Add Pizzaz to Your Party with Desserts in Shot Glasses

A way to add pizzazz to your party or gathering is to serve desserts in shot glasses.  This is an increasingly popular trend that is also fairly easy for even people who don't really cook to do.

There are several desserts you can serve in shot glasses, and several types of glasses that you can use for this.

Generally, a mousse or creamy-type dessert or dessert layers (like a trifle or parfait-type dessert) can be served like this.  Here are a few:

• Berry Cheesecake Shots: Buy a good quality cheesecake, cut in pieces, layer in shot glasses, top with sweetened whipped cream, then top with blueberries or blackberries in syrup (pour some of the syrup on too).
• Make or buy a chocolate mousse.  Spoon into shot glasses, top with whipped cream, then top that with a fresh berry or cocoa powder.
• Crush cookies into large chunks and mix with ice cream, gelato, or sweetened whipped cream.  Top all with candies or a small, rolled long cookie.
• Even easier: Mix mascarpone or sour cream with sugar or honey and put in the glasses, top with cocoa powder and chocolate curls or bits.  Or make a tiramisú (there are some good mixes imported from Italy for this if you don't know how to make tiramisú) and just spoon it into glasses and top with cocoa powder.

For more ideas and recipes, including one for pudding shots with Bailey's, see:

http://bit.ly/oRDmTp

http://bit.ly/nUxoVp


Dessert Shot Glasses
You can use several types of glasses to serve desserts like this.  Square tumblers are trendy now, but you can also use short round tumblers, short round tumblers with a pedestal, small schnapps glasses, or even martini glasses.  Note that it's easier to spoon desserts like this into short round or square glasses than it is into martini or schnapps glasses.

Line up the dessert shots for your guests or put them on a cake stand--looks very cool.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

Perfect homemade ice cream maker for 1 or 2: Hamilton Beach Half Pint Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

Choosing Serving Pieces to Add Flair to Your Party

In the past few years so many wonderful and unique serving pieces--bowls, platters, trays--have become available, and choosing a striking serving piece or two (or three, four, etc.) is one of the easiest things you can do to add flair to your party.

Designs, shapes, and colors for every taste and style from traditional to mod abound, so you're sure to find at least one style to please you.

The trick is to have at least one standout serving piece at your party, rather than all white or all silver or all anything--after all, you want to jazz up your party!

We like to combine serving piece shapes at our events, such as oval or round with square or rectangular.  In general, what looks pleasing is one (or some) of the serving pieces in a round or oval shape (some handmade pieces are not exactly round or oval, but are more round or oval than square or rectangular, so we'll consider them in the round-or-oval family) and one (or some) in square or rectangular or triangular or trapezoid-ish shapes.  All the pieces the same shape doesn't look as good.

If you choose a serving piece with a pattern (stripes, floral, mod, color block), you can combine it with another serving piece in a solid color or white.  Be careful, however, if you use a patterned serving piece--avoid combining with a patterned tablecloth or using in a room with a small, busy wallpaper, as your patterned serving piece won't stand out.  Better to use a patterned serving piece with a solid or no tablecloth and in a painted room or one with a larger wallpaper print.

Another trick: even if you only pick up premade food (the better kind, from a restaurant, say), such as sliders or crab cakes, serve it on your standout serving piece(s) and this instantly makes this food look stylish.

You can find wonderful standout serving pieces easily at places like Sur La Table, Pottery Barn, Macy's or any large better department store, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Some other sources for unique serving pieces are:

www.dbohome.com
www.pineapplepostgifts.com
www.annieglass.com
www.uncommongoods.com
www.vietri.com
www.etsy.com --See "Makayla S"

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077

We like these chalkboard labels that can be used at parties (See Kitchen, Tools and Gadgets):
http://ping.fm/YuYzV

Creating a Wraps Party with Flair

If your party or gathering is not overly formal, here's an idea for a fun type of interactive event that your guests will like: a wraps party.

The basic idea is to choose 2-4 types of food wraps that people can make themselves, put out the ingredients and the wrappers, and let your guests choose their ingredients and wrappers to their liking.

By wraps we mean foods that can be placed in and eaten in flatbreads, whether tortillas, pitas, naans, Middle Eastern sponge breads, or other types of flatbreads that can enfold the ingredients.

You can choose fillings and wraps from different cuisines (not only Mexican or Latin, though these are great too) and then watch how your guests enjoy making their wraps creations!

Along this line, don't limit yourself to just fajitas to fill your party wraps--there are so many wonderful things that can be used for this!

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Pork or beef tenderloin, marinated, roasted, or grilled and sliced
• Tempura or grilled seafood
• Grilled or sauteed artisan sausages (slice for easier eating)
• A nice herb-crusted baked chicken (also sliced)
• Many entree-type foods such as the above, if not too drippy, make great fillings for wraps
• Grilled veggies and fresh mozzarella

Then add a few other things such as some nice grated cheeses (hopefully local?).  If no time to source local cheeses, just go to your gourmet supermarket and get some good cheeses and grate, then put out in bowls so people can add to their wraps.  Some cheeses we like for great wraps are Gruyere, Fontina, Emmentaler, and local cheddars. Or any cheese you and your guests like a lot.

Serve with an assortment of flatbreads, a dessert, some nice wines and non-alcoholic beverages--a fun and interactive wraps party with international flair.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

USA made 100% recycled/recyclable Preserve plastic cutting board:
http://www.greenfeet.com

Choosing Green Disposables for Your Party

As many of you know we are an eco-conscious business.  This year we've been pleased that 1) more and more clients want to use biodegradable or other types of eco disposables and 2) greater variety than ever of designs for green disposables is now available.

Today we'd like to offer a list of sources for eco-friendly disposables that you can look into for your gatherings.  Or you can always use real china, glass, and cutlery too, because that's an eco choice also.

Disposables of course are not appropriate for formal events, but they are appropriate, fun, and even, now. eco-chic decorative for many types of gathering. 

Here are some great online sources:

www.greenfeet.com

www.restaurantware.com

www.biodegradableshop.com

www.cuptainers.com

www.yourgreen2go.com

www.missionrs.com (their BioPlanet line)

www.caterstore.com

www.sustyparty.com (and we love their new Party Pop Up Bins to hold recycling and garbage at even large parties with style)

www.webrestaurantstore.com

Our favorites among these online sources would have to be Restaurantware, Greenfeet, and Susty Party.  Restaurantware in particular has very cool designs, including safari print, little boats, small cones and cups, and all manner and shape of plates, which add such a great touch to your party! If you're looking to add a special touch to your party, do check out Restaurantware for many great serving ideas!

Can I just pick something up?
If you're near a Whole Foods store you can also just go in there and pick up biodegradable disposables from the line Terraware, which is made from corn. Or Google your city and see if a source that sells eco disposables in your area comes up--you might be surprised to find that one does. 

Generally the online sources sell both smaller packages and by the case, so you can find a size package to fit your party need.

The thing to remember with eco disposables, though, is that they're usually in neutral shades like ivory, white, tan, light brown...So if you use them the thing to do is add color in other ways to your party with a colored tablcloth or napkins or placemats or glasses or a centerpiece or colorful food (or some combination of these). Otherwise it looks too much like a "mushroom house" as my friend calls too much beigeness.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com