Ritchie Tori - Party appetizers : small bites, big flavors

Party Appetizers

SMALL BITES, BIG FLAVORS

By Tori Ritchie

Photographs by Victoria Pearson

Text copyright 2004 by Tori Ritchie

Photographs copyright 2004 by Victoria Pearson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-2516-9

Design and typesetting by Carole Goodman, Blue Anchor Design

Photographers assistant: Jon Nakano

Prop stylist: Yolande Yorke-Edgell

Prop stylists assistant: Jennifer Flanagan

Food stylist: Rori Trovato

Food stylists assistant: Sarah Copeland

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Leslie Jonath. We always said wed do something together and finally we have. Cheers!

To the rest of the team at Chronicle Books, especially Laurel Mainard for being the worlds best follower-througher; Ann Martin Rolke for a thoughtful, thorough edit; Victoria Pearson and her team for making the food look even better in the photos; and Carole Goodman for making the words look even better in the designs.

To my recipe tester, Jill Oringer, for her swift and professional results.

To the tasters: Sue and John Ritchie, Charlotte Ritchie, Mark and Jill Ritchie, The Glenbrook Ladies, Vinnie, Callie, the Snows, the Hoods, Loke and Annette, Pen and Clint, Toni and Donn, Nala Kram, The Woodman, Heidi and Alison at Chronicle Mag., Barry, Carol, and Lena, and to Blaise for o.d.-ing on Mocha Shortbreads. To Jan Stefanki, Callie McLellan IV and Callie McLellan V, Katherine Cobbs, Jean Withers, Bibby Gignilliat, Patricia Wells, and Amanda Haas for contributing recipes and ideas. To Mary Risley for teaching me about gougres, croustades, and all things hors doeuvre-y. And especially to Lori, Deke, Ellie, Grace, and Derko Hunter for recipe research and for providing the pool-house kitchen and garden.

To JR and SR for raising me at cocktail parties.

To Sam for eating everything and never complaining about appetizers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

I WAS RAISED AT COCKTAIL PARTIES. SERIAL SOCIALIZERS, my parents looked for any excuse to have friends over to eat, drink, and laugh. Birthdays, car shows, moon landings, July Fourth, Labor Day, Twelfth Night, you name it. Even Christmas Day wasnt exempt. In fact, that was our biggest cocktail party of the year, although we called it an Open House. It started at noon, ended at nine, and revolved around deviled eggs, Bloody Marys, and Irish Coffee. All four children were expected to invite as many friends as we wanted and to hang with the grown-ups for as long as we cared. Even our Pekinese dog was part of it. Presenting him to an uninitiated guest on a silver salver topped with a dome (he actually fit under the thing) was our standard party gag and it worked every time.

I gave my first party at age fifteen, a sit-down dinner for twenty-two sophomores with (virgin) drinks and hors doeuvres before. Since then I have given too many to remember. In the 80s, they were Bonfire-of-the-Vanities affairs, with vodka frozen in ice, mini eggs Benedict, entire wheels of hot Brie. In the 90s, I sought my inner Italian, which meant crostini, anything with Gorgonzola and vegetables dipped in olive oil and salt and fabulously called pinzimonio. Then the tapas craze hit, and I found a whole new fleet of little dishes.

Now when I have friends over, I only serve appetizers since Ive converted my dining room to a home office and theres no place to eat with knife and fork. Ive found its my favorite way to entertain because it is so casual and unscripted, and no one gets stuck next to someone they find boring. My parties are relaxed and my friends arent famous or fancytheyre real people, and I invite them over because I love to be with them, not because I want to impress them with perfection in my food and decor. I hope this book will inspire you to invite the people you love over and give you the wherewithal to enjoy the party as much as they do.

PARTY PLANNING 101

The most important thing to remember is that if youre not having a good time, no one will. Thats why the simplest parties are the best. But a simple party still needs a plan. That means choosing recipes that dont all have to be assembled at the last minute, shopping at least one day ahead, and cleaning up several hours before guests arrive so you have time to decompress, primp, and feel totally smooth when the first person walks in the door.

To get started, first decide on the mood of the party: is it dressy or casual, themed or random, daytime or evening, inside or out, big or small? Once you have made those choices, invitations should go out. I recommend at least two weeks in advance (unless its totally spontaneous) by phone, mail, or Internet (I dread e-mail invitations and never send them, but I accept the inevitable). Now its time to think about the food.

Choosing the Menu

The recipes in this book are designed to be bite-size, that is, to be eaten out of hand in one or two bites. Its the most convenient way to eat with cocktails and it minimizes cleanupno plates, no utensils. The chapters are organized the same way I plan menus: First there are salty, crunchy snacks to scatter around the room and platters of dips, spreads, shellfish, and vegetables to place in central areas where people can gather around them. Then come the sexy, warm foods passed by handluscious meats and seafood, savory pastries, and melting cheese canapsfollowed by colorful, cool finger foods that can also be passed or strategically placed around a room to let people eat without moving apart. Finally, theres something sweet, perhaps a tiny cookie or candy, to nibble on the way out or to be taken home as a memento.

When creating a menu for your party, the occasion will dictate the types of food you want (substantial holiday foods, luxurious ingredients for a fancy night, light vegetables and seafood for summer afternoons, and so on), but always keep balance in mind. Select a few recipes from each of the chapters, aiming for a mix of meat, seafood, cheese, vegetables, and bread- or pastry-based appetizers. Let the season guide you; grilled apricots are great in summer, roasted root vegetables in winter. Dont forget to contrast colors and texturesavoid all brown or all pale foods; get some green or red (or both) in there; vary smooth dips, coarse toppings, and chunky fillings. Consider the shape of the appetizer, too, mixing round, oblong, and wedge-shaped ones. Variety and appearance are as important as taste when each portion is so small.

How Much per Person?

How much depends on the time of day you are having the party, how long people will be there, and if they are going out to eat afterward. Its always better to have too much than too little, so err on the side of generosity. If you are having just a few friends for drinks before you sit down (or go out) to a substantial meal, offer olives or nuts and one or two other appetizers. If it is a longer predinner or pre-event party, offer four or five different appetizers. If its a full-blown cocktail buffet, offer six to eight kinds of appetizers.