Another clever canape mainstay: a box of cherry tomatoes. Slice off the tops, spoon out the innards, drain upside down for a few minutes, then fill with the mixture of your choice; it could be goat's cheese mashed up with creme fraiche, or a smoked fish pate, or egg mayonnaise. Decorate the open top with a dribble of pesto or a sprig of herb, and away you go. Alternatively, don't bother to stuff them: just pile them in a dish, tuck whole basil leaves here and there through them and serve in a refreshingly natural state - as the Italian ambassador does at soirees in Lucan House.