Appetizers are intended to be tempting food creations which precede the meal, or occasionally, you might have an appetizer buffet which serves as the main food event.

Appetizers can be either hot or cold, but it is important to keep hot appetizers hot, and keep cold appetizers well chilled. This can be accomplished with alcohol burners of electric plates for the hot appetizers. Ice can be used to keep cold appetizers properly chilled.

Make sure your appetizers complement your main meal. If the main course is heavy and rich, choose light appetizers such as raw crisp vegetables and dip. If the main course is fish, avoid fish appetizers.

Many appetizers can be made ahead of time to minimize your time away from your guests. Plan to serve no more that one appetizer which requires last minute preparation.

Make sure it is easy for the guests to serve themselves. That means that you have available serving tongs, spoons, forks, knives and napkins. If there are a number of appetizers, provide plates and the proper utensils.

Cold appetizers lend themselves more readily to earlier preparation, and many dips have improved flavor if they are made a day before and refrigerated until serving time.