(no subject)
So, I have two trips' worth of food porn and erotica to share with y'all as soon as I get the chance to sit down and type it all out (Atlanta and the Virgin Islands in the space of two weeks... soooo much good food!) but at the moment, I have a question for you wonderful pornistas.
See, I'm having a party for my birthday the end of next month, and the theme is Christmas in July (that way I get to give presents to everyone else!). This seems pretty easy in theory, but I also want it to be an outdoor barbecue, because my other half is the grill-master and needs more opportunities to show off his skills. But, I'm a little stuck in coming up with a grill menu that will fit with the theme.
I'm trying to avoid too many kitschy, goofy tricks like coloring things red and green (though I'm not averse to using naturally red and green ingredients) and I don't want to do anything too bizarre that would scare off my guests... plus, my other half and I have a reputation to uphold of being THE entertainers in our circle of friends. So, the menu needs to be fabulous!
I'm really trying to focus on flavors and ingredients that are relatively standard holiday staples, and reinvent them to be light and summery and grillable. My ideas so far are:
I'm also thinking of some sort of alcoholic punch/cocktail using mulled and chilled apple cider. Maybe with some sort of sparkling wine, or vodka.... EDIT:I do believe I've found the perfect chilled mulled cider drink on the Martinelli's website (though I'd add I think some citrus rum or use champagne/sparkling wine in place of the sparkling cider to make it more fun...
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Cold Spiced Sparkling Cider
2 slices seeded lemon cut into halves
4 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups Martinell's Cider or Apple Juice
2-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
11 ounces chilled Martinelli's Sparkling Cider
Pierce each of the four lemon segments with a clove. Break cinnamon sticks in half. In a small pot, add all ingredients except the Sparkling Cider; simmer together for 5 to 10 minutes. Chill thoroughly. Pour equal amounts into four glasses, each with a cinnamon stick and lemon slice. Stir equal amounts of Sparkling Cider into each glass. Serves 4.
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What do you guys think? Does this sound like a good menu? Do you think people will get it? Do you have any other suggestions/ideas to fit within this theme, or ways to improve on these? I have access to almost any ingredients that aren't TOO off the wall, and money's not really an issue.
Thanks in advance!
See, I'm having a party for my birthday the end of next month, and the theme is Christmas in July (that way I get to give presents to everyone else!). This seems pretty easy in theory, but I also want it to be an outdoor barbecue, because my other half is the grill-master and needs more opportunities to show off his skills. But, I'm a little stuck in coming up with a grill menu that will fit with the theme.
I'm trying to avoid too many kitschy, goofy tricks like coloring things red and green (though I'm not averse to using naturally red and green ingredients) and I don't want to do anything too bizarre that would scare off my guests... plus, my other half and I have a reputation to uphold of being THE entertainers in our circle of friends. So, the menu needs to be fabulous!
I'm really trying to focus on flavors and ingredients that are relatively standard holiday staples, and reinvent them to be light and summery and grillable. My ideas so far are:
- grilled turkey kebabs, marinated and glazed with some sort of apple cider sauce/reduction, and served with a pineapple salsa (what else could I put on the skiewers besides the meat? Maybe hunks of sweet potato/yam?)
- grilled baby new potatoes (I'll par-boil them whole with the skins on, then let them sit in some olive oil and herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary, then grill them either on skewers or in a foil packet.... would the skewer thing work or would they be in danger of falling apart/falling off? I don't have a grill basket so I gotta improvise.)
- a tomato/basil/fresh-mozz salad arranged to look a bit like a wreath, maybe with a bow made out of thin carrot peelings (a little kitschy but not TOO bad...)
- some sort of cool, minty dessert... cupcakes or mousse or some sort of frozen pie...
I'm also thinking of some sort of alcoholic punch/cocktail using mulled and chilled apple cider. Maybe with some sort of sparkling wine, or vodka.... EDIT:I do believe I've found the perfect chilled mulled cider drink on the Martinelli's website (though I'd add I think some citrus rum or use champagne/sparkling wine in place of the sparkling cider to make it more fun...
--------
Cold Spiced Sparkling Cider
2 slices seeded lemon cut into halves
4 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups Martinell's Cider or Apple Juice
2-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
11 ounces chilled Martinelli's Sparkling Cider
Pierce each of the four lemon segments with a clove. Break cinnamon sticks in half. In a small pot, add all ingredients except the Sparkling Cider; simmer together for 5 to 10 minutes. Chill thoroughly. Pour equal amounts into four glasses, each with a cinnamon stick and lemon slice. Stir equal amounts of Sparkling Cider into each glass. Serves 4.
-------
What do you guys think? Does this sound like a good menu? Do you think people will get it? Do you have any other suggestions/ideas to fit within this theme, or ways to improve on these? I have access to almost any ingredients that aren't TOO off the wall, and money's not really an issue.
Thanks in advance!