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Finger Foods

Planning a grand party at home? You must be planning a menu that will please your guests. But along with the planning the main meal, have you planned some starters or not? Did you ask what starters are? Well they can also be called finger foods which will go well with the drinks or cocktails that will precede the main meal.

What is the meaning of finger foods?
Finger foods are perfect to be served for parties and organized events and best option even better than just snacks. But exactly what are finger foods? Just about any bite-size piece of food that your guests can pick up and eat without dirtying their fingers. In fact finger foods, cooked a little differently of course, can be made for babies so that they can pick them up with their little fingers and eat them all by themselves. This way not only will they enjoy this experience, it will also teach them to be independent and develop their fine motor skills and coordination.

What should they be like?
I will name a few typical finger foods that will give you a fair idea as to what can go under the banner of finger foods.

Here they are: bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers, sweet corn fritters, baby hara bhara kababs, small spring rolls, small samosas, a variety of canapés with a variety of toppings, baby pizzas, cheese sticks, small alu vadis, devilled eggs, garlic chicken bites, Amritsari fish, masala finger chips, baby shaami kababs, small galouti kababs, prawn rava fry, banana chips, momos with a variety of stuffing, chicken drumsticks, miniature quiches and meat pies, tiny sabudana vadas, tiny sandwich triangles, vegetable crudités with a dip...the list can be endless. The operative word here is that the food served under this heading should be bite size so that you can just plop them straight into your mouth without having to break them into smaller pieces. Even dessert items like cookies, pastries, apple pies can be served as finger foods.

Finger food business
These days catering finger foods for parties and events has become a business that brings in good dividends. More and more people prefer to serve a variety of finger foods at birthdays, engagements, weddings and other milestone celebrations. They are less expensive and there is less wastage too.

Another reason for people preferring to serve finger foods is that you don’t need crockery or cutlery to serve. Prick the food with toothpicks so that people can pick them up piece by piece and eat. Also it can be eaten conveniently while walking around and talking to other guests. Also it is easy to store leftovers. The next day they can be heated and enjoyed by the family. 

Perfect party finger foods

While planning the menu go through the choices offered and choose those that will be enjoyed by a majority of the guests. Here are some tips that would help you choose the perfect foods.

1.These days theme parties are in vogue so the choice should suit the theme.

2.Then again you need to consider the type of party or rather the age of most of the guests. For example if it is a child’s birthday party, naturally most guests will be little children. So the food should also be something that they will enjoy. Whereas, if the party is for adults, the food could be more spicy and piquant – something that they will enjoy.

3.Your budget plays a major role. It can be very tempting to get carried away with the food expenses but then it is most essential that you consider your budget. This way you too enjoy the party as much as your guests. There need not to too much of a variety for then people will find it difficult which foods they should have.

4.The variety may be small but there should be enough of whatever you are offering. There can be nothing worse that can happen at a party than when the food gets finished before time. If there is a little leftover, it will not go waste. But you should not, at any stage, run out of food.

5.It would really be nice if you could consider special needs. There could be some among your guests who have a condition that does not allow them to eat any and every food. So if you have some diet related items then these people will be able to enjoy the party as much as the others. For after all food is an integral part of any party.

6.Finally it will do you good to remember that presentation is important. If there are items like kababs or sandwiches, their shape should be as perfect as possible. They should be arranged on attractive platters and garnished well. When it comes to choosing the garnishes make sure their colours complement the food.

7.Also make sure there are enough napkins, paper plates, cups etc. It is quite common for people wanting to change their plates for a new item.

I can assure you if you follow these few tips it will not only be easier for you to plan your party and the food but it will also ensure that your guests will have an enjoyable and memorable experience. Your party will certainly be a topic for discussion and all for the right reasons too.

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MasterChef Sanjeev Kapoor

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine. He is Chef extraordinaire, runs a successful TV Channel FoodFood, hosted Khana Khazana cookery show on television for more than 17 years, author of 150+ best selling cookbooks, restaurateur and winner of several culinary awards. He is living his dream of making Indian cuisine the number one in the world and empowering women through power of cooking to become self sufficient. His recipe portal www.sanjeevkapoor.com is a complete cookery manual with a compendium of more than 10,000 tried & tested recipes, videos, articles, tips & trivia and a wealth of information on the art and craft of cooking in both English and Hindi.