combine:

• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt,
• 2 Tbsp olive oil,
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 finely chopped scallion
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

      5. Fold in cucumber.

Easy Cheese Board

Provide a cutting board, cheese and bread knives, small plates.

1. Get 1 great cheese: a wheel of brie, cheddar, half a Stilton.
2. Serve with apples, pears, figs, grapes, dates, olives.
3. Add bread and unsalted butter, crackers, granola clusters.

Cheese Puffs from a bag

Everybody likes cheese puffs! Get a good brand, not the no-name.

Provide wipes for cheese puff coated fingers.

Try serving cheese puffs with chopsticks to slow people down.

Coolers (Wine)

I'm not a fan. I prefer my wine straight and flat water on the side. But for guests who do...

• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 1 bottle (28 oz) sparkling water
• ice
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced

Pour wine in a glass over ice, add lemon and cucumber slices.

Mix in the soda just before serving.

Fishbowl Drinks 

I haven't made this yet but I want to. I have a bag of fish candy in the cupboard, but I will probably eat them before they make it into a drink. Unless I drop some candy fish in my guava juice, but this would likely look more like a fish-in-water-that-hasn't-been-changed-in-a-while type of drink.

Use round fishbowl-shaped cocktail glasses if you have them.

• Swedish fish candy
• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz blue curacao
• 1 oz peach schnapps 
• 2 oz lime juice
• lemon-lime soda (Sprite) 

1. Fill a fishbowl cocktail glass halfway with ice.
2. Place 4 Swedish fish inside. Top with more ice.
3. Add vodka, curacao, schnapps, lime juice.
4. Fill with soda.
5. Carefully place a paper straw in the glass so you don't disturb the fish.

Sugar-Rimmed Spirits

• fresh orange juice or apple cider
• granulated sugar
• crushed ice
• bourbon, rye or vodka OR a sour nonalcoholic drink like limeade

In a shaker, shake alcohol and ice.

Dip rim of a glass in orange juice or apple cider, then in sugar.

Pour in cold alcohol or limeade. Sip.

Pina Coladas

Invented in Puerto Rico in the 1950s.

Use sweetened coconut cream (sold in tins) not coconut milk.

If you add too much coconut cream you can't taste the pineapple.

Add just a tiny bit of salt to bring out the flavours.

Crush the ice before blending (put cubes in a ziploc bag and pound with a mallet if your blender doesn't crush ice).

• 2 oz dark rum
• 5 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz coconut cream
• 1 oz whipping cream (not whipped)
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1/8 tsp salt (or less)

1. Put crushed ice in a blender, then add rest of ingredients.
2. Blend on medium 60 seconds or until smooth.
3. Serve in a tulip glass with an orange wedge and a wedge of fresh pineapple or a cherry.

Wine Suggestions for Camping Meals or Casual Entertaining 

Crisp, steely Chardonnay: with mac and cheese.

Oaked Chardonnay: with baked beans.

Cabernet sauvignon blend: pasta and sauce or pizza squares.

Reisling: tacos, beans and rice, asian noodles.

Foch-Baco Noir (earthy, rich red wine): chili, burgers, beef stew.