Party Foods: Snacks and Appetizers for Easy Entertaining (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks)

The key to a successful party is not just with the food—it's also with the host.

Best-selling cookbook author Joanna White, herself a professional caterer, shows how to prepare your party foods so that you can get out of the kitchen and into the party, to enjoy your guests and the atmosphere you have created. Learn what is best to prepare in advance, and how to store party foods. Encourage your guests to mingle by placing foods around the room and by making sure there are surfaces on which to set down drinks and nibbles.

You'll find detailed, sensible advice about which items you should keep in your pantry, how to contrast hot and cold dishes, how to avoid flavor monotony, and how to add height and elegance to your buffet presentations—the kind of details that make the difference between an ordinary party and a really special occasion.

All of the recipes in Party Foods: Snacks and Appetizers for Easy Entertaining keep the needs of both guest and host in mind. You'll find separate chapters on hot and cold finger foods, hot and cold dips, wrapped delicacies, spreads, mousses and patés, and flavored nibblers, together with suggestions for suitable combinations, and complete party menus.