The Nibbles Game: Some Tips and Tricks
You’ve invited people over and feel compelled to provide grazing options, ideally options that say ‘it’s so great that we could do this’ and not ‘please excuse (insert anything you’re feeling paranoid or insecure about, either with regards to your home, hosting skills, where you are in life, or relationship status)’. And, of course, they need to be the kind of things that are functional: quick, inexpensive (if you’re spending more on food than alcohol then something is deeply wrong), and something one might actually want to eat.
It could be the case that caring about the nibble game is now a thing of the past. I don’t know; I have still to understand the time I grew up in, let alone the time in which I currently exist. All I know is that, like any self-respecting Englishwoman, I’d be on a bitching tirade behind the backs of any host who had failed to provide food at a get-together I was invited to. Although, if you can only provide either alcohol or snacks, always choose alcohol. Obviously.
So, here are my suggestions for what may or may not be an outdated component of social engagements. The overall theme is less is more, which gives the illusion of quality over quantity (while also requiring less effort). Put another way, a tin of Quality Streets looks far lazier and less elegant than a small bowl of gold-foiled marron glacé (and, I mean a small bowl, mind; buy more than ten of those little chestnut treasures and you’re approaching a plane fare to Paris).
Evoking the way of the marron glacé, and in no particular order, consider doing the following:
Cheese: a typical staple of any grazing board and which will nonetheless creep in even if no actual ‘cheese board’ has been provided (think plates of mozzarella with basil, tomato and olive oil). In true ‘less is more’ fashion, DO NOT feel tempted to showcase all that France (or favoured cheese nation) has to offer, but select two or three different cheeses, perhaps one of the following: hard, soft, blue, sheep, goat, cream. A couple of proper wedges shows intention and therefore, naturally, good taste.
Give the illusion of abundance: if you have opted for only a couple—or even just the one—nibble option but nonetheless want to avoid any perceptions of scarcity, then consider buying a selection of nuts, seeds, fruits, even flowers, to strew about the board. I don’t mean spending obscene amounts on those posh nuts or exotic fruits. Pick a bag of nuts (I actually think anything simple and unsalted looks best, like walnuts) and a couple of pieces of fruit that are in season (and therefore cheaper), and maybe a small bunch of flowers (that are, again, in season) and strew them about to bring brightness and feast-like optics. And remember: the more colour, the more delightfully busy your offerings will look.
Pick one thing that you/somewhere local does well: it’s best to spend money on food that you know tastes really good or you cook well and easily. Capitalise and consider just spotlighting that for your evening. Always want an excuse to buy your local’s sourdough? Just rip up a fresh loaf and pair with bowls of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You’re a sucker for a decent slab of dark chocolate? Chop into shards and leave in bowls as a great accompaniment to red wine. Are you a dark horse when it comes to whipping up guacamole? Make a vat and provide bread, crackers, nachos or what have you to showcase your culinary craftsmanship.
Bread is your friend: for those who are tempted to provide a charcuterie selection or something pricey in that vein, think strategically. Buy a packet of mixed hams (for instance)—although, again, I would recommend choosing one or two options to give the impression of intention—and buy a big loaf of nice looking bread. Place big wedges and slices of butter with perhaps a little salt between the fancy morsels. Bread has three advantages: almost everyone likes it, it takes up space (physically and gastro-intestinally), and it absorbs alcohol wonderfully. Not recommended for those who can't eat gluten, of course.
Pub or posh snacks aren’t your only option: you don’t have to think in terms of crisps, nuts, cheeses and meats, among other things. Think about one or two colourful side dishes that you can make for several people and that taste good at room temperature. Some people may genuinely thank you for providing something outside the brown and beige colour spectrum. Being lazy, I often steam a load of shop-bought Chinese dumplings and edamame. My recipes for Tender Moments: Broccoli with Lemon & Almonds and Halloumi and the Concentrated Mind would work really well here, just make sure you provide bowls and forks. Bread, again, wouldn’t go amiss.
Calling in reinforcements: don’t make the nibbles do all the work. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how much food you think you’ve prepared, your table looks sadly empty. Don’t be disheartened and think about the mantra of Intention. And with that, make use of any tea lights, bottles of alcohol, cutlery/glasses/napkins and so on that you can designate to the occasion. Adorn the gaping space with these things so the offerings look cosy and curated, not desperately misjudged. Failing that, invest in a much smaller table.
The power of The Crisp: do not underestimate this humble creation. Remember there is always the option to keep things simple with crisps because, honestly, that’s all anyone wants with a beer. To tart things up, buy a big bag of the posh salted kind and pile high in a sharing bowl, serving with shop-bought or homemade hummus (decanted and drizzled with some extra olive oil and if desired, toasted pine nuts).
Finally, alcohol always goes with more alcohol: the backup plan if all else fails.
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