Help! First Cocktail Party.

[Jessica]

We've hosted many parties in the past, but never one of those "appetizer and drinks" get-togethers. We plan to serve beer and wine since our friends are not really into hard liquor, and we want a reasonably simple menu because I don't do well with last-minute prep.

We think we will have about 30 people, but we are not sure (see Let It Out thread for my RSVP rant).

Comments? Critiques? Suggestions? Tips on how to organize without going nuts???

Thanks much!!!

Hot

• Hot brie kisses, hijacked from this board
• Spinach balls, likewise
• Chicken satays with peanut sauce, from Raichlen Grill cookbook

Cold

• Bread and crackers
• Cheeses, whatever looks interesting at WF that day
• Roasted vegetables with olive oil and herbs
• Spreads--hummus, sundried tomato/olive tapenade from CL
• Fresh fruit skewers

Sweet

• Rosemary-pine nut shortbread
• cinnamon/chocolate brownies
• either double-ginger cookies or lemon biscotti from CL

Snacky-type things

• white-dipped pretzels (DH loves to make these)
• some kind of nuts??

[Sami]

Jessica your menu looks fabulous. The only thing I would add is some cut up fresh vegetables. It gives people who are dieting a few healthy options. The roasted veggies will need a fork while the fresh ones can be just picked up by hand.

I find cashews always dissapear when I serve them.

Sami

[Jessica]

Sami--Thanks for reminding me. We are having fresh fruit skewers as well but I forgot to list them.

[kristalsnow7]

We had a similar party last weekend, and it was a huge success! I think your menu sounds delicious, Jessica. :) One of my big stressors was having too many hot foods on my menu. Since those have to be done last minute, I found myself standing by the oven instead of socializing with the guests. I ended up cutting a few items so I could get out of the kitchen and enjoy the party. But I think your menu looks really manageable.

I'd second the suggestion for fresh fruit and veggies. They're a healthy option, and kid-friendly, if you're having little ones join in the festivities.

I'd try to prepare everything ahead of time, and start putting out the crackers, cheese, breads, etc about an hour before the party starts. Then maybe prepare the hot foods later in the evening, a little bit at a time, so they don't get cold. Not everyone wants to eat the second they come in the door.

Sounds like a wonderful evening! Good luck.

[RebeccaT]

Jessica, I think your menu looks great!

Regarding the brie kisses, what we did for our Holiday party was get the pastry/brie/pepper jelly stuff ready in the mini muffin tins, and then stuck them in the fridge until the guests arrived. I like Kristal's idea of waiting to do the hot stuff until a little later in the evening; these would be great to do about an hour in since they only take 10 minutes in the oven, and then instead of setting them out you can put them on a plate and take them around the party. It's a great way to be the consummate hostess, swirling around to greet all your guests! :D

I have one other thought. What time does your party start? If you think people will have eaten dinner beforehand, then I think the amount and type of foods you have listed are perfect. If you think they might not eat before they come, you may want to consider putting out one or two additional items that have a little more substance - shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, beef triangles, or something along those lines.

[NewMrsG]

I think it sounds wonderful!

That RSVP issue makes me crazy ...

[Kismet]

I think your menu looks great, Jessica! If you want your roasted veggies to be more like "finger food", you could make them into crostini. Here's a recipe we really enjoyed!

Crostini With Roasted Vegetables and Pine Nuts

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 large green bell pepper (about 1/2 pound)
1 large red bell pepper (about 1/2 pound)
1 large yellow bell pepper (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
36 (3/4-inch) slices French bread (about 1 pound), toasted

Preheat oven to 500°.
Pierce eggplant several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 500° for 20 minutes or until tender. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Place in a colander; let stand 15 minutes. Peel eggplant. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes; place in a medium bowl.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place halves, skin sides up, on foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel; cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add bell peppers and pine nuts to eggplant in bowl; toss well.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Add vinegar, capers, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds. Pour over eggplant mixture; toss. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.

