cdkitchen > cooking experts > amy powell
Party season is upon us and so begins the search for the perfect cocktail party spread. When putting together the menu the tension is always going to be between the desire to have crowd-pleasing recipes that are a guaranteed hit, and the need to keep it interesting by cooking something new. Doing the same recipes many years in a row means you have the knowledge of the recipe and the security that your crowd will like them. But if you have the same group returning time and again for the same food you run the risk of being predictable; predictable is not the sort of way you want your friends describing the party the day after.
When throwing a party any time of year, unless it is an intimate gathering of close friends, cooking something un-tried-and-true is a dangerous prospect. Should you dig through the latest cookbook the night before your party and find a fancy fusion recipe calling out your name, I urge you to stop and think realistically about a few things before you attempt such a feat. 1. Do you trust this recipe author? Have you cooked his or her dishes before with success? 2. Do you have the skills required to modify should you see the recipe not developing in the desired way? If you answer "no" to either of these questions then you are better off setting that dish aside to try out on your boyfriend some Saturday night because you know he will love you even if it comes out tasting like cardboard and looking like last week's garbage.
Sticking to classics runs the opposite risk: the risk of being boring. Unless you plan on having acrobats perform as part of the evening entertainment, one of the primary ways guests entertain themselves at a party is around the bar and the hors d'oeuvres. Which means the food above all, needs to be delicious and, if possible, interesting.
As a novice or intermediate level cook, how do you manage the joint concerns of creating a reliably delicious menu and have the peace of mind that everything will turn out okay? I think the answer lies in creating twists on tried and true classic party food. Consider guacamole. It is not unusual to find guacamole at gatherings ranging from Super Bowl parties to backyard barbecues. So chances are there are other times during the year when your skills of mashing avocado with chilies, lime juice, cilantro, tomato, and red onion have been honed to near perfection. Now take that recipe and tweak it in a simple but unexpected way: swap out the diced tomato for finely chopped pineapple. The result is a sweet, spicy, creamy, and crunchy dip with lots of flavor that will take your guests by surprise but not demand too much from your cooking skills.
Another classic, shrimp cocktail, is one of those party favorites that you can pick up ready-made trays of cold, freezer burned cooked shrimp, horseradishy cocktail sauce, complete with a lemon wedge right from the fish aisle of the market. Shrimp cocktail is popular for a reason but serving it in that super market way might as well come with a sign announcing you have no culinary creativity what-so-ever.
If you need to buy the shrimp cooked and ready to go, try swapping out the cocktail sauce for a spicy dip of the kind that’s used in spicy tuna and spicy shrimp rolls at sushi restaurants. Mix 2 parts mayonnaise with 1 part Sriracha sauce. If you are cooking the shrimp yourself, try sautéing with a little garlic and oil then cool. Toss the shrimp with chopped cilantro, a couple of sliced green onion and some diced red pepper. Serve the combination with a plate of red lettuce leaves and the spicy dipping sauce for make-your-own lettuce rolls.
Here are a few other quick fixes to put a twist on classic cocktail party fare. Instead of the usual pecans and walnuts, try roasting pumpkins seeds or Marcona almonds with your favorites sweet and savory spice mix. Instead of the usual bruschetta (as tomatoes are now out of season), top the toasted crisps with roasted beets and goat cheese. Instead of the usual store-bought cracker and bread stick combo, use puff pastry or store-bought pizza dough to make long thin breadsticks: just sprinkle with grated parmesan and desired seasoning, cut into long strips, twist (and if using pizza dough brush with olive oil) then stick in the oven until browned.
If there is anything worse than have a party full of bored guests it is serving food of which you can't be proud. Keep it safe with classics that you know you have experience with but twist them up with the unexpected swapping of ingredients. Pineapple, nut swap, sauce innovation--your guests with thank you and your holiday party will be anything but boring.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1109-cocktail-party-fare/
Classic Twists for No-Fail Parties
Party season is upon us and so begins the search for the perfect cocktail party spread. When putting together the menu the tension is always going to be between the desire to have crowd-pleasing recipes that are a guaranteed hit, and the need to keep it interesting by cooking something new. Doing the same recipes many years in a row means you have the knowledge of the recipe and the security that your crowd will like them. But if you have the same group returning time and again for the same food you run the risk of being predictable; predictable is not the sort of way you want your friends describing the party the day after.
