MARGARITA BAR
This is a twist on a tequila bar, where the guests can taste different types of tequila. The margarita bar is all about the drinks themselves—they really become the whole focus. The fresh fruits identify the types of margaritas: pomegranate, lime, and grapefruit. And although we’ve already rimmed the glasses with salt, the bowls of salt are part of the look.
JALAPEÑO MARGARITAS
Makes 4
¾ cup tequila
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup Jalapeño Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Candied Chile Peppers, for garnish (recipe follows)
In a large pitcher, combine the tequila, lime juice, jalapeño simple syrup, and 1 cup water. Stir to mix well. Pour over ice into a double old-fashioned glass and garnish with a candied chile pepper to serve.
JALAPEÑO SIMPLE SYRUP
Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, and 2 jalapeños, cut in half, in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain into a lidded jar. Simple syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.
CANDIED CHILE PEPPERS
In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, cook 8 small chile peppers in 1 cup plain simple syrup (this page) for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the chiles from the syrup (which you can reserve for another use) and dry on a cooling rack overnight. Toss the chiles in granulated sugar just before using. Cut a slit in the pepper to hang it on the rim of the glass.
JALEPEÑO MARGARITAS This is my favorite margarita—a classic made with jalapeño simple syrup. The kick of spice is a great flavor boost. We serve them with a garnish of sugar coated chile peppers. Garnishes that identify the drink enhance the visual display with specialty cocktails.
CLASSIC MARGARITA
Makes 4
¾ cup tequila
¼ cup Grand Marnier
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
In a large pitcher, combine the tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, simple syrup, and 1 cup water. Stir to mix well, and pour over ice in a tall glass (such as a double old-fashioned) to serve.
SIMPLE SYRUP
Combine 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove from the heat and let cool. Simple syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.
GRANITA CART Carts are becoming very popular—it’s like the buffet comes to you. We bring this granita cart out after dinner, when people might be dancing and looking for something light and refreshing. We often do alcohol pairings with it as well. The cart looks pretty with all the toppings, but the granitas are really delicious on their own.
MINI AFFOGATO The mini affogato is a great dessert to kick off after-dinner festivities: it’s a coffee, it’s a dessert—it’s both. We serve these in mini stemless glasses for an attractive presentation. We put a scoop of frozen ice cream in the warm espresso, timed so that the ice cream hasn’t all melted but is still drinkable by the time it’s served. We do put a little spoon with it, but you don’t really need one—most people drink it like a shot. The rich espresso and creamy vanilla are a simple but great combination.
BEE’S KNEES
Some say this Prohibition-era cocktail was devised to mask the taste of bathtub gin, but today it’s a delicious and refreshing drink for any occasion. Peter and Alex (see this page) had us use ostrich eggs as glasses to serve this cocktail at their thoughtful wedding. The garnish was a sprig of flowering lavender and a piece of honeycomb. We glued white plastic rings to the bottom of the eggs so guests could set them down.
Makes 2
8 ounces gin
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup Honey Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Combine the gin, lemon juice, and honey simple syrup in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously until chilled and strain into chilled coupe glasses.
HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring ½ cup water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add ½ cup lavender honey, and stir to combine. Let cool. Pour into a jar or bottle with a secure top and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
POMEGRANATE AND BLACKBERRY MARTINI
This is the perfect cocktail for Halloween or any time you want to serve something dramatic and delicious. Serve it in a skull bottle, as we do on this page, or in a shot glass.
Makes 4 full-size or 24 mini
1 cup blackberries
2 cups pomegranate juice
½ cup vodka
Blend the blackberries and pomegranate juice in a blender. After completely blended, strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Combine the vodka and strained juice in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and serve neat in classic martini glasses or funnel into mini crystal skull bottles with red straws (see Sources, this page).
LEMON-BASIL SLUSHIES
Makes 4 to 6
5 cups ice cubes
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅔ cup sugar
Leaves from ½ bunch of basil, topmost sprigs reserved for garnish
Lemon slices, for garnish
Combine the ice, lemon juice, sugar, and basil leaves in the jar of a high-speed blender or slushie machine. Blend on high speed until the mixture is slushy. Serve immediately, garnished with a lemon slice and a sprig of basil.
CHERRY SLUSHIE
Makes 4 to 6
5 cups ice cubes
¾ pound frozen cherries, pureed and strained to yield 1 cup juice
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
½ cup Simple Syrup (this page)
Fresh cherries, for garnish
Combine the ice, cherry and lime juices, and simple syrup in the jar of a high-speed blender or slushie machine. Blend on high speed until the mixture is slushy. Serve immediately, garnished with a fresh cherry.
