Political party
A bash like this only comes around every four years By Jennifer Voldness, Jayplay writer
Photo by Joshua Kendall
When you think of parties, I'm sure the first things that come to mind are Republicans and Democrats. OK, if you're picturing a keg and a bunch of freshmen girls in
stilettos, you're not alone. But in the spirit of the ensuing election, why not host a bipartisan freedom-style fete?
Katie Nichols, Des Moines, Iowa, senior, plans to host a party she's calling "Rock the Vote," for about 40 guests. She says her original plan was to have a John Kerry party, but realized how few guests she'd have. "Since
Drink it up
Donkey Punch
3 parts Orange Juice
2 parts Ginger Ale
1 part Pineapple juice
1 part Bacardi Light Rum
1/4 part grenadine
source: www.drinksmixer.com
What you'll need:
Blue Elephant
4 cl Absolut Citron
2 cl blue curcao
pineapple juice and lemon juice
source: www.drinkalizer.com
most of my friends are Republicans, I figured nobody would show up if it was just for Democrats," she says. For all of you planning a celebration for the big night, here's a step-by-step guide to throw the best bipartisan bash on the block.
First, and most importantly, you'll need alcohol, and probably lots of it. Keeping with the theme of the evening, quench your liberal-leaning guests' thirst with The Donkey, a rum drink, or if the vote sways to the right, offer The Blue Elephant, made with Absolut Citron. For all of your guests
who are keeping their fingers crossed for the Green Party to be victorious, mix up Green Power, made with midori and cointreau. It's important to stay fair, balanced
and non-partisan throughout the evening, so if none of these drinks appeal to your invitees, offer an Uncle Sam Adams (or Sam Adams light).
You can't have a great cocktail party without great fingerfood. Anja Winikka, Overland Park senior and manager at Ritz Charles catering company, has seen people host all kinds of events. She says the way to
go when hosting a cocktail party is the "less is more" approach. For an election-style party, Winikka says to make the food festive and fun. For an easy but still delicious and complicated-looking dip, try the red, white and blue appetizer. It's quick, simple and doesn't have too many ingredients. Be liberal, in this case, and make enough for everyone. If your political debates aren't heated enough, try serving firecracker shrimp — they're sure to spice things up. Be conservative with your shrimp, however, because they go bad fast and are costly.
What you'll do:
You don't need to go overboard on decorations. It's easy to get filled with patriotic glow and turn your home into a red, white and blue version of the Griswold house in Christmas Vacation. Just get some red, white and blue candles of differing sizes and place them where your guests will be. If you really want to go all out, visit www.politicalgifts.com, where you can buy all sorts of political paraphernalia. Be ready to spend some money, though. The Supporter Kits, which contain T-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers, go for $20 a pop. For your centerpiece, get a wide vase, some miniature American flags and some red and blue jellybeans. Fill up the vase about halfway with the respective beans and put the flags in the vase as if they are flowers. It will look great in the middle of your serving plates. Then make yourself a drink, relax and wait for the guests to arrive. And leave enough time in all your busy party preparation to go vote before the polls close on Nov. 2.
At the end of the night, after all the votes are counted and the winner determined, if your candidate isn't victorious, at least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you brought people together to enjoy an evening of civic pride. And if it helps, just think: Only four more years until the next election soiree.
Firecracker Shrimp
1 pound medium-size shrimp, tails on, rinsed, patted dry, and peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons hot pepper oil
1/4 cup popcorn kernels
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
Season shrimp with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp pepper oil. Layer shrimp in a concentric circle in the bottom of a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, leaving about a 1-inch space between the shrimp and the rim of the pan. Drizzle remaining 2 tblspn pepper oil in the space around inside of pan. Sprinkle the popcorn kernels into the oil. Cut a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil 14 inches long. Place the foil over pan and press down firmly over shrimp, oli and popcorn. Crimp the foil securely around edges of the skillet. Place pan over medium-high heat. Cook until it begins to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove shrimp and place in a large bowl. Recover the pan and continue to cook for about 2 1/2 minutes. The corn should begin popping. Start shaking the pan at 30 second intervals. The popcorn will continue to pop for about another 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit for about 30 seconds and allow the corn to completely finish popping. Source: The Food Network
10.28.04 Jayplay
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