Many of us will be working this week, then rushing around getting ready for a New Year's Eve event. But what to bring? (Because this is Hawai'i, and no matter what they say, you gotta bring!)

We tried to put together a little kokua in the form of some favorite recipes that practically put themselves together. Word to the wise: Pick the recipes you like and go shopping today so all you have to do is hurl things around the kitchen at the last minute.

BACON DIVISION

Just about anything wrapped in a strip of bacon will earn you mmmmms and repeat visitors. Things to wrap: cocktail onions, olives, dates (sounds weird, tastes wonderful), whole almonds, oysters, bits of sauteed foie gras, squares of grilled tofu, water chestnuts, chunks of steamed crab or raw tuna, blocks of firm cheese.

Tips: Buy good-quality center-cut bacon and cut the strips in half, crosswise; use good-quality toothpicks, too (the cheap ones break). Bacon wraps may be fried, but broiling is easier, allowing fat to drip off. To broil with least mess and best success: Line broiling pan with nonstick foil (e.g. Reynolds Release), place bacon-wrapped pupu on grate above pan and broil 5 inches from source of heat (too close and they'll burn before they cook). Turn once.

P.S. For less fat, use turkey bacon. And thin-sliced ham can be used in the same way.

P.P.S. If you have time to blanch the bacon in boiling water, it melts away some of the fat and aids broiling without burning; just be sure to wipe it dry.

VEG OUT

"The 30-Minute Vegan," from Kaua'i authors Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray (Lifelong Books, paper, $18.95), offers lots of ideas for quick, meatless snacks. They flavor popcorn with olive oil, nutritional yeast (which adds a cheese-like nutty flavor and can be found in any health food store), chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne and sea salt. They make guacamole without fuss by mashing ripe avocado and adding just a touch of curry powder, chili powder or ground cumin. They toast hulled pumpkin seeds with shoyu, maple syrup, sesame oil and a little apple cider vinegar. And they make a gorgeous appetizer that takes a little time and also lends itself (apologies, Mark) to use by cheese eaters.

You need one tool: a good, swivel-handed vegetable peeler or a food processer with a slicing blade. Take a beautiful, firm zucchini or a long Japanese eggplant, cut it lengthwise in strips, fill it with something delicious, wrap and skewer. Bake briefly and guests will say wow. Here's how:

ZUCCHINI ROLL UPS

• 2 tender but firm zucchini

• 1 pound extra-firm tofu*

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

• 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter)

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional but yummy)

• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or taste

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and oil a baking sheet. Slice each zucchini (or eggplant) into long, thin strips. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add a little more tahini or olive oil if the consistency seems too stiff. Spread about 2 tablespoons of this mixture along each piece of zucchini (not too thickly) and roll up. Secure with a toothpick. Place on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. May be chilled or served at room temperature.

* Nonvegetarian option: Use ricotta cheese, or part-ricotta instead of tofu.

CHUTNEY AND JAM SCHOOL

Chutneys, jams and jellies (especially spicy or sweet pepper jellies) make very useful fallbacks, poured over a block of cream cheese or as a spread with store-bought cold cuts or roasted meats or cheeses such as chevre.

Chutney pups: Place a jar of chutney in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Dump in a package or two of cocktail sausages. Cook on stove until heated through or microwave 4-6 minutes, turning and stirring between. Serve skewered with toothpicks.

Chutney-stuffed eggs: Hardboil a dozen eggs. Remove yolks and mash together with 2 tablespoons finely chopped chutney, 1/4 cup crisp crumbled bacon, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise. Use pastry tube (or zip bag with corner snipped off) to fill egg whites. Garnish with minced parsley. From: "Hawai'i's Party Foods" by Muriel Miura.

Chutney 'n' cheese: Blend 8 ounces each of chutney and cream cheese. Serve with crackers or bread rounds. Or just pour the chutney over the block of cream cheese and stick a spreader on the dish.

GOING NUTS

Nuts, just as they are, are a treat. But if you take the time and expense to get some raw nuts, salt or season and roast them, your guests will appreciate it all the more. Chopped nuts also are useful for adding texture to spread, using as a coating on cheese balls, scattering over dishes for garnish.

Mac nut hummus: In a food processor or blender, combine 1 cup hummus (health food store or supermarket deli), 1/3 cup natural mac nuts (unsalted, roasted) and a tablespoon or two of mac nut oil and blend until smooth. Taste and correct seasonings with a splash of fresh lemon juice, some minced or pureed garlic and salt, as needed. Serve with pita bread crisped under a broiler (you can brush them with mac nut oil). This recipe was based on one by Oils of Aloha.

