re: Cocktail Party Question...

Sliced tenderloin, beef or pork with potato rolls
Ham
Smoked turkey
Crawfish cardinale in a chafer with French toast rounds
Boiled shrimp or shrimp tossed in a sauce of some sort, cold served with toothpicks
marinated asparagus or other veggies, marinated
various canapes
various spreads/dips with crackers
roasted pecans

Basically, foods that don't need a knife or fork, though I do include soups/gumbos, which are kept warm in a soup kettle (electric) to be served by the guests themselves in cups.

Just my preference. I don't like carrying around a plate with things that require a fork to eat at a cocktail party. Finger food is my personal preference. Otherwise, it's not a cocktail party. It's a buffet or dinner to me.