Planning a Successful Cocktail Party

Step-by-Step Tips and Planning Strategies For Your Next Cocktail Party

Have you ever wanted to throw a successful cocktail party like the one you see in the movies, but are not quite sure how to do it? Do you think you do not have the time or the money for one of those fabulous events and do not want something reminiscent of your college day parties? They are easy to plan and can be relatively inexpensive.

Plan to have a theme, and I am not talking about a "costume" like the roaring 20's. Choose one or two signature drinks, build a menu around the drinks and then go with colors for plates, candles etc that will reflect the feeling. ie mojito inspired night can have everything served on green plates and platters. Remember you are supposed to have as much fun as your guests. Follow the step by step instructions and you will have a stress free and successful cocktail party.

Choose the theme

A theme can be as simple as a color or be inspired by a drink. A good example would be a "Tropical Heat" theme. Plates and cups and candles would be orange or red. Menu would be "tropical". The theme sets the mood. It does not mean you have to bring in palm trees and beach sand.

Picking the drink or drinks and plan the menu

A themed bar focuses on one type of liquor and an assortment of mixers. A signature cocktail bar features one or two mixed drinks. Regardless of the way you choose to serve cocktails, be sure to include an appropriate amount of wine and beer. Remember to always have plenty of water, still and sparkling. Freeze some fruit slices to make it more festive. These can be used in place of ice cubes.

Themed Bar

A themed bar features one or sometimes two types of alcohol and a variety of mixers, plus wine, beer, and nonalcoholic drinks. A themed bar works for any liquor. Make sure you know which mixers go with the alcohol you choose.

Signature Cocktail Bar

Offer one or two signature cocktails, plus wine, beer. A signature bar is the way to go if you do not want to buy unneeded alcohol and by far the easiest on your wallet. You can mix the drinks ahead of time, then once guests arrive, add ice and serve. If guest are pouring make sure the ice and garnishes are laid out in an easily reachable manner.

You may want to provide at least two cocktail choices, made with different alcohols, for example, one with vodka and one with rum.

Plan the menu

Here is the one place that all or any of the items do not necessarily have to go with your theme. Try and have the party outside of the dinner hour or make sure you have enough food to replace a meal (6-8 types of hors d'oeuvres). We will talk later about how many of each to prepare.

If you have any "old stand-by" recipes this is a good time to break them out. If they are "meals", don't be afraid to scale down the size to serve as one of the hors d'oeuvres. Try some new recipes-don't be afraid remember these are on a small scale.

Our rule of thumb is half hot, have cold or room temperature. A fruit and cheese platter is always a winner.

When with a theme pick a couple of the foods to that are theme oriented ex. Caribbean or beach theme--spicy tequila shrimp with tapenade on crustini, grilled chicken and pineapple skewers with sweet/spicy dip. These are both served room temperature.

Pick foods you can prepare in advance. We will offer some make ahead selections at the end of the article.

Everyone loves nuts, make your own candied spice nuts or mix. Hit the gourmet olive bar for some extra munchies.

Enlist the help of a friend or two to help serve if you are doing passed hot hors d'oeuvres.

How to determine how much food and alcohol to have

Food

Remember, cocktail parties are normally hosted before or after the dinner our. The food is not meant to replace a meal. A good rule of thumb is three to five different types of hors d'oeuvres planning on two to three of each per person.

If your cocktail party takes place during meal hours, there should be enough food to replace the meal. Prepare six to ten types of hors d'oeuvres planning on two to three of each per person.

Guys tend to eat more than women, so if you have lots of up and comers on your guest list, plan on a few more of each hors d'oeuvres.

Beverages-alcohol and non

• Each guest will drink an average of two drinks the first hour and one drink each hour thereafter.

• Figure on four to five glasses per bottle of wine and two to three glasses per person. That means one bottle will serve two guests. Try to find out if your guest prefer red or white. Right now red is more popular.

• There are approximately 26 shots per a one-liter bottle of alcohol. Calculate two to three cocktails per person.

• Plan on having two litres of mix per litre of alcohol. Mixers to plan on having would be club soda, tonic, cola, diet cola, lemon lime soda. If you are featuring martinis get one bottle 750ml of vermouth(dry) per four to five bottles of vodka or gin. Same for manhattans except also get a bottle of sweet(red)vermouth.

• Garnishes are just that a garnish and not part of a meal. Plan on one lemon or lime per guest 1/2 orange and nine olives, 3 cherries per person. It never hurts to have a little extra for those guest that inevitable nibble on the garnish.

• Plan on one and a half pounds of ice per person. This sounds like a lot, but you will need to ice down the beer and wine unless you have a small refrigerator by the bar.

Creating a guest list

Keep it simple. We have so many online options today. Facebook, Myspace, regular e-mail or even online services like Evite. Electronic invites make keeping track of RSV P's easy. Telephone and in person works well to and can make your invitees feel special.

