The Atlantic Cocktail Party Menu

Photo by Aglaia Kremezi

These wonderfully brined pickled green almonds make an exciting alternative to the usual bowl of mixed nuts. View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Old-Fashioned

Photo by Dan4th/Flickr CC

To bring a retro taste of "Mad Men" to your party, try mixing up an Old Fashioned. This whiskey-based drink was one of the first to be officially called a "cocktail." View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Real Onion Dip

Photo by Maria Robledo

This REAL version of classic onion dip is made with caramelized pan-fried onions instead of salty, flavor-enhanced dried onion soup mix. Served with excellent potato chips, it is the ultimate cocktail party food. View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Blue Ginger Chicken Lettuce Cups

Photo by Emily Sterne

These chicken cups from Wellesley's Blue Ginger make tasty hors d'oeuvres. View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Batter-Fried Zucchini

Photo by Aglaia Kremezi

Who can resist one of summer's most popular vegetables in fried form? View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

The Rickey

Photo by cogdogblog/FlickrCC

The Rickey is a category of mixed drinks made from a base spirit ( gin in this version), half of a lime squeezed and dropped in the glass, and topped with carbonated water. Little or no sugar is added to the Rickey. View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Five Cocktails for the Lazy

Photo by Cuttlefish/Flickr CC

Hosting a cocktail party doesn't have to be time-consuming. Here, five cocktails that are easy to make. View the list here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Hong Kong

Photo by monstershaq2000/FlickrCC

This drink, by one of the world's best prohibition-era bartenders, brings to mind a perfect Rob Roy or even an Affinity Cocktail. View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Tomato Bruschetta

Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures

A similarly simple snack option is classic Italian bruschetta . This dish is also ripe for improvising: see this version using slow-roasted cherry tomatoes or this tomato-soaked Spanish variation . No matter which type you try, bruschetta is easy enough to assemble that you can have it out of the kitchen within minutes.

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Negroni Sbagliato

Photo by FXR/FlickrCC

Nothing livens up a party like a little champagne. This drink combines it with vermouth and Campari to create a festive cocktail. View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

Crunchy Almond Cigars

Photo by Aglaia Kremezi

Though cocktail parties usually feature savory food, these almond "cigars" provide a much-appreciated touch of sweetness. View recipe here .

A Guide to Hosting a Cocktail Party

Recipes and techniques for refreshing cocktails and memorable snacks.

The President Trump is reportedly considering drastic action to end the Russia investigation.

Why do Donald Trump and his advisors keep floating the possibility of firing Robert Mueller, an act that would spark the greatest constitutional crisis since Watergate, perhaps the greatest in modern American history?

Partly, it’s simple rage. Mueller threatens Trump. And when Trump sees someone as a threat, he tries to discredit and destroy them—conventional norms of propriety, decency and legality be damned.

But there’s another, more calculated, reason. Trump and his advisors may genuinely believe that firing Mueller is a smart move. And if you put morality aside, and see the question in nakedly political terms, they may be right.

The chances that Mueller will uncover something damning seem very high. Trump has already admitted to firing former FBI Director James Comey over the Russia investigation. Donald Trump Jr. has already admitted to welcoming the opportunity to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from people he believed were representatives of the Russian government. Even if Mueller doesn’t accuse anyone of a crime, he’s likely to paint a brutal picture. And that’s just on the question of election collusion and obstruction of justice. If Mueller uses Russia to segue into Trump’s business dealings, who knows what he might find. An all-star team of legal and financial sleuths, with unlimited time and money, and the ability to subpoena documents and people, have been let loose on the affairs of a man whose own autobiographer called him a “sociopath.” No wonder Trump is scared.