Barbara Scott-Goodman - Wine bites: 64 simple nibbles that pair perfectly with wine

Whenever life gives you cause for celebration, throw a party! Any reason will do: the arrival of summer, a promotion, your kid got a job. The important thing is to share the good times with your friends. Gatherings that bring good company make our long days worthwhile, raise our spirits, and enhance our lives. So why not invite your friends over, open a few bottles of wine, and have a little get-together?

Whether youre having a few friends in for a convivial glass of wine before heading out to dinner or youre hosting an extravagant cocktail party, your guests will want something to eat while toasting, sipping, and chatting. Offer them some delectable snacks to nibble on with their drinksa beloved combination that deliciously lends itself to the name of wine bites. These are zesty finger foods: delicious, imaginative, and easy to eat with wineglass in hand. Set out bowls of homemade spiced popcorn and nuts and marinated olives, and serve a variety of snacks like . Cheese plates that include a range of well-chosen international and domestic cheeses, accompanied by colorful fresh and dried fruit, are lovely to serve; and cheese pairs beautifully with almost all styles of wine. The same goes for sumptuous antipasto platters, tapas spreads, and charcuterie boards. These plates, which are easy and fun to assemble, can be as simple and casual or as elaborate and abundant as you wish. All of these dishes can be eaten with fingers, toothpicks, or skewers. And above all, theyll be consumed with delight.

Wine Bites is full of scrumptious recipes and innovative ideas that will inspire you to throw a festive bash with ease. It can be a surprisingly low-key effort to gather your friends and family together and enjoy the simple pleasures of eating good food and drinking good wine. Nevertheless, there are recipes here that cover a range of visionsbig cocktail party buffets as well as intimate get-togethers in the kitchenand dont all good parties end up in the kitchen? You can mix and match recipes from every chapter and create your own menus, from simple snacks that can be easily made with on-hand pantry items to more complex dishes that may require a bit more prep and cooking time.

What is most important is that your party is embarked upon with a sense of fun and warmth and a spirit of generosity. Now, dont you feel like celebrating?

A well-stocked pantry, a few refrigerator staples, and a corner of your freezer can contain everything you need to put together a delicious, varied, and attractive menu of hors doeuvres and small bites ranging from sweet to savory, hearty to light, to complement wines of every color and style. And when youre well supplied with staples, a single stop at your butcher, fishmonger, or greengrocer can fill out a wonderful spread for a brunch, lunch, or dinner party.

The list of basics in the pantry arsenal starts with good-quality extra-virgin olive oil; a vinegar or two (or three) including regular balsamic and white balsamic or champagne vinegar; kosher and sea salts; and fresh black pepper. Be sure to always have Dijon mustard in good supply for vinaigrettes and other sauces, and best-quality mayonnaise for dips and spreads. A store of several kinds of dried and canned beans (think red, white, black, and chickpea) is indispensable for more dips and spreads; chickpeas are especially versatile on the hors doeuvres stage, delicious tossed with almost any combination of herb and spice and roasted until crisp-tender. Beans also add heartiness to salads and make for easy soups, side dishes, and main courses. All of these hardworking pantry staples are essential for everyday cooking as well as for entertaining.

For the next tier in the pantry, savvy hosts know that some very good things do come in cans and jars. Consider the following lists for things to keep in mind (and on hand) for impromptu parties or a spur-of-the moment glass of wine with friends in the kitchen:

• Jarred roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and marinated artichoke hearts and canned sardines, octopus, oysters, and anchovies are all excellent, festive bites to serve on crackers, toasts, or thin slices of baguette.

• Good-quality canned tuna is perfect for bruschetta or finger sandwiches; try tossing it with fresh lemon juice and white beans.
  
• A wide variety of good-quality salsas of every flavor from verde to peach and canned dips and spreads such as black bean, tapenade, and caponata now fills the shelves of supermarkets and specialty-food stores, offering a seemingly infinite choice of tasty and easy-to-serve but elegant dips and toppings for taco chips or wedges of pita bread.
  
• Popcorn and an assortment of nuts such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, and pistachios are always good to have on hand. Popcorn sprinkled with sea salt, a classic often relegated to movie time, is actually terrifically satisfying with chilled white wine. Top the hot popped corn with grated Parmesan cheese and bring on the red wine. Serve nuts on their own or toss them with a few spices and olive oil and roast them in the oven.
  
• Keep a good supply of crackers in the pantry.

They are indispensable for serving with spreads and dips and a variety of toppings.

The refrigerator is an important extension of your pantry, the place for those items that, while perishable, will keep through several shopping tripsi.e., from 1 week to as much as 3 months.

• Butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
  
• Fresh eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks after their sell by date.
  
• Olives packed in oil or brine, cornichons, and other pickles, and pickled or marinated vegetables such as pepperoncini, cauliflower, and green beans will keep, tightly covered in jars or in airtight containers, for up to 6 months and supply interesting antipasti or add salty, sour, or tangy texture and taste to many mixes and dishes; or serve them on their own in bowls for nibbling.

• Keep a top-quality grating cheese like Parmesan or Asiago on hand; wrap tightly in plastic wrap/ cling film or wax/greaseproof paper and store in the cheese drawer of your fridge. They will usually keep for up to 3 to 4 weeks after opening.
  
• Cream cheese, goat cheese, and feta cheese are also very useful for creating a wide range of wine bites, although they have a shorter shelf life of about 1 to 2 weeks.
  
• Tubs of freshly made hummus, baba ganoush, taramosalata, and tzatziki from Middle Eastern and Greek markets are great to have on hand for parties (you can find good packaged versions of these in your supermarket deli section, too). Once opened, they should be used by their sell by date.
  
• If youre feeling extravagant, keep a tin of caviar in the fridge. Fresh caviar can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks. Any uneaten caviar should be covered tightly and consumed within 2 to 3 days. A delicious, less expensive version of caviar is salmon roe or red caviar. It is an essential ingredient in . Dry Champagne or sparkling wine are wonderful to drink with caviar.
  
• Fresh herbs such as flat-leaf parsley, cilantro/ coriander, thyme, rosemary, and mint are very versatile and good to have on hand in the crisper drawer. They add flavor, texture, and visual appeal to dips, spreads, and salsas and are also essential for garnishes.
  
• Be sure to have lemons and limes in your crisper drawer at all times for bright, super-fresh citrus flavor on tap.

• Just about any type of bread, such as baguettes, country loaves, rye or pumpernickel bread, or pita, can be frozen. Whether youre freezing a whole loaf, a half loaf, or slices, the bread will keep well as long as it is wrapped and stored properly. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap/cling film, freezer paper, or aluminum foil and store for up to 1 month. To thaw, loosen the wrapping of the bread and let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Brush slices of baguette with olive oil and pop them in a 400F/200C/gas 6 oven for a few minutes until lightly golden and you have an instant supply of the European-style toasts popularly known as crostini; serve warm or at room temperature with any variety of accompaniments you like. Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese on top of the oil before placing in the oven for that are delicious alone as well as with toppings.