Definition: cocktail reception

To welcome your guests, create a warm and relaxed atmosphere with background music and a beautiful bouquet of seasonal flowers. Exchange memories, recall your favourite anecdotes and enjoy a bewitching drink with deceptively provocative colours that you discovered on your travels.

To make your cocktail party a success, you will need:

A silver tray for the glasses, because it reflects them and shows off their contents to their best advantage. For visual appeal, the frosted rim of the cocktail glasses is made with fine salt or powdered sugar. Some people add lemon juice or water to help the salt or sugar stick better.

Opt for large dishes whose colours harmonise with the canapés and other appetisers. Bear in mind that your guests will have to eat them in one bite, hence their name! Keep this in mind when preparing them. Also, place cocktail sticks around the room to make them easier to eat. The advantage of a cocktail party is that guests can move around to talk to everyone, chatting while standing with a drink in their hand. However, don't make your guests perform acrobatics. Place small tables around the room where they can put their glasses or plates if they wish.

Have plenty of small paper napkins in all colours. They are essential when eating with your fingers. Stack them up so that everyone can reach them. When passing around the tray, be sure to have them on hand as well.

Be wary of cocktails with a deceptively sweet taste. They are actually quite alcoholic. Tequila, vodka, whisky, cognac, gin, rum, champagne or non-alcoholic punches made with grape, orange, grapefruit or apple juice: the choice is yours. Plan for a maximum of three varieties of cocktails and two non-alcoholic punches. Also consider still or sparkling water, and white wine, sparkling wine or champagne, depending on your budget, for those who do not like mixed drinks.

Many appetisers can be prepared in advance. How else would caterers do it? Do as they do. You can prepare sushi eight hours in advance (if you buy it ready-made, pay attention to the expiry date). Raw skewers made with prawns, asparagus, red peppers, mushrooms, sausages, etc. can be placed in the refrigerator, covered with cling film. Consider miniature tomatoes stuffed with cream cheese, tapenade or prawns. Don't forget filo pastry parcels (very thin pastry available in the frozen food section of the supermarket, where you'll also find pastry bases) stuffed with oriental flavours and tied with a thin chive cord; some preparations can be baked in the oven at the last minute. Canapés are small slices of fresh baguette, toasted or untoasted, with a variety of toppings. Fruit (papaya, mango, fig or melon) can be wrapped in thin slices of ham or smoked duck. Don't forget the cheese; with varieties from here and elsewhere, there's enough to take you on a tour of the producing regions.