Last week, one of my closest friends passed away. Her name was Liz Klaers and let me tell you, she was a pistol. The funeral was a packed house, a testament to Liz’s love of people and love of life. The woman could tell a joke like nobody else: “A horse walks into a bar and the bartender says, ‘why the long face?’” Har-har!

One of the main outlets for Liz’s considerable passion was her annual Christmas cocktail party. From the silver tin tree that sat sparkling under the disco ball, to the table brimming with delicious dips, to the refrigerator stocked with champagne and wine, she really understood how to make people feel the holiday. Of course, evening clothes were always mandatory — shiny jewelry and high heels and neck ties. Liz would have said that the most important ingredient in a smashing party is excess.

What that means in practical terms is that you should approach the event with a generosity of spirit and a commitment to making your guests feel special and at ease. Why serve champagne from plastic tumblers when you can purchase flutes at the thrift store for less than a buck each? Nobody should go hungry. Liz would spend days shopping for and preparing a variety of foods. She’d get bags of chips and boxes of crackers and good cheese (like blue and gouda) and fruit and olives and pickles and hummus and pita bread. Then, she’d get working on her signature dips, especially her artichoke dip, the recipe for which I shared with you around the 4th of July. When Liz’s brother asked me recently whether I wanted anything from her possessions, I suggested the pan in which she always baked that heavenly dip.

Liz’s holiday parties were always well attended by an amazing cross-section of people. She had a way of bringing folks together, of weaving the world into one beautiful cloth. It was not uncommon, at Liz’s, to see a drummer from a rock band chatting with a veterinarian, or a newspaper reporter downing tequila shots with a gardener. And I guess that’s the best you can say about any party — that it showcases people at their outrageous best and, just for one night, erases the lines that separate us.

Liz, you were my good friend and I will always love you.

Comments and recipes can be sent to vogel@whidbey.net

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

3 to 3 1/2-pounds chicken wings (about 20)

1/2-cup catsup

1/4-cup dry white wine

1/4-cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2-teaspoon ground ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

Cut each chicken wing at the joints to make 3 pieces; discard tips. Place the chicken in an ungreased baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Mix the remaining ingredients; pour onto the chicken. Cover and refrigerate, turning the chicken occasionally, at least 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Place the chicken on a rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Brush with reserved marinade. Turn the chicken; bake, brushing occasionally with marinade, until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Salmon Party Ball

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 can (16 ounces) salmon, drained and flaked

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4-teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4-teaspoon salt

1/3-cup chopped nuts

1/4-cup snipped parsley

Mix all the ingredients except the nuts and parsley; shape the mixture into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but no longer than 4 days. Mix the nuts and parsley; coat the ball with the mixture. Serve with crackers.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 large ripe plum tomato, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Dash of Tabasco or hot pepper sauce

Scoop the avocados into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and mash the avocados coarsely. With a fork, gently mix in the tomato, onion, salt and pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Serve within an hour or two at room temperature.

Roquefort Spread

8 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled, at room temperature

1/4-cup tawny port

1/4-cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Place the Roquefort in a mixing bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the port, and stir until fairly smooth. Fold in the walnuts. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours before serving with crusty French bread

Date and Olive

Wrap-Arounds

Thin-sliced bacon

Pitted dates

Pitted prunes

Small dried figs

Dried apricot halves

Stuffed green olives

Halve each slice of bacon lengthwise and crosswise. One thin strip will be used for each hors d’oeuvre.

Cut each date, prune and fig lengthwise through one side only, to open. Stuff each dried fruit with a small green olive, and wrap with a strip of bacon. Secure the bacon with a wooden toothpick.

Arrange 12 wrap-arounds around the inside edge of a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate lined with a paper towel. Cook on full power uncovered, until the bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes; then drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Wonderful Artichoke Dip

14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

4 ounce can diced green chilies, drained.

Black pepper

Combine all the ingredients. Scoop the mixture into a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.