I am planning a late afternoon/early evening get-together with friends to celebrate my husband’s 50th birthday. Of course, I plan on having birthday cake, but what else? I’m looking for finger food suggestions that would be easy to eat, because guests may be standing due to limited seating space.
Without hesitation, I recommend lutefisk. Lutefisk is dried codfish that is soaked in lye for a few days until its texture resembles jelly. For some, it’s an acquired taste, but many love its salty flavor.
My second choice would be skewers, the ideal vehicle for transporting food from the platter to the mouth. Simply prepare all of your husband’s favorite foods and stick bamboo skewers into each morsel. They can be deployed on a buffet table platter or from a butlered tray. Sticking a skewer into each morsel yourself – instead of merely placing them next to the food – prevents one skewer from going from plate to plate.
Skewers are much simpler than kabobs and broschettes, for which you have to assemble preselected items. Try garnishing the skewer plates around the rim with colorful slices of fresh fruit (citrus, kiwi, etc.) or vegetables (peppers, cucumbers, squash, etc.).
Here are some of my favorite skewer foods:
Shrimp, any way you can cook them. Be sure to remove the shell and the tail before cooking (it’s tough to peel a shrimp while it is dangling from a skewer). Cubes of beef tenderloin, wading in a shallow pool of creamy horseradish mayonnaise. Broiled chicken tenders, perched in a mound of your favorite salsa. Medallions of roasted pork tenderloin resting in a schmear of apple butter. Slices of low-fat kielbasa, heated and dipped in a puddle of your favorite mustard. Tortellini pasta or mini-perogies bathing in a warm, spicy marinara. Thick slices of grilled or broiled vegetables drizzled with extra virgin olive oil or a bottled dressing. You get the idea.
Compliment your skewer menu with cocktail-sized pizza, either home-baked or delivered to your door.
By the way, cocktail napkins are essential at a skewer bash. Place piles of cocktail napkins everywhere; they help keep drips to a minimum. Have fun!
