\n<\/p>\n
For years I have collected vintage party cookbooks, relishing in the sometimes timeless and sometimes hilariously dated advice they provide to aspiring hosts. While I was writing Party Tricks<\/em>, my own entry into the genre, I was haunted by a quote from the introduction to James Beard\u2019s 1940 book Hors D\u2019Oeuvre and Canap\u00e9s<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cocktail party no longer means a bottle of gin, a can of sardines, and a package of potato chips from the corner grocery,\u201d wrote Beard. Maybe this rang true in 1940, but in the 21st century, this short grocery list sounds to me like a recipe for a great<\/em> party.<\/p>\n For less than $5, potato chips are expertly fried hors d\u2019oeuvres that require zero vats of hot oil (no industrial HVAC systems or costume changes required). You can dress chips up, dress them down, or just frantically pour them into a bowl to buy yourself a little extra time to bake those savory puff pastry tarts, or to stir martinis for your guests. In case these weren\u2019t enough reasons to buy this staple on repeat, here are a few of my favorite ways to improve the party with a bag of chips.<\/p>\n Serve them with a two-ingredient dip<\/p>\n Although I\u2019m a huge devotee of a classic onion dip, I find that minimalism is sometimes better. In Party Tricks<\/em>, I pair salt-and-vinegar potato chips with a bowl of cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche topped with trout roe (you can garnish the whole pile with a few chives if you want). It\u2019s a way to show off a small amount of caviar without composing a million one-bite canap\u00e9s. You could swap the cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche for sour cream (or BA staffer Emma Laperruque\u2019s genius two-ingredient dressing), the trout roe for any fish eggs you have, and top it with the herb of your choice.<\/p>\n Invent your own dream chip flavor<\/p>\n That bag of all-dressed or green curry chips can be a party conversation starter, but when your local grocery store selection starts boring you, it\u2019s time to dream up your own house flavor. Can\u2019t find Old Bay chips outside of Maryland? Make your own! Want your potato chips to channel onion dip flavors\u2014no dip required? Pick up a bag of store-bought chips to shower with onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh dill.<\/p>\n Make some chip dust<\/p>\n Crushed potato chips are a shortcut to texture, richness, and salt. I\u2019m especially fond of pulverized salt and vinegar chips when I want to add acidity to a dish without including liquid. You can use them to garnish a dip (like this giardiniera number), add breading to something you\u2019re frying (try them on chicken cutlets), or as a topping for a casserole.<\/p>\n Tower them high<\/p>\n A few years ago, Ernesto\u2019s, a Basque restaurant on the Lower East Side, started serving a mile-high tower of alternating layers of house-made potato chips and Ib\u00e9rico ham. Since then, I\u2019ve seen chip towers pop up on cooking websites, friends\u2019 Instagrams, and many more restaurant menus. Former BA staffer Jessie YuChen has a recipe on Epicurious where sea salt chips are drizzled with honey butter and studded with crispy salami. But so many combos work. Just layer the chips in a shallow bowl, alternating with stacks of charcuterie, tinned mussels, or finely grated cheese.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n