Summer Comes Alive with a Caribbean Dinner Party! The best spring and summer dinner parties are all about not being fancy or fussy. Although I like to keep summer entertaining relaxed and casual, I don't think that means the menu has to be boring or predictable. Some unexpected tastes and a table that's dressed up with a few colorful surprises get everyone in a party mood. The menu also included: Artichoke, Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese in Mini Puff Pastries & Scallops with Sautéed Sweet Potato Relish
A sure fire way to set the tone for a spirited party is to tempt guests with a night of Caribbean food and fun. Gather a few friends, create a sensational tropical menu, decorate with loads of Caribbean color, and turn on some island music. You'll have the recipe for a deliciously memorable party.
So you like the idea of a Caribbean party but don't know a thing about Caribbean food? Make it easy on yourself and do what I did: flip through the pages of an interesting cookbook (in this case, Great Chefs of the Caribbean), and go online for some mouthwatering ideas. The recipes from the book and online were where I started but not where I stopped. I tweaked them just a bit, adding a few of my own touches. When you're in the kitchen, think of cooking as an art and of yourself as an artist. Use recipes as inspiration, then express yourself!
Because I wanted seafood to play a prominent role in my Caribbean menu, I knew that expert advice was only a phone call away. Bredan Mullaney, the owner of Seafood Connection, is a seafood guru and is always brimming with ideas. He had some tasty suggestions, one of which was spicing up the hors d'oeuvre recipe with his shop's specially smoked salmon. Those secret spices added subtle hints of flavor that made the first round of hors d'oeuvres disappear like magic.
This menu makes party preparation a breeze because the hors d'oeuvres, sweet potato relish, jerk seasoning and key lime cheesecake can be made in advance.
The menu was decidedly in keeping with the theme, but the décor also added plenty of Caribbean flair. In the center of the table, which was covered with a bright yellow tablecloth from Ballou's, was a vase of large pink mums. Pink and green twisted grass sprays from Ben Franklin, in Middletown, provided additional texture and color. Menu cards, made from blue and yellow card stock, served the dual purpose of place cards and were decorated with bright pink lia grass and green flowers, both beautiful and inexpensive finds from Old Time Pottery in Clarksville.
With the menu decided and the table décor designed, I had only to concoct a cocktail. Strawberry Daiquiris, the quintessential summer libation, also seemed to be the perfect drink for a Caribbean party.
