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NEW YEAR’S EVE COCKTAIL PARTY
Rather than heading out on the busiest party night of the year,
make your house the place to be by throwing a New Year’s Eve cocktail party. Hosting the evening festivities allows you to be surrounded by your favorite people, rather than a group of strangers, as you ring in the new year. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make this party special—you’ll be able to feed a dozen people for the same amount as one overpriced New Year’s dinner out. To save on the bar tab, ask each guest to bring a bottle of champagne so you’ll have an ample supply throughout the night. It’s the perfect party drink and goes well with everything on the menu.
SETTING THE SCENE
“Sparkling” Centerpiece
Have several mismatched champagne flutes? Now is the time to put them to use. Place flutes on your buffet table or cluster them in groups of three or five around your room. Fill the flutes with small gold, clear and white ornaments to mimic champagne bubbles. Intersperse with tea lights for extra sparkle.
Glitz Galore
New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to go glam and glitz up your pad. Use leftover Christmas ornaments or post-holiday discounted décor, such as gold stars, silver and gold ornaments, and glittery faux branches, to add some shine to your party. The more you use, the more impact it will make.
Holiday Formal
Looking for an excuse to wear one of the great cocktail dresses in your closet? Good news: It’s your party, so you can dictate the dress code. Most will be happy to have an occasion to dress up for. It’s a special occasion, so dress the part.
Hip Tips
Spray-paint branches of your Christmas tree silver or gold to give it a new look for New Year’s Eve.
Write numbers 1 to 10 on disposable champagne glasses or use adhesive letters from an office supply store on nondisposable glassware to symbolize the countdown.
Customize solid-colored napkins for your party with a rubber stamp and ink pad from a craft store. Find a stamp with the year, stars or relevant sayings.
COCKTAIL PARTY MENU
Since the festivities will continue well into the night, a menu composed of hors d’oeuvres and bite-size desserts is the way to go. Figure about 10 to 12 pieces per person since a main entrée will not be served, and fill in the menu with assorted cheeses, crackers, olives, pickled vegetables and store-bought spreads.
Maple spiced nuts
Edamame hummus with pickled ginger and wasabi rice crackers
Shrimp “martinis”
Spanish tortilla bites
Crostini with black olive tapenade and goat cheese
Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Parmesan cheese
Prosciutto-wrapped Parmesan breadsticks
Chocolate truffles
Peppermint bark cookies
*Recipes are available at www.hiphostess.wordpress.com.
Hip Tips
Keep a champagne punch cool with an ice ring. Fill a bundt pan with juice that complements the punch and freeze with fruit slices or edible flowers suspended in the liquid. Loosen the ice ring from the frozen pan by dipping the bottom into warm water.
Eliminate the need for utensils by making everything bite-size for easy snacking while standing.
Vary the height of serving pieces if setting up a buffet by using cake stands and other footed dishes, or place a few serving pieces on metallic-wrapped boxes for added height.
Ilana Eck is an attorney by day and the Hip Hostess by night. Ilana writes a food and entertaining blog, www.hiphostessblog.com, offering recipes, tips and ideas for hosting with style. Ilana lives in New York City with her husband, Etienne, and doesn't let her small space stop her from entertaining at home.
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