The 12-to-12 Party

There are Festive Times, round about the holiday season, when you and we and other merry-makers wish the jollification could somehow last and last--as if one wished that time could really be made to stand still. What we here propose as a means of accomplishing this miracle--or coming close to it--is a 12-o'clock party or, more precisely a 12-to-12 one. The idea is this: Thanks to global time zones, it's midnight--or noon--somewhere in the world every hour on the hour; what you, as host, do to prolong the special kind of holiday pleasure that is usually encompassed in a brief span of relaxed and informal partying is to follow the sun round the world, arresting time by celebrating 12 o'clock--wherever it may be--every hour on the hour, for 12 hours. Practically speaking, you serve forth food and drink to your guests hourly, each offering reflecting the ethnic best of some part of the world where the hands of the clocks are pointing straight up. There's no set cocktail time, no set dining time: Your guests may nibble and swig as much or as little as they wish, when they wish, for as long as they wish, and the variety of vittles and potables you proffer will keep the most sylphlike birds and the huskiest trenchermen returning to your bar and buffet to maintain spirits and zesty energy at party peak from first arrival to last departure. Sound like a hell of a lot of work for beleaguered hosts? Rest ye merry, gentlemen: The fun eclipses the toil; preplanning precludes your being a kitchen slavey. The small advance effort repays you thirteenfold in sharing the fun with your guests, rather than merely providing it. And the stopped-clock informality of your fete (the fact that your guests may drop in, drop out--and return--as the holiday mood moves them) guarantees that your party participants, at any given moment, are chez vous because they want to be, not because they've accepted a time-binding invitation.

The best way to invite friends to your party is to send out written invitations two or three weeks in advance. On each, list the dishes you'll be serving next to the hour that they'll be offered. By letting guests know that hourly there will be new manna from your kitchen, your batting average for acceptances will come close to a thousand.

One of the first principles of open-housemanship is this: Stick around. Don't be the disappearing host who runs out to the kitchen too much. You can, of course, keep your shoulder completely off the wheel by having the whole celebration, from cocktail picks to coffee urn, handled by caterers. But the trouble with many caterers--not all--is that their repertoires are too limited, their specialties too ostentatious. The best plan for most bachelors who've earned their own personal cordon bleu is to whip up a few of the 13 courses that have won your friends' bravissimos, and purchase the balance of the feast. You'll undoubtedly remember a fresh pâté maison at one restaurant, a great quiche lorraine at another, or one of the classic specialties served at your club. Order them comfortably in advance, and in one grand taxi tour pick them up freshly prepared for the next day's open house. You'll want to hire three helpers or recruit some of your friends--one who will act as custodian of the punch bowls, bar and buffet table, the others to take care of cooking and cleanup.

Our 12-to-12 buffet starts with a whole glazed ham. This trusty stand-by remains on the table throughout the 12-to-12 session. Later on, roast filet of beef takes the spotlight. Still later, a whole smoked turkey makes its bow. By providing this rich cumulative cushion of viands for your revelers, you'll never be over-whelmed by the sudden surge of arrivals for which open houses are famous. Virtually any craving for food and drink is instantly appeased, and when the come-and-get-it call is heard, everybody joins the hourly gathering at the festive board.

At a party such as this, the unanswered question in logistics is how much food to buy. It's the problem no matter whether your party is completely catered or whether you pick up your provender from your favorite delicatessen or restaurants. Buy enough for two thirds the total number of guests invited. You have 60 acceptances? Buy, or cook, 40 portions of each specialty. The size of each so-called "portion" changes from what it would normally be at a sit-down dinner. Hors d'oeuvre dishes such as shrimp or pâté should be larger than normal. Chefs-d'oeuvre, meats and poultry should be smaller than normal. Most important, serve your guests rather than let the assembled crowd help themselves. This common-sense solution always works. For guests who can't resist super portions of their favorite dish, there are always the cold meats and their accompaniments for a satisfying substitute. Almost all leftover foods can be converted into frozen-food assets. Some can be refrigerated and used at the next day's crony critique, a post-party gathering that often turns out to be as delightful as the party itself. Finally, the host at a 12-to-12 party should take it easy at the punch bowl. Remember the Italian words "Bevitore ma non bombone." Drink well, but don't drink until you're foolish.

