Zap-In

New Year's Eve--when merrymakers merrily kiss off the old in favor of the new--is the perfect time to try something different. So why not go really way out and throw a festive futuristic fete patterned after the zap-in costume ball pictured here and on the following pages? In preparing for the blast-off, you may want to set the stage by sending out R.S.V.P. invitations in a plastic spaceship (text continued on page 102) or bubble helmet. It also helps to suggest to guests that they style their garb after the far-out fittings worn in science-fiction flicks and TV shows: perhaps 2001, Barburella, Star Trek or the campy Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon series.

Chances are, most girls will take their costume cue from the most avant women's fashion magazines and show up in transparent attire worn with--or without--a body stocking. Other alternatives include yards of cotton that have been glued to a foundation garment, thus transforming the wearer into a "cloud," lounging pajamas with multicolored baubles sewn on, micro dresses made of mirror or aluminum sheeting, tights combined with a see-through blouse, balloons attached to a bikini or a one-piece bathing suit, op-patterned paper dresses, maxi-length sequined side-less gowns and vinyl space boots or lace-up Roman-style sandals. Wholesale plastic suppliers make a good hunting ground for such accessories as Lucite spheres that can be easily converted into space helmets or bubble kinis.

Guys will probably prefer to go the spaceman route and make their grand entrance in lame astronaut-type togs or Ming the Merciless capes and tights. Either style of outfit can be sewn up for the occasion by a girlfriend or rented from a costume company. Electronic wizards may wish to wear a battery-powered blinking-light box as part of their ensemble or wire a bulb to the top of their space helmet. Way-out footwear can run the gamut from sandals to wrestler's shoes or combat boots painted gold; and it's a cinch that a sequined, ultrawide motorcycle belt will jazz up a jump suit--and give the wearer a "superman" look. Also have on hand a few cans of aerosol-spray Day-Glo body paint to use under a black light, some inexpensive battery-powered "zap guns" that shoot a beam of light, several squirt guns loaded with champagne, plenty of vinyl blowup pillows and balloons (including supersized ones used by the Weather Bureau), some swinging mobiles hanging from the ceiling and a projector that flushes psychedelic lights on the walls. For serving up the galaxy of food-and-drink suggestions listed below, we recommend that you use plastic champagne goblets and serving dishes, since they will withstand the uninhibited high jinks and spirited dancing that are sure to follow.

If your apartment is too small to serve as a launching pad for a high-flying zap-in, you and a few friends might chip in and lease a discothèque or a small night club for the evening. A less costly alternative is to rent an artist's loft or an empty store and make them space-shipshape for your far-out fling. A live rock group, of course, is the ideal accompaniment to any New Year's ball; but on the off-chance that all the groups are booked, a good stereo rig turned up to supersonic level, plus the right LPs (Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish, The Doors, etc.), will do the job almost as well.

When laying out a holiday buffet for your costume revelry, consider the fact that futuristic larders will be stocked with foodstuffs that are still considered ultraexotic today but not difficult to obtain. The best gourmandial rule of thumb is for you to visit a store that specializes in unusual delicacies. The fact that such items as bear and elk meat aren't served regularly throughout the year gives them additional lift-off power at a New Year's celebration. Remember, however, that wild game has a limited freezer life--usually two to three months. Although venison or elk is more tender and flavorful after being kept in cold storage for 90 days, the practice of hanging game up for aging is gradually being discarded in favor of freezing the party-sized meat chunks.

Of course, it isn't necessary to transform your entire menu into a zoo story. Serving a well-known staple with a classic sauce or garnish will also garner encores from your hungry guests. Veal, for example, sauteed in butter, flambéed with gin and then simmered with juniper berries and cream is a traditional European treat that opens new taste horizons for most Americans.

As your holiday bash roars on toward dawn, orbiting guests will crave the revival power of a steaming bowl of hot soup. One of the best examples is canned kangaroo soup made from kangaroo tails. To serve, flavor it with both madeira and cognac and then take the teeming tureen directly to the table. Another bizarre tidbit is the canned broiled octopus now being shipped to these shores. Octopus meat is delicately soy flavored and, when made into a chowder, is sure to hold the interests of your guests to the very last drop.

At traditional New Year's blowouts, bottles of champagne usually keep the party spinning into the wee hours. But for your out-of-this-world saturnalia, set out liqueurs, fruits, bitters and other additives that can be used to magically transform dry bubbly into champagne cocktails (see recipes that follow). Later, you can lift the party to even more heavenly heights by offering a delicious Interplanetary Punch instead of dessert.

