PASADENA, Calif., May 7, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Party Goddess, Pasadena's own goddess of glamorous party ideas and innovation, has some tips to assist you with organizing a memorable summer bash. With a few easy twists on the old standbys, you can create the summer event that will be talked about for months.
* First of all, get chicken off your list -- It's time for change. How about adding tamales to your summer buffet? Rather than making the tamales yourself, order them from your favorite Mexican restaurant. Add a few interesting salsas -- The Party Goddess suggests tomatillo chipotle, an apricot plum relish or even ancho orange salsa -- but if you're really at a loss, check out the Web. You'll find all kinds of good recipes and great ideas. * Make beans your new best friend. Try lining your hors d'oeuvres platters and cold buffet trays with dried black beans. They're inexpensive and the dark bean really makes the color of your food pop! * Sugar your rims -- It's been done before, but rarely at home. No matter what drink you're serving, whether it's margaritas or something nonalcoholic and funky like an infused martini, a sugared rim is guaranteed to look great. Take some superfine sugar and put it in a Ziploc bag, add food coloring and seal the bag. Place the sugar on a plate, rim your glass with a slice of lime, and then dip the glass in the sugar for a visual delight. * Cool non-alcoholic drinks -- You're probably going to serve the basics such as beer and wine, but wouldn't it be fun to get excited about some nonalcoholic drinks, too? Try this trick for a great summer sizzler: Add 1 oz. of concentrated fruit syrup (your choice) to mineral water. Pick something cool like guava or mango juice, pack the glass with ice, add your syrup and fill to the rim with your favorite bottled bubbly water. Garnish with something silly and fun like blueberries on a stick.
The Party Goddess is full of good ideas! Check out www.thepartygoddess.com for more ideas and check out www.epicurious.com. It truly makes your menu planning easy. Save these sites and more in a special folder labeled Entertaining. Then, when you're ready to roll out the fun, you'll be all set to go.
The Party Goddess is a full service catering and event coordination company based in Pasadena, California. The Party Goddess takes ideas from concept to completion. For more information about The Party Goddess, check out www.thepartygoddess.com or contact Marley Majcher at (626) 449-9932 or Marley@the partygoddess.com