12-to-12 Holiday Table: Bedeck the table with candles, flowers or centerpieces, and a fruit bowl or basket. Food plates should be no larger than salad size. Provide the largest possible stockpile of forks, and at midnight, enough fondue forks for all present. Napkins should be amassed at the buffet table and at strategic spots throughout the apartment. There should be trays of assorted small split buttered rolls or small bread-and-butter sandwiches, allowing one and a half servings per guest. Store most of the bread and rolls, covered with moistened towels, in refrigerator. Bring to buffet table as needed. As for the potables, the following should suffice.

[recipe_title]Fish House Punch:[/recipe_title] Serves 12. Thaw 2 12-oz. pkgs. frozen sliced peaches in heavy syrup. Pour into well of electric blender; blend 1 minute at high speed. Pour over large block of ice in punch bowl, together with 1 quart light rum, 2-2/3 cups cognac, 1 quart ice water, 1 pint freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 cup sugar. Stir well. Let all ingredients ripen in punch bowl at least 1 hour before serving.

[recipe_title]Champagne Punch:[/recipe_title] Serves 12. Pour into punch bowl surrounded with ice or large pitchers surrounded with ice, 3 fifths iced brut champagne, 4 ozs. maraschino liqueur, 4 ozs. iced cream sherry, 4 ozs. iced fresh lemon juice and 16 ozs. iced fresh orange juice. Stir slightly. Pour into stem champagne glasses. Keep potables for refills in refrigerator until serving time.

[recipe_title]Standard Hard Drinks:[/recipe_title] At a separate small table or bar cart, line up the whiskeys, gin, vodka and vermouth for those guests who choose to eschew the punch bowls.

[recipe_title]Assorted Light and Dark Beers and Ales:[/recipe_title] For drop-ins who prefer the malt brews, have on hand a pre-chilled selection of beers and ales, both imported and domestic.

Wines: Be sure to anticipate the wishes of visiting vinophiles by setting out several bottles of wine. A vintage red Bordeaux and some imported Moselle or Liebfraumilch should suffice.

Directions below are for pampering 20 holiday appetites. All major culinary operations should be completed the day before the party.

[recipe_title]12 o'clock noon--Cold Glazed Ham:[/recipe_title] Buy a 10-12 lb. (cooked weight), bone-in, glazed ham, either Smithfield or mild cured. Enthrone the ham on a carving board with holder. A ham slicer, razor sharp, should be unsheathed for carving meat to order. Salad Cauchoise: Boil 6 lbs. potatoes. Peel and cut into 1/2-in. cubes. Cut enough Delicious apples, peeled and cored, to make 3 cups. Apples should be cut same size as potatoes. In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, apples, 3 cups diced celery, 12 strips bacon, fried crisp, drained and chopped fine, 3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat, 1-1/2 cups heavy cream, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Calvados or apple brandy, 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives, 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Chill, covered, overnight in refrigerator. Place a bowl of salad on table at noon. Replace from time to time as needed. Wild-Rice Pilaf: Wash 4 cups raw wild rice well in cold water. Remove any foreign particles. Drain. Melt 1/4 cup butter in large heavy saucepan. Add 1/4 cup finely minced shallots or onions and 1/2 lb. finely minced fresh mushrooms. Sauté a few minutes. Do not let shallots brown. Add wild rice, 2 quarts chicken broth and 1 small bay leaf. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, over lowest possible flame until rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Place a small amount in chafing dish over hot water. Replace as needed Laborsaver: Use canned wild rice instead of raw, seasoned, however, with shallots and mushrooms.

