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By Root 188 0

• Marinated Raw Tuna with Edamame Puree and Wonton Crisps • Dates Wrapped in Bacon with Green Olive Sauce • Cured Sardine Toasts with Red Pepper and Basil • Slow-Roasted Spanish Olives with Oranges and Almonds • Steak Tartare with Parmigiano Frico • Chilled Pea Shots with Spicy Crab • Teriyaki Chicken Wings with Sesame and Cilantro • Curried Deviled Eggs with Salmon Caviar • Salmon Gravlax • Oysters Rockefeller • Raw Oysters with Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce • Raw Oysters with Leek, Tomato, and Bacon Vinaigrette

I have to admit that a few times a year I like to throw a blowout party—the kind of party that is so packed with people that you really don’t know everyone there. For such occasions, it’s important to take a few days to plan what you’re going to make and serve. Being organized is very important when preparing serious hors d’oeuvres. I’m not talking about a cheese plate and cocktail weenies, I’m talking about beautiful, original hors d’oeuvres. This section will give you ideas, crystal-clear instructions, and recipes so amazing that your guests will be convinced that a restaurant catered your party, plus directions for twelve cocktails that will let you flex your mixology muscles and get the evening hopping.

Prosciutto-Roasted Figs

Prosciutto-Roasted Figs

45 minutes

These little gems are what I like to think of as new-wave pigs in a blanket. The ham and fruit are a perfect balance of salty and sweet, and a sip of champagne complements the flavors perfectly.

Makes 40 pieces

40 small fresh Mission figs

4 ounces manchego cheese or blue cheese

20 slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

⅓ cup honey

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Make a small slit in the side of each fig and stuff a raisin-size piece of cheese in the opening. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each fig to enclose it in a little cocoon. Stand the figs on a sheet pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes so the prosciutto melts slightly and forms a skin around the figs. Drizzle with honey and season with lots of ground black pepper. These are terrific hot or at room temp.

Grape and Blue Cheese

Truffles

20 minutes

Everyone will be blown away by how simple these are. They will be the runaway hit of the night. The moisture and sweetness of the grape inside the cheese is a flavor burst.

Serves 20

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces blue cheese, softened

3 tablespoons port

1 bunch seedless white grapes, about 2 pounds

1 cup pistachios, ground

Mash the cream cheese and blue cheese together in a bowl until combined. Pour in the port and mix until blended. Grab a bit of the cheese in one hand and a grape in the other. Put the two together and roll the grape around in your hands until it is completely covered by the cheese. Roll the cheese-covered grapes in the ground pistachios. Chill until ready to serve.

Vietnamese Shrimp Rolls

Vietnamese Shrimp Rolls

with Sweet Chili Dipping

Sauce

1½ hours

These spring rolls are so fresh tasting that they’re addictive. The beet turns the noodles a pretty pink—way cool. Wear gloves when you cut up the beet so your hands don’t turn purple—not a festive look.

Makes 20 rolls Makes 1⅓ cups sauce

3 ounces Vietnamese cellophane noodles, cooked according to package directions

2 cups bean sprouts

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 large beet, thinly sliced

1 fresh red chile, cut into circles

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¾ cup chopped salted peanuts

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

20 (8-inch) round rice paper wrappers

20 cooked medium shrimp, tails off, halved lengthwise

40 mint leaves

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ cup hot water

2 tablespoons sugar

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon red chili paste, such as sambal

2 tablespoons grated carrot

2 tablespoons grated daikon radish

Put the cellophane noodles, vegetables, cilantro, and peanuts in a bowl; toss with the sesame oil and lime