Here, then, are some suggestions by Playboy's Food and Drink Editor, Thomas Mario, on how to shape your feast to come. All food recipes serve six.

Voyage to the bottom of the sea

[recipe_title](Creamed Crab Meat, Black Mushrooms and Quail Eggs)[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 lb. cooked fresh crab lump, deluxe grade[/recipe]

[recipe]6 large black dried mushrooms (available at Oriental stores)[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cups milk[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]Instantized flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons fino sherry[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]3 2-oz. jars quail eggs[/recipe]

[recipe]Dijon mustard[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 egg, beaten[/recipe]

[recipe]Bread crumbs[/recipe]

Examine crab meat carefully. Remove any pieces of shell or cartilage. Pour hot water over mushrooms: let them soak 1 hour. Drain and cut them into slivers about 1/4 in. thick and about 1 in. long. Pour milk and cream into a heavy saucepan. Add 1/4 cup flour and stir until flour dissolves. Add butter; cook over a low flame, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick and smooth. Add sherry, chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Add crab meat and mushrooms and simmer very slowly about 10 minutes. Store in refrigerator and reheat at serving time. Drain quail eggs and dry with paper toweling. Coat with mustard. Add 1 teaspoon salad oil to beaten egg, mixing well. Dip quail eggs in flour, egg and bread crumbs, coating thoroughly with each step. Chill in refrigerator until serving time. Heat 1/2 in. oil in electric skillet preheated to 370°. Fry quail eggs until golden brown. Drain on paper toweling and place on top of hot crab meat in chafing dish or serving casserole.

All-Star Came

[recipe_title](Elk Stew with Orange)[/recipe_title]

[recipe]3 lbs. boneless leg or rump of elk (not shoulder)[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup finely minced onion[/recipe]

[recipe]2 medium cloves garlic, minced extremely fine[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1 quart game broth or chicken broth, fresh or canned[/recipe]

[recipe]2 slices orange. 1/2 in. thick[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small bay leaf[/recipe]

[recipe]6 whole cloves[/recipe]

[recipe]3 whole allspice[/recipe]

[recipe]8 whole peppercorns[/recipe]

[recipe]12 sprigs parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons madeira or sherry[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon grated orange rind[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

Cut elk into 1-in. cubes. Melt butter and oil in a stewpot over a low flame. Add meat and sauté, stirring frequently, until meat loses raw color. Add onion and garlic and saute about 5 minutes more, stirring frequently. Stir in flour, blending well. Slowly stir in broth; bring to a boil; reduce flame and simmer. Add orange slices and lemon juice. Tie bay leaf, cloves, allspice, peppercorns and parsley in a small bag of cheesecloth and lower into pot. Simmer until meat is (concluded, on page 222)Zap-In(continued from page 102) tender--11/2 to 2 hours. Remove orange slices and spice bag. Add madeira, orange rind, and salt and pepper to taste. Stew is best if made a day before the party and reheated before serving. Serve with risotto or buttered noodles.

The Future Revealed

[recipe_title](Veal Ragout with Juniper Berries and Cream)[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 lbs. boneless shoulder of veal[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. button mushrooms[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup finely minced shallots or seal-lions[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup finely minced leek, white part only[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium-size clove garlic, minced extremely fine[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons finely minced juniper berries[/recipe]

[recipe]3 ozs. gin[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons flour[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cups chicken broth, fresh or canned[/recipe]

[recipe]11/2 cups light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon finely minced chervil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

Cut veal into 1-in. cubes. Remove stems from mushrooms and save for some other use, such as omelets or soup. Melt butter with oil in a stewpot. Add veal, mushrooms, shallots, leek, garlic and juniper berries. Sauté, stirring frequently, until veal loses raw color. Add gin; set ablaze; let flames subside. Stir in flour, blending well. Add chicken broth and simmer, covered, until veal is tender--1 to 11/2 hours. Add cream and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes, then turn off flame. Add parsley, chervil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ursa Major

[recipe_title](Bear Scaloppine, Pepper Sauce)[/recipe_title]

[recipe]21/2 lbs. boneless bear roast (thawed, if frozen)[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 Spanish onion, sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]2 large cloves garlic, smashed[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup red wine vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup dry red wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium-size onion, minced fine[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon dried thyme[/recipe]

[recipe]1 pint game broth or chicken broth, fresh or canned[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon meat extract[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon finely minced parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]Brown gravy color[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup butter[/recipe]