Count on 6 out of 10 people you invite that say yes to actually show up. Ladies are more likely to attend when they say they will. Invite more guys if you want the sexes to be evenly represented.

If you have a lot of time and some extra money on your hands or are really organized theme, use the theme of your party to set the look of your invitations. For example, in lieu of a traditional invitation send an object that communicates the theme of your party. If you're hosting a beach themed party go to the dollar store and get flip flops and send the invite on one of them to each of the people you are inviting.

Let the guests know if you want them to show up in themed attire. A prize for best three would really help to get them in the mood. Be sure to mention that on the invitation.

Setting the mood

Choosing and Arranging the Space

Set up your area the day before the party so you have plenty of time to make last-minute changes. Make sure guests can move throughout the room easily. Remove furniture if you need to. Remember you want enough seating for about 1/4 of the guest. People have a tendency to just sit and not move.

If you do not have much room use one centrally located table or buffet for your food. If you have plenty of space create "food stations" around the room. This helps the guests to move about and mingle.

Have plenty of waste bins for the trash and have a couple of places to deposit dirty dishes and plates. You may have to put a used glass on them just to give everyone the "subtle" hint.

personal chefs and event catering

Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach

info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232)

www.yadachef.com

fort lauderdale catering and personal chefs

Do you Remember Herman? Sourdough Starter and Recipe

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Amish friendship bread, as well as an interchangeable starter referred to as Herman (the name varies), became a popular exchange among friends who shared the starter as well as recipes. Herman Starter Preparation time: 10 minutes Standing time: 5 days Yield: 4 cups 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup warm water 2 packages (2 1/4 teaspoons each) active dry yeast 2 cups each: milk, flour 1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the warm water. Sprinkle yeast over mixture; set aside until doubled in volume, about 10 minutes. 2. Combine milk, flour, remaining sugar and yeast mixture in a plastic or glass container. (Do not use metal.) Stir with a wooden spoon; cover loosely. Set aside at room temperature, at least 8 hours. 3. Stir mixture once a day for three days. On the fourth day, measure out 1 cup of Herman for baking; measure 1 additional cup to give to a friend as a gift. To replenish starter: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1...

Quinoa Salad Recipe - Gluten Free

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) has been grown for thousands of years in the Andes mountains in South America. It is often thought of as a grain, but it is actually the seed of a leafy green plant called Chenopodium (also known as goosefoot), which is related to Swiss chard and spinach. The first time I encountered quinoa I was living with my cousin in Manhattan on the lower east side. She was not the most handy person in the kitchen. When I walked in she yelled from her bedroom that the air-popper may be broken as she tried to “pop” the little seeds like you would pop corn and they got sucked into the air vents . Serves 4 2 ½ cups/625ml water or vegetable broth 2 cups/450ml quinoa 2 cups/450ml broccoli ¼ cup/59ml red bell pepper ¼ cup/59ml yellow bell pepper ¼ cup/60ml canola oil 2 tablespoons/30ml fresh lime juice ½ teaspoon/2ml salt ¼ teaspoon/1ml black pepper Bring water or broth to a boil (if using water add salt). Add quino...

European Crusty Rolls and Recipe

There is an art to making those wonderful rolls and every crusty bread you find in France. There are also rules to make sure you are gett ing only the finest of products. We have been working to Take the Mystery Out of the Kitchen. Below you will find a recipe that will result in the most delicious, crusty on the outside and chewy on the in with a wonderful crumb. Let us first explain a bit about the rules all French bakers (at least in Paris) must abide by. Article 1 -- Bread called "pain maison" or an equivalent name can only be sold under those names if the bread has been entirely kneaded, worked and cooked on their place of sale to the ultimate consumer. However, this denomination can also be used when the bread is sold away from the premises to the ultimate consumer by the professional who ensured that the operations of kneading, shaping and cooking occurred at the same place. Article 2 -- Bread called "pain de tradition française", "pain tradi...

Healthy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

So many people in the USA have leftovers after Thanksgiving. Although to me the best are the turkey and stuffing sandwiches. Here is a tried and true recipe. Although many think of this as an Italian dish. It is believed to have been created by Ernest Arbogast, chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco CA in honour of the Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. *Tip for sauce. It is generally thick enough when you dip a spoon in it and if you run your finger down the back a line is made in the sauce. Serves 4 396 calories 4 ounce/125g baby bella mushrooms 4 ounce/125g mixed mushrooms 1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil 4 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces ¼ teaspoon/1ml salt 1/8 teaspoon/.5ml black pepper 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced 1 cup/250ml white wine 1 pound/450g spaghetti 2 ½ cups 625ml rice milk mixed with 2 tablespoons/30ml cornstarch handful vegan parmesan cheese 10 basil leaves, torn into pieces Preheat the oven to 400F/204C/GasMark 6. Cook...

