An Invitation to the Cocktail Party : It’s Become a Simplified, Yet Elegant, Way of Entertaining

For informal entertaining there’s just no simpler way to go than the cocktail party. With some careful planning and plenty of manageable finger foods, the host or hostess is almost always assured a success. The warm weather days of summer make early evening gatherings of friends and family especially convivial.

If your plans for casual entertaining this month include a salute to the bride and bridegroom, make it a cocktail party. Today, with renewed interest in simplified, yet elegant, ways of entertaining, the cocktail party lends itself well to unharried entertaining. You’ll want to give yourself plenty of preparation time, though, working out every detail to avoid last-minute emergencies. In many cases you can make some of the hors d’oeuvres in advance, omitting the final stage of assembly, which can easily be completed just before the guests arrive.

In “Bride’s Lifetime Guide to Good Food and Entertaining” (Congdon & Weed: $25), hosts will find other advice on formal as well as informal entertaining. Chapters include discussions of etiquette, menu and wine planning, decorating suggestions and recipes. Use the book’s guidelines for planning cocktail parties, listed below. Then, choose from our accompanying recipes for appetizers, or experiment with ingredients of contrasting color and texture and create imaginative hors d’oeuvres with both eye and palate appeal. Arrange these bite-size morsels in baskets or on wicker trays with fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers for a festive presentation.

--Invitations to a cocktail party are usually written and sent out two to three weeks in advance.

--The usual hours for cocktails are between 5 or 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Guests may come and go as they please.

--Plan to serve one or two different kinds of mixed drinks and an assortment of hard liquors with mixers. Wine and beer, as well as non-alcoholic beverages, should be served.

--If space permits, set up miniature bars in different rooms so guests can prepare their own drinks. If you do not have the space, pre-mix the drinks and pass them around on trays with cocktail napkins or reserve pitchers of pre-mixed drinks so guests can help themselves.

--Because people will probably be standing and mingling, make sure the food is easy to eat with fingers. Cocktail foods can be hot, cold or both. Cheese platters with a variety of crackers or small breads, crudites or raw vegetables cut for dipping are suitable, as well as the quintessential cocktail food: canapes or other hors d’oeuvres.

--Hors d’oeuvre trays can be passed around or set up in convenient areas of the room.

--Be sure to provide ample napkins and wood picks and arrange small bowls of other nibbling foods throughout the house.

SMOKY FRANKFURTER BITES

1 pound frankfurters

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 1/2 teaspoons aromatic bitters

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

Slice frankfurters into 1-inch pieces. Heat butter in skillet and stir in bitters and onion, garlic and celery salts. Add frankfurter pieces and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pieces are dark brown and crusty. Spear with wood picks and serve hot. Makes about 40 pieces.

SWISS TARTLETS

24 unbaked (3-inch) tart shells

3 cups shredded Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 large onions, chopped

4 eggs

3 cups half and half or milk

1 teaspoon salt

Whole pimiento slices

Fill tart shells with cheese. Heat butter in skillet and saute onions until tender and transparent. Do not brown. Divide onions among tart shells. Beat eggs with half and half and salt, then divide mixture among tart shells. (At this point tarts may be frozen, then wrapped tightly and stored until ready to bake.) Bake tarts at 350 degrees until puffed and brown, about 25 to 30 minutes (35 to 40 minutes if frozen). With tiny heart-shaped biscuit cutter, cut hearts from whole pimiento slices and place on top of tarts. Serve warm. Makes 24 tarts.

CHEESE AND CAVIAR ROUNDS

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon onion salt

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

32 round crackers

1 jar red caviar

Parsley sprigs

Mash cream cheese in bowl until softened. Beat in milk and onion and celery salts. Refrigerate until chilled or ready to serve. Spread cheese mixture on crackers and top with caviar and parsley. Makes 32 canapes.

PIQUANT HAM CANAPES

2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans deviled ham

1/4 cup pickle relish, well drained

1/4 cup catsup

12 slices bread, crusts trimmed and cut into triangles

Parsley sprigs

Combine deviled ham, pickle relish and catsup in bowl. Refrigerate until chilled or ready to serve. Spread mixture on bread triangles and garnish with parsley sprigs. Makes 24 sandwiches.

CHEESE PINWHEELS

2 cups shredded Jack cheese

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped green onion

3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 slices dark rye bread

Combine Jack and cream cheeses, wine, green onion, caraway seeds and salt in mixer bowl. Beat until creamy. Chill. Trim crusts from bread and flatten each slice with rolling pin. Spread each slice with about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Place two slices side by side and roll up, starting from one short side, into spiral. Repeat with remaining bread. Cover with damp paper towel and plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. To serve, cut each spiral roll into 6 pinwheels. Makes 64 pinwheels.

CHEESE TWISTS

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Stir in cheese and sesame seeds. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly, until moistened. Knead lightly into ball. Divide dough in halves and roll out, one half at a time, on lightly floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with pastry wheel or knife into 6x3/4-inch strips. Place on ungreased baking sheet and twist. Bake at 400 degrees 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 4 dozen.

TANGY MARINATED VEGETABLES

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup chopped green pepper

2 medium carrots

1 (12-ounce) can cocktail vegetable juice

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried basil leaves

2 cups halved mushrooms

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Cook cauliflower in 2-quart saucepan 3 minutes in boiling water over high heat. Add green pepper and cook additional 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Drain.

Meanwhile, thinly slice carrots lengthwise, roll up and fasten with wood picks to form curls. Combine vegetable juice, vinegar, mustard and basil in small bowl until well blended. Arrange vegetables in 13x9-inch dish. Add marinade, then cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, tossing occasionally. Serve with wood picks. Makes about 4 cups.

TINY TOMATO ASPICS

5 cups tomato juice

1 tablespoon aromatic bitters

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice

Oil

Sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives

Combine tomato juice, bitters and seasoned salt in bowl. In small saucepan, combine gelatin, water and lemon juice. Place over low heat and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add gelatin mixture to tomato juice mixture. With oil, generously grease 48 (1-ounce) paper cups. Spoon gelatin mixture into cups and chill until firm. (If molds are made several days in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap when firm to prevent drying.)

To unmold, run point of knife around sides of cups, then cut down one side of cup with scissors and peel paper away from aspic. Top each with an olive slice. Makes 48 aspics.