Cooking for Theme Parties

[woodburner]

I have this crazy idea bouncing around in my head. I'm considering hosting a Memorial Day Party at my home, with a theme in mind of "Eating around the World" in one day.

Should I call a psych, or just go and lay down till it passes?

woodburner

[Carolyn Tillie]

My Specialty!

I've done Bastille Day parties, Chinese New Year parties, 70's-style Cocktail Parties...

I've even organized a Cole Porter-inspired banquet for 1,200 people (a different buffet for each decade he wrote music, with tidbits about his life as inspiration). I staged the cast party celebration for Into The Woods with a different buffet station for each fairy tale...

Go ahead - do your party! It'll be fun!

[hillvalley]

I have this crazy idea bouncing around in my head. I'm considering hosting a Memorial Day Party at my home, with a theme in mind of "Eating around the World" in one day.

Should I call a psych, or just go and lay down till it passes?

woodburner

We did the same thing with alcohol in college.

[woodburner]

My Specialty!

I've even organized a Cole Porter-inspired banquet for 1,200 people

I'm going to lay down for a bit, I think this will pass.

I do appreciate the support though, If I awake and still have it bouncing around in my head, you will be hearing from me. alot

woodburner

[woodburner]

Proceed.

Our first stop is Italy.

The world's most flavorful and elegant olive oils are produced in Italy's northern province of Tuscany, where Chianti Classico wines are also produced. Wine and olive oil have had a long marriage here, sharing geography, climate, and soil (terroir) for literally centuries. Among the olives grown in Tuscany are Frantoio, Pendolino, Leccino and Moraiolo.

Fettunta, (bruschetta) is possibly one of the oldest traditional foods in Tuscany. The origin of bruschetta was probably the ancient Roman practice of tasting newly pressed olive oil on a piece of crusty bread, with or without garlic -- a practice that has continued in the oil-producing areas of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. The name bruschetta derives from bruscare, meaning "to roast over coals".

Our version will consist of garlic rubbed artesian bread, splashed with an extra virgin olive oil, smattered with coarsly chopped, vine ripened Roma tomatoes, and roasted on our wood fired grill. As accompaniments to the Fettunta, an array of salami, roasted red peppers, amid slices of fresh mozzarella, and cured olives.

Edit note. Should this stop include Pasta con Pangrattato , or may that be a bit much bread and tomato?

Please feel free to offer suggestions, wines, and complaints. (no bitchin or I'm coming after ya)

Anyone??

By the way, after about 4 or 5 international stops, we will be back into the US for 4 or 5 stops, so this will be a work in progress.

woodburner

Edited January 7, 2004 by woodburner (log)

[Marlene]

I planned a party for 5,000 people once based on the theme of Travel the Trans-Canada highway through food. We had a buffet station for each Province and Territory featuring a food native or famous from that region. The dessert buffet had something from each place. I've also hosted murder mystery parties and planned the food around the settings. Other theme parties include St. Patrick's Day - a Taste of Ireland for 1,500 people, Feasting in Medieval England for 30 people, and several others. Theme parties are a riot. For the murder mysteries and the Feast everyone came in costumes.

[woodburner]

I planned a party for 5,000 people once based on the theme of Travel the Trans-Canada highway through food. We had a buffet station for each Province and Territory featuring a food native or famous from that region. The dessert buffet had something from each place. I've also hosted murder mystery parties and planned the food around the settings. Other theme parties include St. Patrick's Day - a Taste of Ireland for 1,500 people, Feasting in Medieval England for 30 people, and several others. Theme parties are a riot. For the murder mysteries and the Feast everyone came in costumes.

Marlene, those are a couple/three nice accomplishments under your err.. belt.

Thanks for the "riot" comment. This party needs to be fun for my guests and for me.

woodburner

[artoeat]

I had a client who always did 4th of july parties. one year it was international food representing our ethnicity- salmon mousse( in the shape of the statue of liberty!) empanadas, antipasto, etc. it was a blast!

[Marlene]

I planned a party for 5,000 people once based on the theme of Travel the Trans-Canada highway through food.  We had a buffet station for each Province and Territory featuring a food native or famous from that region.    The dessert buffet had something from each place.  I've also hosted murder mystery parties and planned the food around the settings.  Other theme parties include St. Patrick's Day - a Taste of Ireland for 1,500 people,  Feasting in Medieval England for 30 people, and several others.  Theme parties are a riot.  For the murder mysteries and the Feast everyone came in costumes.

Marlene, those are a couple/three nice accomplishments under your err.. belt.

