Martinis glasses that are delicate  must be handled with respect and grace, and the wide mouth requires that they be held a certain way. They make a beautiful presentation.

You can fill up your guests and feed them well with small bites of hearty food, along with delicious hors d’oeuvres. Accompanied by salad or pickle forks, fancy toothpicks or long-stemmed spoons (depending on how deep the glasses), food martinis can make “chat and chew” an entirely new art.

A meal served in a martini glass is fabulous for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is that it is economical.  The base of a food martini can be made with a variety of inexpensive starches like pasta, rice, couscous and mashed potatoes for a dinner meal, or ice cream, yogurt or pudding for dessert. You can also embellish just one dish, like mashed or sweet potatoes, with lots of gourmet toppings.

Mashed potaotes topped with grated cheese and garnished with cilantro can be a hearty dish, as in the photo at right (credited to photographer Vidiot).

But my favorite food martini pairing is curried couscous with teriyaki salmon bites and arugula salad.

Other food martini pairings:

• Wasabi /garlic mashed potatoes with baby lamb chops
• Apple sweet potatoes with broiled tilapia nuggets and fennel-laced string beans
• Curried couscous with teriyaki salmon and arugula salad
• Hominy grits with collard greens and creamed chicken
• Red beans and rice with vegetarian riblets
• Hummus with pita chips and assortment of olives
• Fruit kabobs with vanilla yogurt
• Jasmine rice with pan-seared chicken breast and sun-dried tomatoes
• Panini martinis – a bed of coleslaw with an assortment of holiday shaped paninis

Related posts:

1. Small plates for holiday parties
2. Panini martinis
3. Holiday turkey leftovers

But you don’t have  to spend a ton of money to host a good party. In fact, making sure that your guests are satisfied can costs far less than you may think.  And then there’s also the fat factor.

I hate to bust everyone’s chops but here’s the deal. More than half of all Americans are fat, which is very unhealthy for us and is burdening the nation’s health care system. This time of year,  it’s nearly impossible to consider going on a diet. But everyone wants to enjoy a holiday party, which is really difficult when you’re trying to lose weight or your budget is too slim.

It’s too depressing to miss the holiday party for either reason, so  my theory is portion-control.

And that doesn’t just mean you have to serve your guests only wings and crudités. Little bites of food can be both satisfying and diverse while cutting down on calories. In fact, serving either butlered  hors d’oeuvres or setting up small-plate food stations not only helps cut down on costs and calories, but also helps your guests  to mingle more than they would at a sit-down dinner.

Having them make their own food is also a great way to promote your guests’ creativity and spark some interesting conversations. At this year’s holiday party, try having a pizza or pasta station or a gourmet salad or dessert bar with small plates for serving.

There are sliders (miniature sandwiches), paninis (fancy grilled sandwiches), mini pizzas, food martinis, and a host of other small-plate dishes that I’ll be featuring on healthysoutherncomforts.com throughout the month of December.

Some of these recipes are simply mini versions of foods that we all love (like pizzas). Some have reduced calories or simply reducedportions, but one thing is certain: Putting together a small-plates menu will ensure that your guests will enjoy themselves immensely while holding the line on your pocketbook and waist.

Mini Pizzas

Preheat oven to 375° F

Ingredients

• Pizza dough balls
• Spaghetti sauce
• Grated cheese – you can grate it yourself ( which is cheaper)  or buy it pre-grated. he flavors of cheese are endless, but my favorites include goat cheese, feta, cheddar or shaved parmesan

Toppings (there are so many, but here are some suggestions):

• Red sauce and mozzarella cheese
• Pesto and potatoes
• Mushrooms and onions
• Grilled Chicken and pineapple
• Vegetarian crumbles and soy cheese
• Goat cheese and black olives
• Sliced steak (either beef or vegetarian)
• Fresh tomatoes
• Fresh herbs such as basil and oregano
• Shrimp and fresh garlic

Directions

• Flour your hands and a work area,  and roll out pizza dough with a rolling pin.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut the shape of your mini pizzas. You should get 8-10 per dough ball and the great thing is that cookie cutters, like pizza dough balls, are really cheap (I found a collection for 99 cents. They come in different shapes, and you can usually find stars or holiday symbols to tailor-make your pizzas with a festive flair). If you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can use the top of a glass to cut the dough.
• Prepare your toppings by dicing or slicing them according to the size of the mini pie crusts. Cover them separately with plastic until you are ready to assemble the pizzas.
• Brush pizza dough with olive oil and bake for 3 minutes.
• Place toppings on mini pizzas and bake 10-12 minutes (or until toppings are bubbling) just before serving.

Related posts:

1. Food martinis – a holiday treat
2. Graduation parties
3. Leftover salad