Cut meat into slices 2 ins. square and 1/4 in. thick. Marinate overnight in oil, sliced onion, garlic, vinegar and salt. Simmer wine, minced onion, pepper and thyme until wine is reduced to 1/2 cup. Strain and set aside. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade and place meat, a few pieces at a time, between a double thickness of wax paper. Pound with a meat mallet until each piece of meat is as thin as veal scaloppine. In a large electric skillet preheated at 400°, pan-broil the meat, without added fat (the marinade will cling to the meat), until light brown on each side. Do not overcrowd skillet. When all meat has been browned and removed from skillet, add broth, meat extract and parsley. Bring to a boil. Scrape skillet to loosen drippings. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add brown gravy color, if desired. Add strained wine and butter. Place meat in gravy and heat. Correct seasoning of gravy, if necessary. Keep meat hot in a chafing dish or in a casserole over a trivet flame. Serve on buns or with sliced French bread, moistened with gravy.

Neptune's Delight

[recipe_title](Octopus Chowder)[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 5-1/4-oz. cans broiled octopus on skewers[/recipe]

[recipe]2 ozs. salt pork[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large Spanish onion, medium dice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large clove garlic, minced extremely fine[/recipe]

[recipe]2 pieces celery, medium dice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 carrot, peeled, medium dice[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1 pint chicken broth, fresh or canned[/recipe]

[recipe]3 cups clam juice, fresh or bottled[/recipe]

[recipe]3 cups potatoes, medium dice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 pint milk[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]11/2 ozs. amontillado sherry[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 oz. cognac[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, celery salt, pepper, monosodium glutamate[/recipe]

Remove octopus from skewers. Cut into dice no larger than 1/4 in. and set aside. Remove rind, if any, from salt pork, and cut salt pork into smallest possible dice or chop coarsely. Heat salt pork in soup pot until fat melts. Add butter, onion, garlic, celery and carrot and sauté over a low flame until onion is yellow, not brown. Stir in flour, blending well. Add chicken broth, clam juice and octopus. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer until tender. Add milk and cream. Bring to a boil; turn off flame. Add sherry and cognac. Season to taste with salt, celery salt, pepper and monosodium glutamate.

[recipe_title]Blast-Off Bubbly[/recipe_title]

Americana

[recipe]4 ozs. iced brut champagne[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon 100-proof bourbon[/recipe]

[recipe]Dash bitters[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 slice branched or frozen peach[/recipe]

Stir bitters, sugar and bourbon in pre-chilled champagne glass. Add champagne and peach.

[recipe_title]Caribbean Champagne[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. iced brut champagne[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon light rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon banana liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Dash orange bitters[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice banana[/drinkRecipe]

To keep banana slices from turning dark, dip in pineapple juice or orange juice before placing on buffet table. Pour rum, banana liqueur and bitters into prechilled champagne glass. Add champagne and stir gently. Add banana slice.

[recipe_title]Champagne Fraise[recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. iced brut champagne[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon strawberry liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon kirschwasser[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Large fresh strawberry[/drinkRecipe]

Pour strawberry liqueur and kirschwasser into prechilled champagne glass. Measure 1/2 teaspoons precisely--don't overpour. Tilt glass, so that liquors cover bottom and sides of glass. Add champagne and strawberry.

[recipe_title]Champagne Normande[recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. iced brut champagne[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon calvados[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Dash Angostura bitters[/drinkRecipe]

Stir sugar, bitters and calvados in prechilled champagne glass. Add champagne and stir very gently.

[recipe_title]Interplanetary Punch[recipe_title]

(Approximately 1 gallon, or 24 punch cups)

[drinkRecipe]1 quart mango nectar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 fifth light rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. dark Jamaica rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]12 ozs. (1-1/2 cups) heavy sweet cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]12 ozs. white crème de menthe[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 quart freshly squeezed orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]8 large sprigs mint[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 large ripe fresh mango (if available)[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]6 thin slices orange[/drinkRecipe]

Prechill all ingredients, including liquors. Place a 2-quart block of ice in punch bowl. Add mango nectar, light rum, Jamaica rum, cream, creme de menthe and orange juice. Stir very well. Tear mint leaves from stems. Peel and cut mango into small slices. (Canned mango may be used in place of fresh; canned fruit, however, will not float.) Cut orange slices into quarters. Float mint leaves and fruit on punch. Place punch bowl in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours for flavors to ripen. Serve with thinly sliced brandied fruitcake or petits fours.

By properly fueling your guests with the preceding liquid and solid propellants, you'll hit new highs in hostman-ship and your space-age bash will be long remembered as a stellar attraction.