Munchies for Your Cocktail Party

When selecting food for a cocktail party, stick to the theme. For example a fantastic dip to prepare is a Tequila Dip made to serve with tortilla chips or crackers. Also, use cocktail glasses to serve food in as well as drinks. A great cocktail party recipe is Limoncello Lobster Cocktail. If you would rather not cook, you can purchase a sampling of cocktail foods such as: Christmas Cove Lobster Cakes or Cape Neddick Crab Dip.

* Christmas Cove Lobster Cakes
* Cape Neddick Crab Dip

* Tequila Dip:
Ingredients:
2 Avocados
2 Tablespoons lime juice
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons tequila
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lime Wedges

Preparation:
Peel, pit and mash the avocados in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice. Beat the cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the tequila and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the avocado mixture. Rub the rim of the serving bowl with a wedge of lime. Dip in salt to coat rim. Spoon the dip into bowl. Serve with the lime wedges and tortilla chips.

* Limoncello Lobster Cocktail:
Ingredients:
2 lbs. of fresh lobster tails
Olive Oil
Sea Salt and White Pepper
Juice of 2 grapefruits
1/4 cup Limoncello Liqueur
Fresh lemon grass stalks for garnish

Preparation:
Split each lobster tail and clean. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush with grapefruit juice and limoncello and let sit for 20 minutes. Frequently blast with additional grapefruit juice and limoncello. Grill the lobsters over hot coals until done, once again brush with juice and limoncello. The cook time is 5-7 minutes, do not overcook. Remove meat from shells and separate into chunks. Divide between 4-6 martini glasses. Top with Limoncello Salsa (recipe to follow) and Vinaigrette (recipe to follow). Garnish with a swizzle stick and lemon grass.

* Limoncello Salsa:
Ingredients:
3 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss.

* Vinaigrette:
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon limoncello liqueur
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon honey mustard
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Preparation:
Whisk together the lemon juice, limoncello, chives, lemon zest and mustard until smooth. Slowly add the oil while whisking until the dressing thickens. Add the parsley and pour over lobster and salsa cocktails.