When throwing a party any time of year, unless it is an intimate gathering of close friends, cooking something un-tried-and-true is a dangerous prospect. Should you dig through the latest cookbook the night before your party and find a fancy fusion recipe calling out your name, I urge you to stop and think realistically about a few things before you attempt such a feat. 1. Do you trust this recipe author? Have you cooked his or her dishes before with success? 2. Do you have the skills required to modify should you see the recipe not developing in the desired way? If you answer "no" to either of these questions then you are better off setting that dish aside to try out on your boyfriend some Saturday night because you know he will love you even if it comes out tasting like cardboard and looking like last week's garbage.
Sticking to classics runs the opposite risk: the risk of being boring. Unless you plan on having acrobats perform as part of the evening entertainment, one of the primary ways guests entertain themselves at a party is around the bar and the hors d'oeuvres. Which means the food above all, needs to be delicious and, if possible, interesting.
As a novice or intermediate level cook, how do you manage the joint concerns of creating a reliably delicious menu and have the peace of mind that everything will turn out okay? I think the answer lies in creating twists on tried and true classic party food. Consider guacamole. It is not unusual to find guacamole at gatherings ranging from Super Bowl parties to backyard barbecues. So chances are there are other times during the year when your skills of mashing avocado with chilies, lime juice, cilantro, tomato, and red onion have been honed to near perfection. Now take that recipe and tweak it in a simple but unexpected way: swap out the diced tomato for finely chopped pineapple. The result is a sweet, spicy, creamy, and crunchy dip with lots of flavor that will take your guests by surprise but not demand too much from your cooking skills.
Another classic, shrimp cocktail, is one of those party favorites that you can pick up ready-made trays of cold, freezer burned cooked shrimp, horseradishy cocktail sauce, complete with a lemon wedge right from the fish aisle of the market. Shrimp cocktail is popular for a reason but serving it in that super market way might as well come with a sign announcing you have no culinary creativity what-so-ever.
If you need to buy the shrimp cooked and ready to go, try swapping out the cocktail sauce for a spicy dip of the kind that’s used in spicy tuna and spicy shrimp rolls at sushi restaurants. Mix 2 parts mayonnaise with 1 part Sriracha sauce. If you are cooking the shrimp yourself, try sautéing with a little garlic and oil then cool. Toss the shrimp with chopped cilantro, a couple of sliced green onion and some diced red pepper. Serve the combination with a plate of red lettuce leaves and the spicy dipping sauce for make-your-own lettuce rolls.
Here are a few other quick fixes to put a twist on classic cocktail party fare. Instead of the usual pecans and walnuts, try roasting pumpkins seeds or Marcona almonds with your favorites sweet and savory spice mix. Instead of the usual bruschetta (as tomatoes are now out of season), top the toasted crisps with roasted beets and goat cheese. Instead of the usual store-bought cracker and bread stick combo, use puff pastry or store-bought pizza dough to make long thin breadsticks: just sprinkle with grated parmesan and desired seasoning, cut into long strips, twist (and if using pizza dough brush with olive oil) then stick in the oven until browned.
If there is anything worse than have a party full of bored guests it is serving food of which you can't be proud. Keep it safe with classics that you know you have experience with but twist them up with the unexpected swapping of ingredients. Pineapple, nut swap, sauce innovation--your guests with thank you and your holiday party will be anything but boring.
Spicy Shrimp Cocktail Cups
Made with Sriracha sauce, shrimp, mayonnaise, vegetable oil, garlic, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, salt and pepper, lettuce
Made with Sriracha sauce, shrimp, mayonnaise, vegetable oil, garlic, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, salt and pepper, lettuce
Serves/Makes: 8
- 1 pound shrimp
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 2 green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 bunch red lettuce
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
Devein and shell shrimp if necessary leaving tails intact.
Heat oil in a large pan over a medium flame. Add shrimp and minced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until shrimp are cooked through. Cool. Remove tails from shrimp.
Dice red bell pepper and thinly slice green onions. In a bowl toss shrimp, peppers, green onion, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl mix mayonnaise and Sriracha.
To Serve: lay lettuce on a plate torn into pieces 3-4 inches long. Places seasoned shrimp in a bowl next to small bowl of spicy sauce. Assemble by layering shrimp on lettuce and topping with spicy sauce.
share this article:
related articles
Write a comment:
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1109-cocktail-party-fare/