As a food stylist and a recipe developer, I hang out with a lot of other “chef types.” But when we find ourselves together at a party—no matter how fancy it is, how famous the chefs, or how trendy the food—we all seem to gravitate toward the same classic nibble: shrimp cocktail. And no wonder. It’s got everything you could want—succulence, zip, tang, and a bit of heat. But perhaps the greatest thing about this crowd-pleaser is that it’s over-the-top easy to make at home.