Spoon 1 tablespoon eggplant mixture onto each bread slice. Serve immediately.

Yield: 36 servings (serving size: 1 appetizer)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 56 (19% from fat); FAT 1.2g (sat 0.2g, mono 0.5g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 1.9g; CARB 9.9g; FIBER 0.6g; CHOL 1mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 121mg; CALC 13mg;

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1997

[kristalsnow7]

I know I just said the less hot foods, the better, but I wanted to mention two that I served that were incredibly easy to prepare and very popular. CL's Baked Feta with Marinara and Smoked Salmon Quesadillas. The original quesadilla recipe called for reduced-fat chive cream cheese, but I actually used mascarpone mixed with freshly chopped scallions. Just spread a little bit on the tortillas and topped with chopped smoked salmon. I kept them in the fridge, and cooked them a little bit at a time (only took a few minutes on the stovetop.) People went nuts for them, and they were SO easy. The marinara dish can also be assembled ahead of time--just pop it in the oven and bake it for 15-20 minutes or so.

[Jessica]

I am not sure about dinner. The party is at 7 and people usually expect FOOD when they come to my place, so I guess most people will have skipped dinner or eaten something light.

Kristalsnow--I like the quesadilla idea but I don't want to be in the kitchen very much. I wonder if they could be baked?

RebeccaT--can the beef triangles be made ahead of time?

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by Jessica

RebeccaT--can the beef triangles be made ahead of time?

ABSOLUTELY! The only way to go, IMO. I make them a week or two before, and freeze them unbaked. They can be baked right out of the freezer (no thawing) and take about 15-20 minutes to get nice and golden.

These have been gobbled up before anything else at every party where I have served them!

[kristalsnow7]

Originally posted by Jessica
Kristalsnow--I like the quesadilla idea but I don't want to be in the kitchen very much. I wonder if they could be baked?


You could try baking them, but I think they wouldn't be as crispy---I've never tried it, though. They don't take too long on the stovetop, but I can certainly relate to being pressed for time! (I actually had my DBF cook them, and they were done in about 4 minutes. We then cut them into small triangles to serve with the other appetizers.)

[wallycat]

Your menu sounds wonderful.
Always playing devil's advocate, I'm going to ask if the Satay (peanut) sauce is on the side or already on the chicken?? and if you know whether any of your guests have peanut allergies. If you don't know, I'd either put the sauce on the side or I'd have one other protein offering incase someone couldn't eat it..I'm a worrier, what can I say.
Baked tofu squares that have been marinated maybe? or chicken without the sauce on the other end of the table or something like that...

Of course, if I were there, I'd eat EVERYTHING :)
It looks really tasty and wonderful.

What wine are you serving :D ?

[Jessica]

Hop on I-94, wallycat. You will be here in no time.

The peanut sauce is served on the side, although I don't think any of our friends have a peanut allergy. One friend is allergic to all other nuts but the only thing she cannot eat is the shortbread and I will put it on a separate plate.

DH is in charge of the wine. I don't recall what he chose--the red might be a syrah and the white might be a pino grigio???

[Jessica]

Ok, I have revised the menu for 25-30 people. My main question is, how much do I make? For example, a recipe for brownies or shortbread makes 25 little squares. If I am serving both on a sweets tray, do I make double batches? I made 36 beef triangles and froze them--should I make a second batch?

Thanks.

Hot

brie kisses
spinach balls
beef triangles
bacon-wrapped dates

Cold

Fresh fruit skewers
Roasted vegetables with olive oil and herbs?
Crackers and cheese
Two dips--maybe hummus and peanut

Sweet

Cinnamon brownies
Rosemary-pine nut short bread

Nibbles

Nuts
White-dipped pretzels

Wine and beer

[RebeccaT]

Jessica, I will be interested in what people tell you about food amounts. It's not something I have gotten quite right yet, although I was closer this last party than the one before.

