on hand for your guests to enjoy.

This Christmas, why stick to the bog-standard crisps, peanuts and cocktail sausages? From Italy to India, Mexico to the Middle East, we've come up with some party favourites from around the world that will add a bit of exotic spice to your festive get-togethers! Buffalo Chicken Wings A taste of the Wild West with this spicy chicken snack.

12 chicken wings (chicken legs will suffice) 2 tablespoons margarine or butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted 1 tablespoon white vinegar 2 to 3 teaspoons red pepper sauce Salt to taste Heat oven to 425F. Cut each chicken wing at joints to make 3 pieces; discard tip. Cut off excess skin and discard.

Melt 2 tablespoons margarine or butter in a large rectangular pan in the oven.

Coat chicken with flour and place in pan. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, turning once, until light golden brown in colour. Ensure that the juice of the chicken is no longer pink when cut. Drain on paper towels.

Mix 1 tablespoon margarine or butter with the vinegar, pepper sauce and salt in large bowl until well blended. Add chicken; toss until evenly coated with pepper sauce mixture. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. Make Ahead Tip: Cook chicken ahead of time and reheat when ready to serve.

Crusty Italian Sausage Bites No-one cooks sausages better than the Italians, as this dish proves.

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped 375g Italian sausage, sliced 400ml can tomato sauce 1 French baguette, sliced thick and toasted 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese salt and pepper few drops Pickapeppa sauce Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for four minutes.

Add sausage slices, season well and continue cooking for seven to eight minutes.

Pour in tomato sauce and correct seasoning. Cook for another six to eight minutes. Transfer contents to food processor and blend. Spread mixture over slices of toasted bread and place on ovenproof platter. Top with cheese, sprinkle with Pickapeppa sauce and bake in oven until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve at once.

Potato Wedges Simple to prepare, but much more interesting than crisps and a lot healthier than chips. Spice things up with a variety of dips.

(To serve four, but only in theory) Two pounds of small new or red potatoes, preferably no more than three inches long. A good tablespoon of sunflower oil.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F, 190C, gas mark 5.

Wash but do not peel the potatoes, bring to boil and simmer for eight minutes.

Drain, then quarter each one length ways.

Place the oil in a bowl with the chosen seasonings, add the potatoes and coat well. Turn onto a baking sheet and cook in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes.

Seasonings are really a matter of choice. You could experiment with Indian spices (try ground cumin and coriander and a pinch of chili powder) or opt for a mixture of herbs such as dried thyme, rosemary and oregano, or even use ready-mixed Cajun seasoning. But to start yourself off you could do a lot worse than try a mixture of a teaspoon each of mild paprika, oregano, celery seeds, thyme and garlic salt and ten grindings of black pepper.

Chili chicken This Tamil dish is hot, very hot, so warn your guests and provide plenty of water, or better still milk, to cool burning taste buds! 20 large dry red chillis, soaked in warm water 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon fennel 2 tablespoon coriander seed 3-4g fresh ginger, peeled and pulped Juice of 1 lemon Salt to taste 1lb boned, skinned chicken Vegetable oil for deep frying Lemon wedges to garnish Dry roast the cumin, fennel and coriander together and then grind with the drained chillis.

Mix spice with ginger, lemon juice and salt in a bowl.

Chop chicken into bite size pieces, add to bowl and mix in marinade thoroughly. Cover and leave in fridge overnight.

Heat oil on steep sided pan or wok. You'll need at least 1 inch of oil in bottom of pan.

Fry chicken pieces (covered in marinade) a few at a time, do not overcrowd.

Chicken should take only a few minutes to cook and will be dark golden brown on outside, white and juicy on the inside. Allow each batch to drain on kitchen paper and allow oil to re-heat before next batch. You can keep chicken warm in a low oven until all is ready.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Mexican Surprise A spicy snack perfect for vegetarians.

2 ripe avocados 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 small carton sour cream 1 package taco seasoning mix 1 can chopped green chilies 1 small can chopped black olives 1 small tomato chopped 1 (8-ounce) package fine shredded cheddar cheese Peel and mash avocados in a pie plate. Stir in lemon juice, sour cream and taco seasoning mix. Mix well. Spread remaining ingredients (in order listed) on top of mixture. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Middle East Fattoush. This is a salad-type dish where the pitta breads act as sort of croutons. Light and very tasty.

2 pitta breads juice of 2 large lemons 1 cos lettuce, shredded 1-2 large tomatoes, chopped coarsely 1 large onion, finely chopped small bunch parsley, finely chopped 6-8 sprigs mint, finely chopped few sprigs coriander, finely chopped 2-3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped sea salt & black pepper 8 tablespoons olive oil Break pittas into small pieces and put into a bowl. Pour over the lemon juice and soak for five minutes.

Add all the other ingredients to the pittas, tossing well. Check seasonings and serve.

Make plenty! These tasty potato wedges are loaded with potassium and vitamin c.