Thanks for the "riot" comment. This party needs to be fun for my guests and for me.

woodburner

My favourite ones are when my guests dress for the theme. I usually had small prizes for best costume. You really will have fun!

[laurenmilan]

I'm a huge Star Trek fan and a member of a Trek fan club, and we run an Intergalactic Food Festival every February. People create foods patterned after stuff seen on the series, or stuff made to be just plain WIERD.

I've gotten involved in it over the past 2 years, and it's been a lot of fun, especially considering the amount of culinary reverse-engineering involved in the process. Strangely enough, e-gullet has been kind enough to help me out with a few of these (like how they got the gorgeous blue swirls on a humongous cake - marbleized rolled fondant) I'm also using edible foams (beets, squid ink and basil should make a great garnish) and looking into ways of creating an algae effect.

I've utilized a lot of global ingredients and techniques to make my dishes as diverse and unique in their taste as well as their presentation (I don't want folks to chomp into a dish and go "that's pumpkin!", so a lot of blending is involved.)

The difference is, on the show, they don't always have to make the food props edible. I do.

This should be... interesting this year, I'm getting more creative than usual, as this is the first year I'm actually running it. I've found great servingware at IKEA and my local Asian market that gives the right look (including truly bizarre paper plates and napkins with wacky patterns on them - IKEA's great for "cheap and wierd")

Please forgive my geekiness... remember, I'm doing it for culinary science!

Edited January 12, 2004 by laurenmilan (log)

[curlywurlyfi]

last year for the Eurovision Song Contest [European member states have a cheesy sing-off] we did a themed food party. Irish stew, Turkish delight, Greek salad, French bread, Swedish meatballs, etc. Got a bit bogged down with Bosnia-Hercegovina, as I recall.

[Katherine]

last year for the Eurovision Song Contest [European member states have a cheesy sing-off] we did a themed food party. Irish stew, Turkish delight, Greek salad, French bread, Swedish meatballs, etc. Got a bit bogged down with Bosnia-Hercegovina, as I recall.

Gee, that's too bad. I'd've guessed they probably eat lamb stew there, and I doubt anyone could've challenged me on it.

[marlena spieler]

wow, i thought i was the only person who did eurovision song contest parties!

only problem is that i can't get people to pay proper attention to the food, they get so involved in the music/etc.

marlena

ps remember sonia, and better the devil you know........that was a pure eurovision moment. oh, but there were so many, after abba, i mean. last years turkish entry was belley-swirlingly fab, and i did love dana international singing his/her heart out for israel......

[oatmeal]

I've had an around the world and around the neighborhood party with about 30 of my neighbors. We had a different course and country at each house. It was big fun.

[curlywurlyfi]

only problem is that i can't get people to pay proper attention to the food, they get so involved in the music/etc.

Marlena, Eurovision is definitely all about the etc! We had to take a few liberties with the food. think we did sausage rolls at one point. "Whassamatter?" I said. "We bought them in Iceland..."

Fi

[ludja]

One of the funniest costume parties I heard about was for the woman to come dressed in "bridemaids dresses" they had from being in weddings. You know, the kind that you can wear for another occasion, wink, wink?

Not sure what their dates wore...

Also, what would be the food? A mimic of wedding banquet food?

[ludja]

My best theme party was a North Carolina BBQ in my Northern California Apt. with deck.

Carolina pulled pork was the star (may sound like heresy but I made a good version in my oven).

Then, fresh cornbread (could not contemplate hushpuppies for 30!), tomato salad w/home made cider vinegar mayo, collard greens and a black-eyed pea salad. Starters were pimento cheese, spiced pecans and pickled shrimp.

Served Mint Juleps to start (with the warning for the unitiated that although it sounds so pretty it packs a wollop). This got the party going and was followed by beer and plenty of sweet tea. For dessert, buttermilk pies with fresh peach sauce and pecan pies (no corn syrup as mentioned on a previous thread).

Had music from Southern Culture on the Skids, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Dwight Yoakam...

The theme was completed as the weather chimed in by holding any fog in check and providing a relatively rare (for the Bay area) scorcher in the high 90's. Most of the people had never been to the South or had Carolina bbq but had a great time!

Note: Sure this can't compare with Varmints e-gullet Carolina feast but it was very good!

[woodburner]

My best theme party was a North Carolina BBQ in my Northern California Apt. with deck.

Carolina pulled pork was the star (may sound like heresy but I made a good version in my oven).

Then, fresh cornbread (could not contemplate hushpuppies for 30!), tomato salad w/home made cider vinegar mayo, collard greens and a black-eyed pea salad. Starters were pimento cheese, spiced pecans and pickled shrimp.

