By accessories for cocktail food I do not mean pink and green potato chips, or colored breads, or anything tricky or “precious.” I mean well-chosen products which enhance the enjoyment of the more important foods you are serving and the additional items which may be included in a cocktail party menu to make it more elastic in scope.
I suppose that of all the many cocktail accessories nuts are probably the most popular, and rightly so, for their texture and rich flavor complements wines and liquors of all sorts. Peanuts, filberts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, all have their place with drinks and may be found, good and bad, everywhere. Macadamia nuts from Honolulu have recently joined this family and a welcome addition, too; they have an unusual flavor and texture not to be found in any other nut. They are everywhere today in the shops in vacuum-packed jars, salted and ready for use.
Brazil nuts are one of the most delicious of all nuts and probably one of the most neglected. They happen to be a particular favorite of mine and I use them in many ways. One of my most memorable taste treats was the first time I ever sampled Brazil-nut chips and was delighted with them. I pass along this pleasant experience in the hope that I may make more Brazil-nut enthusiasts. The recipe has given me a great deal of personal pleasure and satisfaction.
Slice Brazil nuts lengthwise as thinly as possible. Arrange in a shallow baking pan, adding two tablespoons of butter for every pound of nuts. Sprinkle with salt and toast in a moderate (350°F.) oven, stirring occasionally, until brown. This should take about twenty-five or thirty minutes.
To slice Brazil nuts easily, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer from three to five minutes. Cool slightly and slice.
SALTED NUTS
If you wish to salt nuts for your cocktail parties or for gift packages, the following instructions are standard for all types of nuts. I think that almonds (and try to get the Jordan variety used in making the famous candy-coated almonds) are universally popular. Blanch them by covering with boiling water and allowing them to stand two or three minutes, then rub off the skin and dry the nuts.
If you are salting peanuts, buy the raw peanuts and skin them by rubbing with the fingers or a linen towel. You will find that home-salted peanuts are a new sensation, for they seem to achieve exceptional flavor when they are slowly toasted in butter. For this, take a half pound of butter to each pound of nuts and cook them slowly in an iron skillet over a low flame. Stir them constantly till they are a golden brown. Drain the nuts on brown paper or paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
For almonds, pistachio nuts, filberts, walnuts, pecans, and so on, you may use the above method or you may spread the nuts on a baking sheet and add three tablespoons of butter to each pound of nuts and toast them slowly in a moderate (350° F.) oven, stirring them often. Sprinkle with salt and just a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.
Olives are another standard accessory for the cocktail party, though they are very seldom served correctly. Especially the ripe and green ripe, and other types as well, are much more delicious when served at room temperature rather than iced.
Ripe and green ripe olives of all types are enhanced by the addition of olive oil and a little garlic. True, some of the green ripes come in a dill sauce, which makes this unnecessary, but for all the others the dressing is needed. You will find then the true olive flavor. We are fortunate in having such superb olives grown in our own country, and we need never worry about being deprived of them as long as there is still a California. If you have not tried the dried olives and the various pickled and spiced ones found in some of the foreign grocery shops, make a tour, and serve them next time. You will find new olive flavors and ideas for arranging a most attractive tray of six or seven different types always welcome at any cocktail party. The Greeks, Italians, Syrians, Armenians, all the Mediterranean peoples, have different types of olives, so that you may offer a large assortment.
Pickles, too, are a welcome member of the hors d’oeuvre table. There are many kinds from which to choose, but if you stick to the sweet and spiced ones, and the many varieties of dill pickles to be found on most grocery shelves, you will be wise. Pickled onions, too, are on the desirable list and pickled crabapples, prunes, California pickled walnuts, and preserved and pickled melon rinds. If you are fortunate enough to have your own homemade products, don’t hesitate to bring them forth. Good home picklers are rare these days and should parade their wares.
Try a large tray arranged nicely with various pickles, olives, and raw vegetables and see if it is not a success.
POTATO CHIPS
Potato chips are popular, I know, but, as with most commercial salted nuts, there is a preponderance of inferior brands on the market, so I feel it is much better to leave them alone than to use the average varieties available. If, however, you know a good brand, use them, heating briefly before serving. If you wish to take the trouble and make your own shoestring or lattice potato chips, that is another matter. They are delicious and popular with anyone.
You need a slicer for thin potato chips or lattice potatoes, and a great deal of patience for shoestrings. All three should be soaked in ice water for ten minutes before frying and should be dried thoroughly before being plunged into the hot fat.
It is a matter of choice whether you use two frying vessels or one. It is probably easier to have two pans of fat (use good oil or leaf lard), one heated to about 250° F. and the other to 400° F. Put the basket with the prepared potatoes into the lower temperature till they are a light brown and transfer to the hot fat to crisp them. Drain potatoes on brown paper or other absorbent (paper towels are perfect for this) and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
There are literally thousands of varieties of biscuits on the market for service with cocktails or wines. For years and years the imported biscuits were the only ones worthy of the name, but in recent years the American bakers have brought forth several really excellent varieties, all of which may be depended upon for flavor and texture. The thin English water biscuits still remain the most desirable of that type, especially those that are sent from Tunbridge Wells, but for other kinds of biscuits, or crackers, you may trust your local shops and the American bakers.