SLUSHIE COCKTAILS
There was an article in the New York Times a few summers back, one of many describing everything that’s hip and fabulous coming out of Brooklyn. This one featured a hipster bar that had slushie machines lined up behind the bartenders.
So we got on board and bought our own machines, which make great drinks even better in the warm months. We’ve done these at very fancy parties. It’s a real pairing of high and low. Guests love to drink them all night—they come into the kitchen during dinner to ask for more slushies!
These can easily be replicated at home with a good blender or a home slushie machine. Just take your favorite drink or a great upscale cocktail recipe and pour it into the machine. You can make these for a backyard barbecue or a high-end wedding—or in your kitchen at the end of the day.
SOUR APPLE SODA
Makes six 8-ounce drinks
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup Simple Syrup (this page)
2 cups freshly pressed Granny Smith apple juice (leave the skin on when juicing, for the color), or store-bought apple juice
2 cups chilled sparkling water
In a large pitcher, mix the lime juice, simple syrup, and apple juice. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Stir in the chilled sparkling water just before serving.
SASSAFRAS SODA
Makes six 10-ounce drinks
1¼ cups sugar
1 tablespoon good-quality root beer extract
5 cups chilled sparkling water
In a medium saucepan, bring 2½ cups of water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in the root beer extract. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add chilled sparkling water before serving.
COTTON CANDY SODA
Makes six 8-ounce drinks
1 cup pink cotton candy sugar
1 quart chilled sparkling water
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cotton candy sugar and stir to dissolve
. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add chilled sparkling water before serving.
CUSTOM-FLAVORED SODAS We like to make our nonalcoholic drinks as delicious and creative as our cocktails. These sodas are easy to make, look beautiful, and taste much better than anything available commercially. We serve them in small bottles with custom labels and color-coordinated straws. The names on the labels are half the fun.
THE CHEMISTRY BAR
People look to me for entertaining ways to serve. This is a chemistry bar—a bit of a play on the artisan mixologists who make their drinks with a lot of fancy equipment and eye droppers. There are mixed drinks in all the beakers, and we’ve added some interesting garnishes, like the cucumber pearls and microgreens. Then we activate it with dry-ice smoke.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank Beth, Trish, Adam, and Ken, who make our parties happen. I am grateful for Doris Cooper at Clarkson Potter for her continued support; Amanda Englander, my editor; Ian Dingman, who designed the book; as well as Ada Yonenaka, Philip Leung, Jana Branson, and Carolyn Gill. It was great to again have the photography and food styling talents of Con Poulos. It was a pleasure to work with Marisa Bulzone as my cowriter. I also want to thank Ayesha Patel and Kate Berry, and Kevin Sharkey, who always connects me to such great talent. And there are so many more who are part of our team who contribute daily—my thanks to all of them.
Sources
My team and I spend a lot of time searching out the perfect platters, mini mugs, and serving ware, not to mention key ingredients like wasabi caviar and truffles, that absolutely make a dish. This list details the sources I turn to when I need something to make a party or a dish special.
EQUIPMENT AND SERVING WARE
Acrylic containers, ice buckets, and sheets
clearlyacrylic.com
877-360-4163
Chinese take-out boxes, mini sand pails, plastic 1½-inch-high shot glasses
orientaltrading.com
800-875-8480
Pastry tips
pastrysampler.com
760-440-9171
Cookie cutters
thecookiecuttershop.com
360-652-3295
Dishers
kitchenconservatory.com
866-862-CHEF (2433)
Eggshells
theeggeryplace.com
972-241-4379
etsy.com/shop/NakedEggs
Mini cups, mugs, and glasses
giantpartystore.com
866-244-1169
Mini copper mugs
beau-coup.com
877-988-2328
Mini Popsicle molds and sticks
e-store.worldofgelato.com
877-2GELATO (243-5286)
zokuhome.com
Glass domes and matching trays
crateandbarrel.com
800-967-6696
potterybarn.com