Served Mint Juleps to start (with the warning for the unitiated that although it sounds so pretty it packs a wollop). This got the party going and was followed by beer and plenty of sweet tea. For dessert, buttermilk pies with fresh peach sauce and pecan pies (no corn syrup as mentioned on a previous thread).

Had music from Southern Culture on the Skids, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Dwight Yoakam...

The theme was completed as the weather chimed in by holding any fog in check and providing a relatively rare (for the Bay area) scorcher in the high 90's. Most of the people had never been to the South or had Carolina bbq but had a great time!

Note: Sure this can't compare with Varmints e-gullet Carolina feast but it was very good!

I'm the best equiped to do this theme of bbq, but 8 or 10 hours of that would surely send most over the edge.

BBQ will certainly be in the theme, just not the entire theme.

Some great ideas here folks, I am listening, and taking notes.

woodburner

[NeroW]

I have this crazy idea bouncing around in my head. I'm considering hosting a Memorial Day Party at my home, with a theme in mind of "Eating around the World" in one day.

Should I call a psych, or just go and lay down till it passes?

woodburner

We did this once. Last winter. We did a "Risk: The Game of World Domination" party, where we served foods from each continent in the game of Risk.

By the end of the 2nd day of prep, I wanted to crawl into the pantry and not come out for a long time. The picture that best describes it is of my sister, wearing a doo-rag, a Kitchen Bitch apron, and a tank top, scattering the anchovies atop a pissaladiere, scowling, and giving the camera the finger.

I'm not saying we didn't have a good time. I'm just saying . . . well, we didn't have a good time. At first I thought it was fun to just be able to go all crazy and mish-mash the foods together--but upon reflection, we didn't have enough help, it was a huge expense, etc., etc.

I wouldn't do it again.

[laurenmilan]

I'm not saying we didn't have a good time. I'm just saying . . . well, we didn't have a good time. At first I thought it was fun to just be able to go all crazy and mish-mash the foods together--but upon reflection, we didn't have enough help, it was a huge expense, etc., etc.

I wouldn't do it again.

Think "potluck", even though there's a good chance some of the items will be bad, at least you're less likely to be wiped out by the end of it.

[Varmint]

I did a medieval party a few years back. I dressed, of course, as the jester. My favorite costumes came from the couple who dressed as rats, representing the plague. They handed out business cards -- they were solid black.

[woodburner]

Think "potluck", even though there's a good chance some of the items will be bad, at least you're less likely to be wiped out by the end of it.

Pretty much how I think this party will be planned. I've talked to about 6 purported attendees so far, and it's gaining some momentum. People seem pretty excited about it when I start talking it up.

One of my ideas is to assign "country" origins to each invitee on the invitation, giving them complete control over what dish they bring, as long as it derives from that particuliar global location, that I assign.

Again I would suggest they try and dress in any global mode they would like, up to but not including undressed.

I'm shooting for a team effort here, not a long awaited exhuasted hospital stay.

woodburner

[chow guy]

I've done lots of theme parties here are a few:

Chinese 10 course feast on New Years Eve

An Underwater Garden (adult prom for my 50th Bday) Outrageous decorations with schools of fish overhead, everyone in prom get up. Menu included: seafood, sushi, wakame salad, seahorse shapped cookies.etc. etc.

Chuck Wagon party with BBQ and things western (after a hay ride in the moon light)

Big Apple party with apples as the featured ingredient and decoration

Garlic extraveganza...you guessed it (My nearest neighbor has a garlic farm)

[hathor]

For my husband's 50th we threw an Arabian Nights party. I agree, costumes make everything more fun.

I created a 50 yard 'tent' that ran the length of the back yard, seating was on the ground with a narrow 50 yard long table, hundreds of pillows, thousands of candles. It was beautiful and fun. We were amazed at how everyone went completely over the top with the costumes.

Food was lamb, and olives, salads with mint...a very easy and flexible 'theme'.

So smart to make it a "controlled" potluck Woodburner! Have fun!

[aliwaks]

I had an Oscar party a couple of years ago with food inspired by the Best Movie nominees

See if I can remember,

Tapas for Gladiator (since he was the spaniard)

For Traffic I set out powdered sugar in a big heap on a mirror, some of it cut into lines next to a bowl of strawberries and those cookies that look like straws

Crouching Tiger hidden dragon: Dim sum

Erin Brocovich: we made some vile looking green "poison"punch and had hostess snowballs to represent her boobs

And for Chocolat we had well lots of chocolate

I was most proud of Traffic, some people who came got a bit over excited before they realized it was sugar