Mr. C. and I recently hosted a 70th birthday celebration for our dear friend Mark. I knew I wanted it to be a cocktail party, but I also knew that appetizers alone have a tendency to become a bit cloying after a while. So, I decided to offer a plain soup for those who needed a break from all the richness that is inherent with most hors d’oeuvres, spreads, dips, and canapés. And having the soup available was absolutely the right call. I’d even go so far as to say it was brilliant. (But that would be way too conceited for me to actually brag about. So, just suffice it to say, it was an excellent choice!)
My quandary from the beginning was to figure out a theme. Then it struck me. Mark had been born in the 50s along with my husband and several other people who would be attending the party. And since I had been helping my mother make party food in the 50s, I already had an idea about the kind of food that was popular then, so, why not celebrate not only Mark, but the whole darn decade!
And I must say, it was such a fun party to plan. And even more fun to execute. Plus, most of the items I decided to serve were recipes already posted on this site. Better and better.
So, what you find below is the menu. Every item in bold print is a recipe already on this site. If not in bold print, it’s a recipe that you will find at the bottom of this post or the item was provided by Vicki, Mark’s wife.
I served the regular appetizers and Vicki’s layered salad on the dining room table. The soup, meatballs, and stuffed mushrooms I served in the kitchen. (Sorry no picture.) The soup I kept warm in my crockpot. The stuffed mushrooms and Swedish meatballs stayed warm on my warming tray.
And having the food in two different locations worked really well. If nothing else, it got people moving around. And since not everyone knew each other, it was a great way for people to find themselves in a different area of the house with a new group of interesting folks with which to get into interesting conversations.
You know, the secret to a good party is not the food. Or the booze. It’s the people. And if you are blessed with great people in your life, then throwing a party is easy. Just invite them. They will come. And they will bring along their experiences, insights, interests, and a myriad of fantastic qualities that have led them to who they are today. And in this complex world that seems to many of us completely out of control, it is just wonderful to surround yourself with captivating people. I felt blessed just to have these amazing guests in my home. Plus, now I have another good memory. For how long, well that’s completely out of my hands. But for now, the remembrance is still with me, and I am savoring every blinking moment of it. May you too make memories that cause you to smile.
Again – happy birthday Mark. And cheers for many more birthdays to come.
And as always, peace and love to all.
1950s Cocktail Party Menu:
Bacon & Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
Cheddar Pecan Crackers
Creamy Curry Dip with Crudité
Deviled Eggs
Layered Salad (Mark’s wife Vicki made the salad)
Onion Dip w/Tim’s thick potato chips
Pastrami Roll-Ups (see recipe below)
Savory Cream Cheese and Minced Olives Ball w/Ritz crackers
Savory Ham and Dried Whole Pea Soup
Smoked Salmon Spread Canapés
Southern Pimento Cheese Stuffed Celery
Swedish Meatballs
Birthday Cake – Chocolate Raspberry (Vicki’s masterpiece)
PASTRAMI ROLL UPS
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temp
1 tsp. cream style horseradish, or more to taste
½ lb. deli pastrami, very thinly sliced
dill pickles, cut into very thin julienne strips, and blotted dry with a paper towel
Combine cream cheese and horseradish. Lay the pastrami out on a cutting board or clean countertop. (Depending on the thickness of the meat, use 1 or 2 slices.)
Spread a medium amount of the cream cheese mixture on pastrami.
Lay a strip of pickle along the bottom, then roll the meat into a tight pinwheel or log.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, cut into ¾-inch pieces, secure with a wooden pick, and serve on a pretty plate or platter.