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Having completed that little sermon, let us turn to the question of what goes with the drinks. There are two schools of thought about this. There is the drinks with-no-food school, followed by heavy drinkers and a few sophisticates and dyspeptics, and the much bigger school that regards the accompanying tidbits as half of the party. The latter is responsible for an infinite variety of delicacies and horrors to serve with cocktails.
You can take your choice, but here are a few suggestions.
First of all, in a menage-for-one, simplification is usually important - and here is an ideal place for it. Cocktail accompaniments should be appetizers, and not a large part of the meal. They should never have a hint of sweetness, with the one possible exception of a plain, very thin, slightly sweetened biscuit served with sherry. They should not be too fancy, or too varied, since the accompanying liquids are apt to increase the appetite and decrease the discretion.
It's all very well to serve elaborate canapes at a grand party, but you probably don't give many grand parties. Small, informal ones are more fun and much easier, especially if you haven't much space or service. And at these, elaborate canapes seem a bit pretentious. Try, instead, a bowl of huge, well-chilled olives and some crisp, salty, unsweetened crackers spread with fish and cheese mixtures. Or two or three varieties of the really good cheese biscuits, such as twiglets, cheddar and piquant sandwiches, and Chantilly crackers. (There are some dull ones, too, which would justify any discriminating guest in talking about you behind your back.) And perhaps salted nuts or cheese popcorn.
Whatever you do, don't let the cocktail hour be a burden. Its purpose in life is to inject a little gaiety into a weary world, and, if it doesn't do that for you, you might as well get your fun out of wearing a white ribbon and making soap-box speeches for the W.C.T.U.
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