The Cocktail Party (ePub)

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THROWING THE PERFECT PARTY-FROM ONE OF TODAY'S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER CATERERS.

When A-listers want to host a standout event, they call New York caterer Mary Giuliani. Her motto? Eat. Drink. Play. Recover. She prefers a "simple yet special" approach to entertaining but still manages to make the ordinary extraordinary. Now Mary is sharing all her secrets, along with tried-and-true planning tips, inventive menus, whimsical recipes, and delicious stories-everything you need to know to get your ducks in a row-and your pigs in their blankets!-to stage the perfect party for a range of special occasions, including

• New Year's Eve: Banana Pancake Bites, Mini Kale and Fontina Breakfast Pies, and Champagne Jell-O
• Game Day: MACO (Mac and Cheese Taco) with Guacamole, Banoffee Cream Pie in a Mug, and Beergaritas
• Awards Season: Chicken Satay, Edamame Dumplings, and Easiest Champagne Drink Ever
• Cinco de Mayo: Spicy Pigs, Sweet Quesadilla Bites, and Grapefruit-Jalapeño Margaritas
• Thanksgiving: Turkey with Cranberry on Mini Pumpkin Muffins, Mashed Potato Popovers with Mozzarella, and Tipsy Turkey Martinis
• Christmas: Mini Grilled Cheese with Fontina and OTTO Black Truffle Honey, Baked Italian Mini Doughnuts, and Italian Eggnog

Each party theme comes with a festive Snacktivity that turns your favorite foods and toppings into an eye-popping set piece (think frittata bar, soup-sipping station, DIY grilled cheese party). Mary also offers up Big Stories to get the conversation flowing, a Party Calculator to plan how much to buy and prep per guest, and advice for stocking your Party Closet so you can quickly turn a casual drop-by into a fabulous time. Whether you host get-togethers once a week or once a year, this handy guide has all you need to eat, drink, and be, well, Mary.

Praise for Mary Giuliani and The Cocktail Party

"All-encompassing but never fussy, clever but never pretentious, Mary's approach to food and entertaining is warm and familiar without ever sacrificing on quality and sophistication."-Ariel Foxman, editorial director, InStyle

"Mary pulls it all together with effortless panache, and all I can ever remember the next day-besides the fact that I drank too much-is how delicious everything was and how much fun I had."-Jonathan Van Meter, author and contributing editor, Vogue and New York