How to Have a Simple Cocktail Party

Recently I had a few girlfriends over for some cocktails before heading out on the town. This post is dedicated to them. Kit, Deb and Tina, this is for you! They truly went nuts over what I put out for them. So nuts, that it was a little over the top. They demanded recipes. They talked about it all night. You would think I put out an intricate four course meal that required three days worth of prep. It didn't.

Their response prompted me to write this blog. I thought it would be fun to share the recipes with everyone. I also thought it was a good opportunity to prove that simple can be, and often is, downright delicious.

To just get down to it, here's what I served:

Cucumber Cape Codders

Poached Shrimp with Spicy Mayo and Garlic Breadcrumbs

Lemon Thyme Dip & Crudite

Your Basic Cheese and Crackers

That's it! For the deets and some feedback on these recipes, see below.

My basic rule? Make one thing that requires a little effort and is something you think is over-the-top delicious. The rest of the menu? Keep it simple. 

My one "complex" dish was the Poached shrimp with Spicy Mayo and Garlic Bread Crumbs. The mayo adds a spicy richness and the breadcrumbs, a crunchy texture. There are a few steps to this recipe, poaching shrimp, making the mayo, the breadcrumbs and frying garlic. All the steps are simple, but just time consuming. You can do all of them ahead, but I would poach your shrimp the day-of your event so they're fresh. Also, I used Ezekiel bread instead of white bread, for better nutrition.

My cocktail was a Cucumber Cape Codder. This also had a couple of steps, but I thought it was quick and made pouring a friend a cocktail as easy as a gin and tonic or Jack and coke. I love complicated cocktails, but when you have a group of friends over, you actually want to interact with them, ya know?

So, I had a pitcher of the cucumber cranberry mixer ready to go and just asked "tequila or vodka?" That's right, tequila goes surprisingly well with cranberry. There's also something about using unsweetened cranberry juice for this recipe that adds a layer of depth. It also affords you the opportunity to make this less sweet if you wish, just by using less sugar.

For our final recipe, we have the Lemon-Thyme dip. All I have to say, is that it's perfect for summer. Light and refreshing. Simple. Straightforward. It goes great with sliced fennel. I think eating raw fennel outside of a salad was a first for most of us and we loved it!

The last thing was the cheese and crackers. Can't get any more simple right? However, I do need to point out that I'm in love with TraderJoe's Unexpected Cheddar. It is creamy, salty, and a bit gritty as if an Italian, hard cheese married a cute, little Wisconsin cheddar and had a baby.

Okay girls, you have your recipes. Now when are you going to invite me over for a re-do? Because I can eat this menu all over again, especially with my feet up on YOUR coffee table.