On game night ... eat right!

Hosting a game night is never complete without a few bites for your guests to enjoy. "Not only is it a lot less expensive than going out to dinner these days, frankly, I think it's a whole lot more fun, too," says Cynthia Nims, au?thor of the forthcoming "Gourmet Game Night" and longtime game and finger-food lover.

But no one wants to balance cards while maneuvering a fork and knife or wind up covering game pieces in Cheetos dust. Nims offers these tips for hosting a delicious, mess-free night:

Keep food bite-sized.

Try edible serving "dishes" such as cucumber slices, hollowed cherry tomatoes, endive leaves and squares of toast. Use shot glasses for easy-to-eat soups and dips. Always keep small ramekins, Asian-style porcelain spoons, skewers and picks on hand for foods from mini shepherd's pies to tuna tartare and salads.

Choose eats that won't fall apart.

Firmer types of seafood are best: swordfish, salmon, tuna, shrimp or scallops. "More delicate, flaky fish can be used if enclosed in pastry or tossed in a salad," Nims says. Meats such as beef or pork allow for greater flexibility. Or for vegetarian selections, try mushrooms, grapes and hard cheeses.

Think creatively.

Don't worry about a cohesive menu. It's OK to serve curried coconut soup with shrimp, followed by BLTs, then cheese fondue. "That kind of diversity actually adds to the fun," Nims says.

Time your servings.

"Serve at least four or five items at a time," Nims says. "Your guests will have a good variety of things to choose from and can replenish at their leisure." Start with light snack items, such as nuts and dips, as guests arrive. When you sit down to play, put out the "entree" dishes: perhaps soups, stuffed mushrooms and meat skewers. Serve two to three desserts a while later, when your sweet tooth kicks in.

Use pitchers for cocktails.

"It reduces guests' time away from the table for a refill to mere moments, rather than minutes," Nims says. But don't fill your pitcher with ice, which can dilute drinks. Nims recommends freezing part of your drink mixture in ice-cube trays, then using those cubes to keep cocktails chilled.