Finger Foods - The Key to a Great Party

In two of my previous articles I wrote about party planning and tips for great entertaining. Here, I will focus on one aspect of cocktail parties, the food.

Food is usually a focal point of most parties, but as I've said before, there are things we need to avoid in order to host the best possible events.

The main thing to avoid is serving foods that require your guests to use forks and knives. It has a tendency to kill the party atmosphere because it changes the mood as guests stuff themselves to the point that tiredness is sure to set in. You now have a situation where your home is cluttered with dirty dishes and utensils, a bunch of yawning guests and a party that will end way too early.

Clearly, from my thirty plus years of party planning experience finger foods are the way to go.

Think of a party as a performance. You are putting on a show.You are entertaining your guests. The show starts with the tablescape. It's the focal point of the room. A fabulous spread of party appetizers creatively displayed on multiple levels and lighting that accentuates the mouth watering hors d'oeuvres.

Proper mood lighting everywhere else, good music and an open bar. These are the elements of a party that offers a great time for everyone lucky enough to be invited.

Finger foods are perfect for cocktail parties because they allow your guests to mingle without having to carry around a dish and utensils. You want people to be able to hold their drink in one hand while the other is free to pick on those delicious appetizers.

I have found that it is far easier to serve hot appetizers on hot plates, so you won't have to think about the fire going out under the chafing dishes while the food gets cold. Plus, decorative platters make a much nicer presentation than chafing dishes.

You should consider a combination of cold appetizers and hot, and leave them out all night so guests can satisfy their hunger without having to pig out. It's perfectly okay to use small dishes or even good quality or theme related paper or plastic plates, particularly for informal events. You may need cocktail forks and decorative toothpicks. There should be no need for knives.

Make sure whenever you will be using toothpicks that there are handy receptacles for guests to toss them in or they will be all over the house. The same goes for shrimp and olives. You will be finding tails and pits for days. Remember, it's this kind of attention to detail that sets great entertainers apart from the rookies.

I am not a big fan of clearing the table and serving a spread of dessert and coffee. I consider this practice a "party killer". What happens here is you take yourself and perhaps several guests out of the fun zone and into clean up mode.

When my wife occasionally serves cake and coffee at one of the many theme parties we host each year, it is always served in a different part of the house so it will not affect the mood for those that want to remain in the fun zone.

Finally, If you follow this time tested entertaining philosophy you will notice at the end of the party that there is a lot less clutter, easier and faster clean up and you actually had a great time at your own party. You will be the new entertaining guru of your group.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Papantonio