Another nutty idea that always wows 'em and looks very much more difficult than it is is brown sugar baked brie. Just buy a round loaf of good bread and a round of brie that will fit inside of it. Gently cut a circle in the top, using the brie as a guide and cut down in, being careful not to cut through the bottom. Plop the unwrapped brie in there and pour over a warmed mixture as follows: 3 tablespoons melted butter, 3 tablespoons butter, a heaping teaspoon of minced parsley, [0xa4] cup roughly chopped mac nuts. Put the "lid" back on and bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes. Guests slice out the gooey wedges with a serrated knife (provide plates; it's a little messy).

Writer, foodie tour guide and publicist Bonnie Friedman clipped this recipe from the December 1990 Bon Appétit magazine.

"I make many batches of these throughout the holidays and even for a small gathering, I always make at least 1 1/2 recipes because my guests insist on taking little bags home with them. They're perfect with a glass of champagne, prosecco, dry white wine, sparkling cider, even sparkling water with lime or lemon. And they make a fabulous home-made holiday gift. Put them in a nice jar, even a festive Chinese food takeout container with a pretty ribbon."

SPICED PECANS

• 10 ounces pecan halves

• 2 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in a medium bowl (larger bowl if you're increasing the recipe). Melt the butter in a small (or medium), heavy saucepan. Add the cumin and cayenne and stir until aromatic, about 15 or 20 seconds. Pour over the pecans. Add the sugar and the salt and stir to coat. Transfer to a baking pan. Bake until nuts are toasted, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pecans can be made up to five days ahead and stored in an airtight container.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

POP AND CRUNCH

Just about any form of popcorn can be sexied up with the addition of fresh or dried herbs and spices. Use your imagination.

Chex mochi: Combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce and 4 drops hot pepper sauce. Spread an 8-ounce package of rice Chex or similar cereal in a rimmed baking dish. Drizzle sauce over and stir to coat. Bake at 250 degrees 25-30 minutes.

NICE RICE

Scatter: Make chirashi sushi. Spread warm sushi rice in a baking dish (such as an 11-by-7-inch or 9-by-13), or use plain, warm rice and salt your hands from time to time as you pat it into place. Paint the top lightly with a mixture of 1 tablespoon wasabi and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Over this scatter tasty ingredients, all cut into thin slivers: cooked carrot, green onion, scrambled egg or temaki omelet, takuwan, raw or cooked fish, rehydrated shiitake mushroom, kampyo, seasoned eel, shrimp, sliced octopus, green beans, watercress, even thin-sliced roast beef, ham, Spam or even grilled foie gras. Top with furikake or nori strips or wrap in a shiso leaf. This sushi is spooned onto plates rather than rolled.

Triangulate: Cook a pot of short-grain, Japanese-style rice and cool to warm. In a bowl, combine a tablespoon of salt with 3 cups water and stir well. Dip hands in salty water. Pinch off a ball of rice. Mold into triangle. Wrap crosswise with a thin strip of nori. Sprinkle with black sesame, if desired.

Have a ball: Cook a pot of short-grain, Japanese-style rice and cool to warm. Dip hands in salty water. Pinch off a golf-ball-size round of rice. Have ready a variety of stuffings: small ume, 1-inch lengths of hot dog, poke-size chunks of tuna or other fish tossed with a little shoyu and wasabi; drained canned tuna sauteed in shoyu and sugar; a dollop of tuna, crab or egg salad; a small, peeled shrimp; pieces of okazuya fish cake; a little square of char siu or teri chicken or beef — really, whatever you like. Form into a ball and roll in sesame seeds. (If you're a traditionalist, make a triangle; round cakes are supposed to be only for funerals.)

BELLY UP TO A BAR

If you've got a goodly supply of yummy things — cold cuts and cured meats, hard and soft cheeses, olives and pickles, crunchy fresh vegetables, gourmet jams and jellies and sauces and chutneys, nuts and canned or frozen seafood — you've got the makings of a do-it-your-self buffet. (Dig into your pantry. You may have more than you think.)

Just slice or chop whatever needs it, provide some spreads (softened butter and/or cream cheese, flavored mayonnaise, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to drizzle) and place all the ingredients in their own decorative plates or bowls on a long table or counter. Supply baskets of good, rustic bread. The bread may be simply sliced, slowly toasted until quite dry or made into crostini (brushed with olive oil and garlic and toasted or fried). Or choose large, firm crackers that can stand up to being piled with ingredients.

Done.

Here's something else to add from the bar, from writer Jocelyn Fujii. Who doesn't like mushrooms? Try using different kinds of mushrooms (be sure to rehydrate or steam them if they need softening. She says the fresh tarragon is the key.

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

• 2 cartons of fresh button mushrooms

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons or less of fresh tarragon, chopped

• Hawaiian salt to taste

• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

• Sprinkle of finely grated manchego cheese

Rinse and dry mushrooms and remove stems. Heat oil at medium-high heat. Saute whole mushrooms with small sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped tarragon after about 3 or 4 minutes.

When mushrooms are done, sprinkle with manchego cheese and another small sprinkle of Hawaiian sea salt. (I use Hawaiian salt as a finishing salt.) Serve in a bowl with garnish of parsley.