[recipe_title]1 o'clock--Gnocchi, Roman Style:[/recipe_title] In (continued on page 341)12-to-12 Party(continued from page 196) large heavy saucepan, bring 3 quarts milk slowly up to boiling point. Do not boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Keep pan over low flame; slowly add, while stirring constantly, 3 cups farina. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from fire. Grate 2 medium-size onions into pan. Beat 6 eggs well. Slowly stir in eggs, blending well. Add 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Return to a low flame and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup butter and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Stir until butter melts. Turn mixture into greased shallow pans or casseroles. Gnocchi mixture should be about 3/4 in. thick, level over pans. Chill overnight. Before serving, turn mixture out of pan. Cut into 3/4-in. cubes. Toss cubes in irregular fashion into shallow serving casseroles. Sprinkle generously with grated parmesan cheese and with melted butter. Bake in oven preheated at 370° about 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. If the job seems staggering--we don't think it is--buy the gnocchi from your favorite trattoria.

[recipe_title]2 o'clock--Pâté Maison:[/recipe_title] You'll need about 4 lbs. pâté for 20 portions. If the pâté is in a crust or covered with a thick layer of jelly, you'll need 4-1/2 to 5 lbs. Keep ice cold until serving time. Use a very sharp knife, dipped in warm water if necessary, or a wire cheesecutter as a slicer. Present the whole pâté on a burnished silver platter or the most sumptuous china platter you own. Cover the border of the platter lavishly with crisp water cress. Remove from buffet after serving.

[recipe_title]3 o'clock--Quiche Lorraine:[/recipe_title] There are quiches with bacon, ham, cheese, onion, crab meat, lobster, and even a quiche with poppy seeds. Select the one most easily obtainable. Reheat it in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes. Three quiches, 8 ins. in diameter, will provide 18 to 24 portions. Return to kitchen after serving.

[recipe_title]4 o'clock--Caviar Platter:[/recipe_title] Chill an 8-oz. jar beluga caviar, or pressed black caviar, and an 8-oz. jar red salmon caviar. Cut 1/2 lb. sliced sturgeon into smallest possible dice. Combine sturgeon with 1/4 cup red radishes in tiny dice and 1/2 cup sour cream. Season generously with salt, white pepper and cayenne. Cut 1/2 lb. sliced smoked salmon into smallest possible dice. Combine smoked salmon with 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives. Hard-boil 3 eggs. Chop very fine and combine with 2 finely minced scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Caviar may be served in original containers. Accompaniments should be in small hors d'oeuvre dishes. Arrange caviar, smoked salmon, sturgeon and chopped egg in respective containers on a large platter. Around edge of platter, arrange rounds of rye melba toast and small rounds of thin imported pumpernickel. After serving, return platter to kitchen.

[recipe_title]5 o'clock--Curry of Chicken:[/recipe_title] Pick up 4 lbs. chicken or turkey roll cut into 1/8-in.-thick slices. Cut slices into eighths. Mince 2 medium-size onions; sauté in 1/2 lb. butter in large heavy saucepan over low flame only until onions are yellow. Stir in 3 tablespoons curry powder. Remove from flame and stir in 1 cup flour until no lumps of flour are visible. Slowly stir in 1 quart hot chicken broth, canned or fresh, 2 cups light cream and 2 cups milk. Return pan to moderate flame. Simmer slowly, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Add chicken and simmer 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons brandy, salt, white pepper and cayenne to taste. If chicken flavor seems weak, it can be intensified with powdered instant chicken bouillon. Store overnight in refrigerator. Soak 1 cup yellow raisins in 1/2 cup amontillado overnight. Combine raisins with chicken. Heat in double boiler. Transfer to chafing dish for buffet table. Serve with Major Grey's chutney.

[recipe_title]6 o'clock--Hot Roast Filet of Beef:[/recipe_title] Also known as roast tenderloin of beef. The one cooking job that should be done the day of your party. From the best gourmet butcher shop you know of, buy 2 whole prime aged beef tenderloins. Remove from refrigerator about an hour before roasting. Preheat oven at 450°. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, fat side up, 30 to 40 minutes. The job should be timed so that the meat can set from 20 to 30 minutes before being delivered to buffet table. It should be sliced rather thin. Beefeaters will be jubilant with either open or closed sandwiches. Unsliced meat should remain with ham.

