A red-carpet party is the perfect way to celebrate the Oscars, or just get together and feel fancy, but it can be hard to know what to serve your guests. The epitome of Hollywood glamour is the cocktail party, and finger foods are the perfect bite-sized party foods. You can serve these foods on fancy platters arranged on a table, buffet style or recruit people to mingle in the crowd with the trays for an authentic red-carpet feel. Does this Spark an idea?
Drinks
There's nothing more red carpet-worthy than champagne, but if there will be children at the party, simply serve sparkling grape or pear juice in champagne glasses.
You can also have cocktails or mocktails. Try something fruity like a Black Cat. To make the cocktail version, stir one part vodka, one part cherry brandy, two parts Coke and two parts cranberry juice and pour over ice. Garnish with a cherry and a paper umbrella. For the mocktail version, mix two parts Coke, three parts cranberry juice and one part grenadine and pour over ice, garnishing the same way the cocktail is garnished. Serve Black Cats in a highball glass.
Savory
Savory snacks should be served along with your first round of cocktails or mocktails at your party. The most classic and easiest party finger foods include a cheese tray with three or four different kinds of cheeses. Try to vary the tastes and textures. Some traditional cheese tray cheeses include Brie, Gouda and Bleu cheeses. Make sure to provide some crackers or crusty French bread with the cheese. To balance out the richness of the cheese, serve crisp raw vegetables like celery and baby carrots. Finally, to give the finger foods some substance, make an Antipasto platter with some summer sausage, pancetta, and other dried meats. The saltiness of the meat will complement the cheese.
Sweet
As the party winds down, treat your guests to some sweet red carpet treats. Chocolate dipped strawberries are classic Hollywood luxuries that go perfectly with champagne. Simply melt some of your favorite chocolate in a double boiler, and dip the strawberries in. Carefully place the strawberries on wax paper so that the melted chocolate won't stick to anything. Then, let the chocolate dipped strawberries chill in the refrigerator for about an hour so that the chocolate hardens before serving your guests. Serving raw berries and pieces of chocolate along with the strawberries will round out your dessert finger foods.
Tags: finger foods, your guests, along with, cheese tray, cocktails mocktails