I have heard that you should assume 2-3 appys per person. SO I would total up the amount of each appetizer, divide by number of guests, and see what you come up with. Of course, that assumes that everyone will like everything equally... in my experience, those beef triangles go quickly as word travels that they are good. People are likely to come back for a second one. The first time I made them, I made a double batch and had about 10 left over (a party about the same size as yours). The second time, I made a single batch and ran out of them about halfway through the evening. FWIW!

With desserts, I don't know if you need double batches... but maybe one more variety? Then you'd have 75 nibbles, which would work if everyone wants to sample two desserts and you'd have a little left over. Maybe a lemon bar, lime meltaways, or something with liqueur?

[neutro]

Have an antipasto platter with small rolls in a basket on the side. I also put a bowl of olive oil on the table with a small bowl of parmesean cheese. At 7:00, some people get real hungry and want a small sandwich of some sort. These work great. :)

[aggie94]

Since you listed "some kind of nuts" as other snacky-type things, I will put in a plug for the spiced pecans that Rebecca(T) served at her first holiday cocktail party. I can't find the recipe on the BB, but perhaps Rebecca would be so kind as to share it. My DH gobbled these up. Literally. He couldn't stop eating them and was hoarding all the bowls that she had strategically set out around the room. :rolleyes:

[RebeccaT]

Eva, that made me smile! Che was so funny with those pecans.

Here's the recipe - I actually posted it about a year ago, but it was buried. I always add about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the sugar mixture.

Also, I'll post the Union Square Cafe bar nuts, a recipe from the Union Square Cafe Cookbook. They're fabulous if you're looking for a savory nut mix instead of sweet.

Gourmet Pecans
- from Stop and Smell the Rosemary

1 large egg white
3 Tbs. Kahlua, Grand Mariner, or other strongly flavored liqueur [I used Kahlua, I also think that Amaretto would be really good]
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare a large jelly roll pan by lining it with tin foil.

Combine the sugar and salt in a bowl, set aside. Combine the egg white and the liqueur in a large bowl, stir well with a whisk. Add the pecans, and stir well. Add sugar to bowl, and stir well to coat.
Spread onto prepared jelly roll pan in a single layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pecans are lightly toasted and browned, stirring every 10 minutes. It will look like the coating is coming off (it's not). Stir from the outside in to keep pecans on the edges from burning, and watch closely since sugar burns easily.

Remove from oven, transfer IMMEDIATELY to wax paper to cool. Pecans keep for two weeks in an airtight container.

Makes 4 cups.


Union Square Café Bar Nuts

(won the New York Press award for the "best bar nuts" in New York)

1 1/4 pounds assorted unsalted nuts, such as peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, and natural almonds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a baking sheet spread nuts and toast in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes. White nuts are toasting, in a large bowl toss together all remaining ingredients. Toss nuts with rosemary mixture and serve warm. Makes about 4 cups.

[Jessica]

Those bar nuts look perfect--I wanted something more savory and I will have rosemary left from the shortbread. Thanks for both recipes!

[Kathy B]

Jessica,

Your menu sounds wonderful! I'm sure it will be a great party!

As far as amounts go, I would definitely make a second batch of the Beef Triangles if you have time. They were very popular at our family get-together this Christmas. I made a double batch for about 20 people, and had about 15 left over. You don't have to bake them all at once, so if you don't need them all, you can just leave some in the freezer. I always prefer to err on the side of haveing more than is needed. If you have 30 people show up, and only have 3 dozen triangles, it doesn't really allow for someone who really likes them.

I would agree with RebeccaT that you should either make a double batch of the two desserts OR choose a third dessert and have one batch of all three items.

As for the other items, it depends on how many are in a batch. Personally, I would aim for slightly more than one per person or maybe about 4 dozen of each appetizer. Generally people don't eat two of EVERYTHING!

Hope that helps, and have a great time!

[Kismet]

So, Jessica, how did it go? Hope you had a wonderful party!