Fast And Easy New Year's Noshes EILEEN GOLTZ SPECIAL TO 1HE JEWISH NEWS W NT AJEWELE E ST. t0::::„. 6209 ORCHARD LAKE Rd.4 WEST BLOOMFIELD ( IN THE SUGAR TREE SHOPPING PLENA SWIMWEAR '94 Arriving Daily Going South? Let us help you select a good fitting swimsuit to enhance your wardrobe! aAyt- 1'6 Inthatc Appard Applegate Square Northwestern Highway & Inkster Road Daily 10-5:30 Thurs. 10-8 Sat. 10-5 353-5522 w U) JEWELRY APPRAISALS At Very Reasonable Prices. Coil For An Appointment CC Vilirtate-e LLJ 1.11 14 established 1919 FINE JEWELERS Lawrence M. Allan, Pres. GEM/DIAMOND SPECIALIST AWARDED CERTIFICATE BY GiA IN GRADING AND EVALUATION 30400 Telegraph Road Suite 134 Bingham Farms, MI 48010 (313) 642-5575 DArLY THURS. 10-7 SAT. 10-3 9e bile New Year's Eve is not a big deal to most of my Jewish friends, it's still an evening that a lot of people like to party. People don't seem to care if the evening costs more than Joan Rivers makes in a month, you can't get a dinner reservation until 10:42 p.m. and your baby sitter (if you can get one) holds you hostage for triple overtime. Expectations are unusually high and unfortunately so are many of the drivers out on the road. That's why we professional par- ty animals (Pin- nochio, I think your nose is growing) like to stay at home with friends. Now, before you say boring, con- sider the fact that anything (well al- most anything) you can do at a restaurant or with a prepaid party package at a hotel you can do at home, with people you ac- tually know, for a lot of mon- ey. It takes a little planning and work, but it can become the kind of evening that people talk about for years. Decorate with a sense of hu- mor. Costumes or a silly theme help get people in the party mood. Balloons and streamers are great inexpensive decora- tions. Hats, confetti and noise makers are also readily avail- able. A fire in the fireplace, up- beat dance music and games or an activity keep the party go- ing. We had a magician enter- tain one year and last year we played modified children's games. Nothing breaks the ice like "pin the bathing suit on Betty and Bob," or pass the frozen orange under the neck. One year the hula hoop dance contest was the hit of the evening. The food can make or break the evening. If you're serving dinner or just snacks keep the preparation simple and incor- porate it as part of the evening's activities. The recipes below are fast and easy and taste won- derful. Nothing entertains more than watching friends trying to cook together. As for the bever- ages, anything from pop to punch goes. If liquor is going to be part of the game plan, a des- ignated driver is a must. So if your idea of fun is ring- ing in the New Year watching Dick Clark in Times Square or partying until you can't re- member your last name, just re- member you've only got 364 days to recoup. COCKTAIL RUBENS 36 slices party rye bread `/4 c. thousand island dressing 3 smoked chubs, boned and flaked 'he. chopped pecans 6 slices mozzarella cheese Spread each piece of rye bread with salad dressing. Top with a thin piece of smoked fish. Cover with a 112 teaspoon of pe- cans. Cut each slice of cheese into 6 pieces. Top each sand- wich with cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese melts and the sandwich is heated throughout. Serves 36. HOT SALAMI 2 to 3 lb. whole salami 12 oz. Dijon mustard 12 oz. apricot preserves 12 oz. sweet and sour sauce Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray it with the cooking spray. Remove any plastic wrapping from the salami. Score the salami 1/I inch deep at 1 /2 inch intervals. Place the sala- mi on the cookie sheet. Combine mustard, apricot preserves and sweet and sour sauce together. Spread V, the mixture over the salami and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Turn every 20 minutes. Serve in slices. Use remaining sauce for dipping. Serve with mini rye. (In the summer this can be done over the grill). MOCK "SHRIMP" STUFFED MUSHROOM'S 1 lb. large mushrooms 1 c. fresh lemon juice mock "shrimp," pre- cooked, one for each mushroom c. Italian dressing 10 oz. cream cheese with chives chopped fresh dill NOSHES page 76