Pastes that put the Pizzaz in your Plate

It is grilling season again. One of the biggest problems is over-cooked under seasoned meat, fish and vegetables. That and everything soaked in ooyie gooyie red stuff be it “BBQ” sauce or ketchup. We find that quick pastes or “wet rubs” both flavour and help your foods brown nicely. So whether your in the mood for a something with a bit of fruit, Indian, Moroccan, Asian inspired and more we've found some quick and easy recipes to help you YaDa Too! Floribbean Pineapple white fish, chicken, and pork 1 tablespoon/15ml coconut oil 4 teaspoons/20ml cumin 1/2 cup/125ml pineapple juice concentrate (sub grated, drained fresh or canned pineapple) Apple Curry sword fish, tuna, chicken, pork, lamb 1 tablespoon/15ml canola oil 1 tablespoons/30ml curry paste (you can used 2 times the powder if you do not have the paste) 1/2 cup apple juice concentrate Jerk Style fish, chicken, pork, lamb, mutton, beef 1 tablespoon...

Gluten Free Minorcan Clam Chowder Recipe

This Floridian favorite — allegedly introduced by the Spanish who came over from the island of Minorca — is tomato-based and usuall y the hottest of all chowders. It contains several types of peppers, including habanero and, critically, datil chiles (hard to find anywhere except St. Augustine Florida). The Spanish were the first well-documented Europeans to settle the North American shores, there is no reason not to think that this was the first European clam chowder in the Americas. 1/8 pound/57g salt pork or smoked bacon chopped fine 2 large onions chopped 1 bell pepper chopped 2 cups/480g fresh clams, chopped fine, juice reserved 1-2 datil peppers, minced 3 cups/540g canned plum tomatoes drained, seeded, and chopped 1/2 cup/125ml tomato puree 1/2 tablespoon thyme, crumbled 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1-2 bay leaves crushed 2- 8 ounce bottles clam juice 3 cups/710ml fish stock 2 cups/306g new potatoes, diced Saute pork in ...

How to Stay Healthy on a Gluten-Free Diet

While the movement to label boxes of food as “gluten-free” has certainly made a gluten-free diet much easier, eating right on any diet can be a challenge. Gluten-free diets can be just as healthy or unhealthy as any other diet, so it’s important to watch what you eat and ensure you are receiving adequate nutrition. Follow some tips to get your gluten-free diet off to the right start. Stay Positive It’s an adjustment to go gluten-free, particularly if you’ve had foods with gluten your entire life up to this point. Don’t focus on what you can’t eat but rather what you can -- you can open up your palette to new flavors you might not have tried before. Allow yourself some mistakes from trial-and-error as you discover what foods you might have to cut out and what foods you can add to your diet. Don’t cheat, either -- if you’ve experienced some negative symptoms of celiac disease or just general gluten intolerance, you know even a tiny bit of gl...

Three Advantages of Having a Personal Chef

Hiring a personal chef will not only reinvent your dinners, but also change how you think about food. Cooking can be a complicated, lengthy practice, which is why many people turn to a quick sandwich or can of tomato soup for dinner. Put aside that sandwich and soup and hire a personal chef. 1. A Chef Know What Foods To Purchase How many times have you taken a trip to the grocery store and wastefully spent money? You purchase something you think you'll eat, but it just sits in your pantry until the expiration date passes by. A personal chef will prevent this from happening. He or she will know exactly what to buy and how much of it is needed to cook a meal. 2. Convenience Place yourself into this situation: you've been at work since 9 a.m. and the minute hand just struck 5 p.m. You rush home to pick your daughter up from school so you can drop her off at her softball game. By the time the game ends, it's already 7 p.m. You have no ti...

Pitted vs Unpitted Olives — Which Are Better?

Q. Are there any differences in flavor or texture among pitted and unpitted brine-cured olives? A. To evaluate any differences between pitted and unpitted olives, we gathered both green and black brine-cured olives from deli sections at supermarkets, as well as olives packed in plastic and glass containers. After tasting many samples, it became clear that the pitted olives suffered on two counts: they tasted saltier and their flesh was mushier. They also lacked the complex, fruity flavors of the unpitted kind. Here's why: Before being packed for sale, fresh-picked olives are soaked in brine for periods of up to a year to remove bitterness and develop flavor. Once pitted, the olives are returned to the brine for packing, which can penetrate the inside of the olive and turn it mushy and pasty, as well as increase the absorption of salt. That saltier taste can mask subtler flavors. If you have the time, it makes sense to buy unpitted olives and pit them yourself...

The History of Thanksgiving and it's Origins

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. THANKSGIVING AT PLYMOUTH In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachuse...

YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Search This Blog