888-779-5176
Mini loaf pans
webstaurantstore.com
717-392-7472
3¼ × 5¾-inch loaf pan (by Chicago Metallic)
kitchenkapers.com
800-455-5567
Mandoline
(we like the Benriner brand)
surlatable.com
800-243-0852
Pallet holder for cones
pastryitems.com [website no longer available]
443-417-8854
Scallop shells
seashellcity.com
888-743-5524
seashellsupply.com
Mini skull bottles and short drinking straws
barproducts.com
800-256-6396
Mini tart pans
kitchenconservatory.com
Wooden forks, paper cones, paper sandwich bags, cone pallets, mini plates and serving cups, and serving stands
previninc.com
888-285-9547
restaurantware.com
800-851-9273
Tables, chairs, kitchen equipment, china, glasses, flatware, and more
LuxeEventRentals.com
NY/Miami: 718-629-6909
partyrentalltd.com
201-727-4700
Custom, print-on-demand fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap
spoonflower.com
919-886-7885
INGREDIENTS
Concord Foods Caramel Apple Kit
concordfoods.com
508-580-1700
Caviar and truffles
American paddlefish caviar
paramountcaviar.com
800-99CAVIAR (992-2842)
Crawfish
klcrawfishfarms.com
Edible candy wrappers
molecularrecipes.com
Foie gras and Magret duck
dartagnan.com
800-327-8246
Miniature (50 ml) bottles Maker’s Mark
beerliquors.com
877-624-1982
Vegetables
chefs-garden.com
800-289-4644
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Index
A
Affogato, mini
Aioli, herb
Alcohol. See Drinks, bars and carts for; Drinks, specialty (with alcohol)
Alcohol, drinks without, non-alcoholic. See Drinks
American Chef Corps
Apple(s)
Apple Bourbon Fizz
Individual Apple Tarte Tatins
Sour Apple Soda
Artichokes
about: on Bloody Mary bar
Artichoke Mushroom Tower
Lemon-Scented Quinoa
Asparagus, in Lemon-Scented Quinoa
Asparagus, on Bloody Mary bar
Avocado Toast
B
Bacon
about: bacon and bourbon buffet
Bacon and Maker’s Mark
Bacon-Onion Marmalade
Breakfast Egg Rolls
Drunken Pigs
Bagels and lox station
Baking dishes
Baking sheets
Bananas, in Mini Banana Splits
Bars and carts. See Drinks, bars and carts for
Basil
Basil Cream Sauce
Basil Oil
Lemon-Basil Slushies
Lemon-Basil Sorbet
Mini Pizzas with Basil, Tomato, and Mozzarella
Pesto
Salsa Verde
Béchamel Sauce
Beef
about: burgers and frites buffet
Beef Tenderloin
Beef Two Ways
Braised Short Ribs
Grilled Hanger Steak
Mini Charcuterie Board
Mini Meatball Subs
Mini Pepperoni Pizzas
Mini Reuben Pretzel Sandwich
Rib Eye Steaks with Grilled Spring Onions
Seared New York Strip
Surf and Turf
Bee’s Knees
Beets, in Lemon-Scented Quinoa
Berries
about: strawberry buffet
Fourth of July Pops
Pomegranate and Blackberry Martini
Strawberry Shortcake
Beurre blanc, lemon-ponzu
Blender
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary bar
Bottles, squeeze
Bourbon
about: bacon and bourbon buffet
Apple Bourbon Fizz
Bacon and Maker’s Mark
Drunken Pigs and, 230, 231
Boxes, kids-to-go
Braised Short Ribs
Breakfast Egg Rolls
Breakfast, family-style, breakfast menu. See Family-style entertaining
Buffet ideas. See Presentation tips
Buns. See Sandwiches and such
Burgers and frites buffet
Burrata with Grilled Peaches, Duck Prosciutto, Mustard Greens, and Mâche
Butter
Chive Butter
Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce
Drawn Butter
Butternut Squash Ravioli
C
Candied Chile Peppers
Caprese Salad
Caramelized Shallot and Lemon Vinaigrette
Caramel Sauce
Carrots
Carrot Wellington
Lemon-Scented Quinoa
Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish
Carts. See Drinks, bars and carts for
Carving station, fish
Carving station, meat
Cast-iron skillets
Catering. See also Drinks, bars and carts for; Presentation tips
keeping things cool
kids-to-go boxes
kosher
Cauliflower, ginger-scented roasted
Caviar
about: “cake” presentation tip, as fun, not fancy
Caviar Rings (and variations)
Cereal Milk Soft Serve with Fruity Pebbles Cones
Chandelier, hamantaschen
Charcuterie and cheese buffet
Charcuterie board, mini
Cheese
about: cheese and charcuterie buffet
Burrata with Grilled Peaches, Duck Prosciutto, Mustard Greens, and Mâche
Caprese Salad
Grilled Nectarines with Duck Prosciutto, Parmesan, and Basil
Mini Charcuterie Board
Mini Reuben Pretzel Sandwich
pizza with. See Pizzas
Stilton Cheesecake with Bacon-Onion Marmalade
Chef Corps, American
Chemistry bar mixing station
Cherry Slushie
Chicken. See Poultry
Peter Callahan's Party Food Page 15
