Cocktail party - ideas please!

[viennesewhirl]

I'm having a cocktail party at the end of July for my 40th (aaarrrgghhhhh) birthday. DH wants to hire a bartender to mix authentic cocktails, so that's really the focus. I don't want to do canapes as such, but am aware people will need something. Also don't live in UK, and here (Austria) there is not the selection of prepared foods, so can't just go out and buy a load of vol-au-vents or whatever.

I'm thinking bread, really nice cheeses, olives, grapes, cheese straw-type-things... any other ideas? Should be easy to eat and stress-free for me - maximum work should be a bit of assemblage!

Have invited 50 people, guess about 30 will come, as not everyone will be able to fly over.

All the things you said sound lovely. Tiny sausages too? I guess you're too sophisticated for cheese and pineapple on sticks?

What's important is that things should be one or two bites at most - nothing that needs too much chomping on as that's be difficult to maneouvre with a cocktail in the other hand.

Nigella has a recipe for spiced popcorn.

No - I'm not sophisticated at all! Thinking very seriously about cheese and pineapple on sticks - whole thing will probably descend into Abigail's Party land as it is.

Totally agree with you about the one or two bites thing - I can't stand trying to balance food and drink, or biting into something that then dribbles down my chin.

Will check out N's recipe, thank you!

Things on sticks are great - chunks of mozarella and cherry tomatoes work pretty well too.

And little gherkiny things with cheese on sticks. (I'm assuming Austria is like Germany in its love for pickled things)

Yes, they love pickled anything!

Bump for sophisticated (and not-so-sophisticated) evening people

Not saying I'm sophisticated but things that have gone down well for us are:-

stuffed eggs (mash yolks with mayo & curry powder or anchovies, pipe or dollop back into hole in egg)

teeny weeny crackers with a dab of pate (and a bit of pickled gherkin, for those wot likes them), or fake caviar and a smidgeon of sour cream

celery 'batons' filled with cream cheese

salami slices rolled around cream cheese (again)

parma ham wrapped around slices of melon

and, in addition of course to cheese and pineapple on sticks, cheese and baby pickled onions on sticks.

Mmm, pickled onions!!!