The edible flowers on these tiny, bite-sized nibbles were the perfect touch for a ladies' “April showers bring May flowers!” luncheon I hosted at Fox Hall.
A darling Southern friend recently posed the question, “What do you do when you are presented with a passed hors d’oeuvre that appears to be HUGE?” My response to this dilemma is: “pass” on anything that is larger than one bite!
From my experience, anything that is passed which is larger than “one bite” has the propensity to either crumble when you bite into it or drip down the front of your outfit! And, if you choose to pop the entire oversized “nibble” into your mouth, well instantly you look (and feel) like a chipmunk! Once a large piece is in your mouth, there is no backing out!
Party time is “pretty time” anytime! Place a little Herend figurine on your serving tray! My petite mouse adds a touch of whimsy to my one-bite “cheese crispies!” My tried and true recipe is exceptionally easy and can store for weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for those surprise drop-in guests.
Once I had a rather traumatic party experience, which has served to instill the “one-bite” nibble rule for me! I was notably pregnant at the time. Donning my only emerald green silk maternity cocktail dress, I gracefully took a bite of a rather large triangle of warm filo pastry which was served to me at a lovely Christmas cocktail party. It was a two-biter. Big mistake. Butter squirted down the entire front of my silk dress. There was no hope, even when I attempted to douse it with water in the powder room in desperation. Why? As I learned that evening, butter on silk does not disappear… but I soon did!
It is so lovely to host parties again, and summertime is a perfect time to entertain! You do not want your guests to endure any “awkward” moments! One-bite hors d’oeuvres contribute splendidly to setting the tone of an elegant cocktail party. If you have attended a dignified, albeit chic, party in New York City, Paris, or Palm Beach for example, most likely, you have appreciated the delicately prepared, exquisitely presented hors d’oeuvres which are usually no larger than a dime, or a quarter at most! They look divine, taste divine, and are superbly little pop-in-the-mouth treasures! One can easily manage and savor an ethereal petite nibble.
Grandmillennial Tips:
If you choose to decorate your serving platters, use a little bit of poster board clay to keep your ornament or figurine in place as the platter is being passed.
Just the thought of “bruschetta,” is a recipe for disaster as they are seldomly prepared for just one bite.
Forbidden Faux Pas:
No-no: To take more than one hors d’oeuvre at a time when presented to you, no matter how petite and delectable they are!
What is done: Wait for them to be passed to you again. Then, you have another opportunity to take one!
XX,
Holly
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