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PARTY FOODS
 A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation.
A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music.
There are so many diffent qualifications for a 'party' and endless themes. The purpose of this catagory is to
give as many general ideas as possible that you can fit into your own creative scheme.
There are some very basic party types:
- the sit-down dinner party which you might plan months in advance, i.e. a Greek Dinner Party
- the "theme" party which allows you to get creative with decorations and food
- the spontaneous "Look who's in town" party that give you very
little time to prepare
Parties, of all kinds, require a level of preparedness - some parties take months to get together, other parties can happen in a minute if you are ready
to be totally creative with what you have on hand -- and 'creative' is the operative word for any type of entertaining that doesn't put people to sleep.
I think one of the most crucial things about throwing a party is that you have a good time - no matter how beautiful the table, how elegant the food or how creative the decor,
if you aren't having a good time, it's not going to work, so only do what works for you and your guests will have a lovely time. After 40 some years of throwing parties, I
have develped a few personal rules that work for me and will maybe work for you:
Don't have a dinner party and cook foods you have never cooked before - only do what you are comfortable with. Practice on a weekend -- if the recipes fail, you can always
go out to dinner someplace else.
Theme parties are fun, but put your time into the actual theme -- keep the foods simple and let the guests bring their creations to the table. It's a great time to
share recipes. One thing guests just love is something to bring home with them, so I always make sure I have enough containers or bags to accommodate them.
Parties don't require a spotlessly clean house - only a spotlessly clean bathroom and kitchen. You always have to clean up after a party, so why double your
work when no one will notice.
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