[recipe_title]7 o'clock--Shrimp Platter:[/recipe_title] Order in advance from fishmonger 6 lbs. cooked, shelled, deveined shrimps. Arrange them slightly overlapping on large platters. Cover with a light Russian dressing. If dressing is too thick to spoon easily over shrimps, thin it with light cream or milk. On top of each shrimp, place a very small dollop of cocktail sauce. Pierce shrimps with multicolored cocktail spears. If any shrimps are left, return them to the refrigerator.

[recipe_title]8 o'clock--Cold Smoked Turkey:[/recipe_title] Buy a 10-lb. bird. Since smoked turkey is a cooked meat, the 10 lbs. will equal a 20-lb. raw young tom. Smoked turkey should be sliced very thin, but slices should not be transparent. This makes a wonderful ally with the Salad Cauchoise. Leave bird on carving board for balance of evening.

[recipe_title]9 o'clock--Crab Meat Diavolo:[/recipe_title] Order in advance 4 lbs. fresh Eastern jumbo crab lump. Examine carefully to remove any pieces of shell. (Canned, fancy tendonless crab meat may be used as substitute.) In a heavy deep, wide saucepan, over low flame, heat 1/4 lb. butter until it melts. Add 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 cup very finely minced onion and 3/4 cup very finely minced celery. Sauté until onion just begins to turn yellow. Add 1 teaspoon ground fennel and an additional 1/4 lb. butter. When butter has melted, add crab lump and 3/4 cup amontillado. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from flame. Drain 6 14-1/2-oz. cans plum tomatoes, reserving juice. Combine juice with 2 6-oz. cans tomato paste, blending well. Chop tomato meat coarsely. Add tomatoes and tomato-paste mixture to pan. Stir carefully to avoid breaking crab lump. Bring to boiling point. Season with salt, pepper, monosodium glutamate and cayenne to taste. At buffet table, serve hot in chafing dishes.

[recipe_title]10 o'clock--Sausages in White Wine:[/recipe_title] Place 5 lbs. small sausage links (not cocktail sausages) in a single layer in shallow baking pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in oven preheated at 400°. In wide saucepan, sauté, in 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup minced shallots, 2 large very finely minced cloves garlic and 1/2 teaspoon leaf sage. When shallots just begin to turn yellow, add 1/2 cup white wine and 3 tablespoons bourbon. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup flour, blending well. Stir in 1 quart hot chicken broth, fresh or canned, and 1/2 cup tomato juice. Bring to boil; reduce flame and simmer 10 minutes. Add brown gravy color. Combine sauce with sausages. Store in refrigerator. Before serving, reheat sausages with their sauce in moderate oven, in baking pan covered with aluminum foil. Serve in chafing dish. Offer finger rolls. Remove from buffet table before next course.

[recipe_title]11 o'clock--Chinese Roast Duck and Roast Pork:[/recipe_title] Both are prepared by Chinese or Polynesian restaurants. Both have the captivating flavors of soy sauce, honey or sugar and spices. Buy 3 whole ducks (not pieces of Peking duck) and 3 lbs., cooked weight, Chinese roast pork (called "Char-Shew"). Before serving, cut ducks with cleaver or poultry shears into bite-size pieces. Cut pork into thin slices. Present on Oriental-china platter. Provide small bowls of prepared Chinese oyster sauce, plum sauce and hot Chinese mustard. Chopsticks should be available. Remove from table before midnight.

[recipe_title]12 o'clock--Cheese Fondue:[/recipe_title] Buy 5 14-oz. cans Swiss-cheese fondue. Heat in kitchen, following directions on can. Add kirsch and white wine if desired. Place in fondue dishes for serving at buffet table. Cut 2 long thin loaves French bread into cubes for dipping. Keep 2 additional loaves on hand. Fondue forks, or extra-long cocktail spears, should be available to everybody. Slices of glazed ham or smoked turkey may be offered for dunking.

Follow all the preceding directions carefully and your 12-to-12 party--truly a trencherman's timetable--will come off like clockwork and you'll be the man of the hours.