Book excerpt: Your guide to throwing a great get-together, with fifty finger food recipes, plus drink-pairings and party theme ideas. With Cocktail Food, you can kiss those baby carrots and tired old bowls of chips good-bye. Instead, treat yourself to bit-sized delights from one of San Franicsco’s favorite catering teams, the bestselling authors of Smoothies and Wraps. Offering fifty fabulous finger foods, Cocktail Food spans the globe to find deliciously different hors d’oeuvres that will brighten any happy hour. From Puff the Magic Mushroom (puff pastry stuffed with cremini mushrooms) to Figs in a Blanket (fresh figs with Gorgonzola and prosciutto), these recipes are specifically designed to make the perfect cocktail even better. Each chapter pairs great party-planning ideas (how about a Martini Soiree? Or a Beer Tasting?) with a series of recipes made to match up with a particular style of drink. Whether your tastes run to Big and Bold or Light and Delicate, you’ll find plenty of ways to tease and tantalize taste buds while the cocktails flow. And using the authors’ helpful do-ahead tips, you might just find yourself having a blast at your very own party.