Ingredients

4 pounds chicken wings
3 tablespoons cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
2 scallions including green tops, chopped
5 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
8 ribs celery, cut into sticks

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425°.
2. In a large bowl, combine the wings, oil, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the cayenne.
3. Arrange the wings in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Bake until just done, about 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, scallions, 1 teaspoon of the vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
5. In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, the remaining 4 teaspoons vinegar, and the Tabasco sauce. Add the wings and toss to coat. Serve the wings with the celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing alongside.

Serves 4.

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Ingredients

2 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
9 cups freshly popped unsalted popcorn
2 cups miniature pretzels
1 1/2 cups salted roasted peanuts
1 1/2 cups whole almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups salted roasted cashews

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Whisk together egg whites, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and salt to taste and toss until thoroughly coated.
3. Spread evenly in 2 buttered large shallow baking pans (1 inch deep) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until coating is crisp, about 20 minutes total.
4. Spread mixture on 2 large sheets of parchment paper or oiled foil and cool completely.

Makes 14 cups.

Make ahead: Spiced party mix can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Ingredients

1 10-ounce jar apricot all-fruit preserve
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 box puff pastry, defrosted and refrigerated until ready for use (recommended brand: Pepperidge Farms)
1 12-ounce package pre-cooked apple chicken sausage, or any kind you like (about 4-5 links)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the apricot preserves and honey. Reserve 1/3 of the apricot mixture for another use. Add the mustard to the remaining apricot for the dipping sauce.
3. In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds and the poppy seeds and reserve for sprinkling later.
4. Cut each sausage into 2 even pieces.
5. Spread some of the apricot-honey mixture over puff pastry, reserving some for dipping later.
6. Cut the puff pastry sheet in half and then cut 5 equal rectangles out of each half, making 10 equal rectangles.
7. Lay 1 sausage chunk an inch from the edge of the puff pastry. From there, roll the puff pastry and sausage to the opposite edge of the square. Give it a quick pinch to close.
8. Lay the rolls out on a baking sheet with enough room to allow the puff pastry to rise. Brush a little more of the apricot mixture on top of each blanket, then sprinkle each one with a little of the sesame and poppy seed mixture.
9. Bake according to the puff pastry package directions, or until golden brown all over, about 12-15 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

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Ingredients

1 9-ounce can bean dip
1/4 cup picante or taco sauce
1 8-ounce container refrigerated guacamole
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar or taco cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives
2/3 cup chopped, seeded tomato (1 medium)
8 cups tortilla chips, a mixture of colors including white, blue, and red (regular corn, blue corn, and red corn tortilla chips)

Directions

1. Combine bean dip and picante sauce; spread into a rectangle about 9-by-5-inches on a serving platter making a layer about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Next carefully layer avocado dip and sour cream. Top with cheese, green onion, and olives. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.
3. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped tomato. Serve with red, white, and blue tortilla chips.

Serves 16.

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