Digit Dining

With all the emphasis on dinner parties and haute entertaining, we’ve lost sight of the pleasures of the cocktail party and finger food.

To make this kind of entertaining work comfortably for you, the best strategy is to have two types of dishes: first, colorful finger foods passed on trays; then, on a side table, such serve-yourself stalwarts as cheese with crackers and sliced baguettes, crudites and dip, spreads such as hummus or eggplant caviar with pita triangles, and olives, salted nuts, or even smoked ham or turkey.

Finger foods can include this colorful shrimp salad served on endive leaves, horseradish-spiked smoked salmon-dill canapes, and roasted potatoes spread with blue cheese and mint. Garnish the plates with the herbs used in the recipes and arrange the dishes on silver trays graced with a spring blossom sprig.

For the simplest bar, a chilled dry white wine such as a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc with water and soft drinks would suffice. Working up, a red wine can be added along with beer. The hard-liquor basics are vodka, Scotch, gin and bourbon.

SOUTHWEST SHRIMP SALAD IN ENDIVE LEAVES

Here, shrimp is incorporated in a refreshing, crunchy salad. It’s best made a day ahead and refrigerated. It’s best to add the cilantro just before spooning the mixture into the leaves.

1/4 pound cooked, peeled shrimp, deveined and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons diced red onion

2 tablespoons diced sweet red pepper

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Cayenne pepper

Dash salt

1 1/2 tablespoons minced cilantro

16 medium-size endive leaves, rinsed, patted dry with paper towels

16 small cilantro leaves

Combine shrimp, mayonnaise, red onion, red pepper, lime juice, cayenne to taste and salt in small bowl. Mix until combined. Chill at least 2 hours. Can be made day ahead and refrigerated, covered airtight. Stir well just before using. Add cilantro. Mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, neatly spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons shrimp salad into endive, 1/2 inch in from bottom of leaf. Garnish with cilantro leaf. Can be assembled up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated. Serve chilled.

Makes 16 appetizers.

Each serving contains about:

21 calories; 50 mg sodium; 15 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.31 gram fiber.

SMOKED SALMON-DILL CANAPES

1/3 cup light cream cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons minced red onion

2 teaspoons horseradish

1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper

Dash salt

8 thin slices firmly textured white bread

1/4 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into 24 small pieces

24 dill sprigs

High-quality smoked salmon that is not too salty makes a difference here; sample the salmon before you commit. These canapes go down easily, so plan on several per guest.

Put cheese, dill, red onion, horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, pepper and salt in small dish. Mix well. Add remaining lemon juice as needed. Chill 2 hours. Can be made day ahead and refrigerated, covered airtight.

Lightly toast bread and cut into 24 rounds with 1 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter. Spread about 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture on each toasted round. Arrange salmon on top. Garnish with dill sprig. Can be made up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated. Serve chilled.

Makes 24 canapes.

Each serving contains about:

25 calories; 139 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

ROASTED BLUE CHEESE POTATOES WITH FRESH MINT

8 red new potatoes, about 2 inches in diameter, rinsed, patted dry with paper towels and halved

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

16 small mint leaves

Roasted potatoes are always a favorite on the cocktail circuit. Here, they’re topped with a blue cheese and fresh mint mixture, a lively combination. They are equally good served hot or at room temperature.

Put potatoes in small bowl. Toss with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again. Place potatoes, rounded side down, on baking sheet.

Bake at 450 degrees until well browned, tender but not mushy, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Cover pan with foil. Can be made several hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Combine cheese, mayonnaise, pepper to taste and chopped mint in small bowl. Mix well. Trim bottom of potatoes for flat base. Spread 1 teaspoon cheese mixture on top of each.

Broil 8 inches from broiler until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.

To serve, top each potato (hot or room temperature) with mint leaf. Serve immediately, if hot.

Makes 16 appetizers.

Each serving contains about:

49 calories; 109 mg sodium; 4 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.12 gram fiber.