If you are on a diet (worse luck) you will find a large assortment of low-caloried crackers which you may eat with a clear conscience, for American manufacturers have been quick to sense the need for dietary food items and have profited by it.
Water biscuits for cheese, with the addition of some crusty French bread for those who prefer it, small savory-flavored biscuits of various types (poppy seed, sesame seed, etc.) to be eaten with drinks may all be arranged attractively on your cocktail table, on a combination tray, or in small dishes placed together as a unit. Have several varieties, for there are many people who prefer a dry biscuit to anything else and they too should be catered to. Besides, such biscuits may be kept for several weeks in tin boxes without growing stale. Freshen before serving by heating briefly in the oven.
From Honolulu came the idea for the coconut chip, which was once exotic and is now commonplace. They are smooth and delicious in flavor and not of a greasy texture. The many other knick-knacks and ideas for cocktails which are continually coming on the market are too numerous to mention here. There are various trade-marked tidbits, some good, some bad, coming and going, and if you are an alert shopper you not only keep informed of the new ones but may discover some truly excellent additions for your pantry. Among the best things to have caught on over the years are the cheese-stuffed biscuits from Holland. Visit the shops often, experiment, and you will probably find many things to intrigue your guests.
As I mentioned earlier, the cocktail table often includes things which lean toward the buffet supper, and rightly so. Many times a cocktail party stretches out until late; or you have certain friends you wish to stay on and chat, after other guests are gone. Or you are giving a party in a suburban or country house and want to give your guests, who drive a long distance to see you, something more than the regular party food. For any of these occasions, you may stretch the menu and fill in with more substantial dishes.
I know one successful host who always has a large standing roast of beef, perfectly roasted and glazed, and a huge roast turkey on the buffet table at his cocktail parties. These roasts are carved in paper-thin slices and eaten with thin bread and butter, or in tiny pastry snacks. I feel there is a great deal to be said for this.
At another home I know, there is always found as an accessory to the cocktail table a choice ham, baked in claret or Madeira; sometimes hot, sometimes cold. Cold glazed tongue, roast goose, and cold beef à la mode are other dishes which find their way to the cocktail buffet in some homes.
At one time the popularity of smoked turkey almost threatened to extinguish other substantial cocktail food. If you can find the right one, smoked turkey is a delicious food; but beware of buying it blindly, for there are some very inferior birds on the market. And remember, too, that smoked turkey is very rich and should never be carved carelessly. Paper-thin slices are the thing for this delicacy.
If you do expect people to stay on and want to have a hot dish to supplement the party food, be sure it is something which will not spoil in standing. Have it prepared in the morning of the party day. Your cook, particularly if you are the cook, has enough to do without preparing additional dishes at the last moment.
Lobster, chicken, crabmeat, shrimp, or most any type of fish or meat salad may have a place on the buffet table for an elaborate cocktail party. If you are having a selection of cold meats and sausage as hors d’oeuvre, a bowl of well-seasoned potato salad makes a savory addition.
You have ample leeway to make your table as elaborate or as simple as you wish. Remember this with your cocktail parties and your tables: These are gay affairs; keep up with the spirit of the occasion. The most important key to the success of a cocktail party is the attitude of the hosts. Things should be arranged so that there are no worries on the guests’ arrival, and no misgivings about the amount of food in the refrigerator or the amount of liquor in the cellar. True hospitality means that the host is giving his undivided attention to his guests and enjoying the party. No one can feel at home with a worried host. So keep up a steady happy attitude no matter what happens and if there are worries, keep them in the back of your head and don’t give them away to anyone else.
I have repeated several times that one should respect the desires of those who do not drink alcohol. Somewhere in the living room have a tray or table arranged with fruit juice of some kind, in an iced pitcher, with glasses and perhaps one of the cola drinks or ginger ale; also, a pitcher of ice water with glasses. These are all thoughtful additions to a party. And don’t hide these “accessories” so that people who want soft drinks have that peculiar feeling we once experienced sneaking into a speakeasy. And let us once and for all boycott that strange concoction known as “punch” and take our fruit juice straight. Good, plain, chilled orange or grapefruit juice, tomato juice, grape or pineapple juice will always find customers.
If you have a large enough establishment to have two tables in your living room, or if your cocktail service can be managed with trays (I am speaking, of course, of a large party) you will be smart to have a beautifully appointed tea table in addition to the cocktail service. For a large affair the tea table is usually set up in the dining room and cocktail service is carried on from a table in the living room. Tea, coffee, sandwiches, thin bread and butter, and various cakes should be on the tea table.
If you have a small place, a tea tray may be arranged on a small table in the same room as the cocktail service. It can be as simple or as elaborate as the dictates of your home make it, but no matter how tea is served be sure that it is well seasoned with hospitality.