Comments on: Request: party planning checklist

By: Katharine

Katharine — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:43:38 +0000

One more — I think the yummy ginger roulade at my wedding was simply a flatbread like lavash, spread with a cream cheese, a layer of pickled ginger, rolled and carefully sliced. It’s a little unusual but still very approachable.

By: Katharine

Katharine — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:40:15 +0000

While I know you’re an absolute expert at getting the most for the least, I need a budget ballpark in order to make anything resembling a useful suggestion.

Tasteful cheese platter
Marinated mushrooms
Caprese salad on a stick (mini mozzarella, basil, and cherry tomatoes)
Shrimp cocktail is ridiculously in around here again; don’t know if it’s as big in DC
Asparagus wrapped with a little love knot of prosciutto
A twist on salsa — something like a summer cucumber and melon salsa can be very refreshing

By: Lizard Eater

Lizard Eater — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:21:35 +0000

Ditto on the tortellini skewers. They give good color and are easy to do.

Other ideas:
* curry chicken salad in baked wonton cups
* salami/pesto cream cheese wedges

Themes are good and make it easy to plan. Like a “50’s cocktails” party or “tea party” (for the latter: tea-based cocktails and then typical tea party foods — cucumber sandwiches and such)

By: Chalicechick

Chalicechick — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:36:48 +0000

Will see what I have of my old event stuff.

My favorite pseuo-classy appetizer is tortellini, whole mushrooms and cherry tomatoes skewered on a satay skewer and marinated in italian dressing.

Lettuce wraps filled with peanut sauce, water chestnuts, etc are also good. Put a sign up that they contain peanuts.

IMHO, you can’t go wrong with a carved-out watermelon full of cut fruit and/or cheese.

I also like hollowed out cherry tomatoes full of tuna salad. (But make sure to label it non-veggie.)

Chocolate fountains are still very big, though my favorite dessert is an artful arrangement of graham crackers, marshmellows and chocolate bars surrouding a flaming can of sterno with bamboo satay skewers so people can make Smores. A little messy, but people love that and it makes quite the centerpeice.

Of course, a cake decorated with your organization’s name or something is the classic. Costco’s cakes are quite good and mucho cheap.

And that all is assuming a summer reception. If you need fall recipies, email me.

By: Scott Wells

Scott Wells — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:15:22 +0000

a) As little as possible.
b) No.
c) Finger foods, skewing sophisticated. For a Washington DC nonprofit open house. Hypothetically.

Thanks.

By: Lizard Eater

Lizard Eater — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:09:11 +0000

a) How much cooking do you want to do?
b) Will you have access to an oven?
c) Cocktails, finger foods, sophisticated, fun, what?