dish it up
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Plan,execute and enjoy a dinner party of your own.
By: Lauren Bristow and Melissa Frankel Jayplay writers
Dinner parties aren't like the ones your parents used to throw when you were a kid. Gone are the days of floral arrangements, mystery meat and potato casseau. Today's party planners say that dinner parties incorporate fresh themes_innovational menus and minimal_refreshing decorations
Getting Started
The first thing to think about when planning a dinner party is space and the amount of money you want to spend, says Stephanie Johnson, a wedding and party planner from Overland Park. Most kitchen tables aren't big enough to set more than
The Tapas Tradition
Tapas are traditional Spanish appetizers served as bite-sized pieces. With a variety of tapas dishes on the menu, the small snacks can form an entire meal.
People debate how the tapas tradition started, but some say it comes from the peaksiness of Spanish fruit flies and the ingenuity of the Spaniards to cover their wine glasses with a bit of bread or other food items to keep the little pests out. From this origin, the word tapas was derived from the Spanish verb tapar, which means "to cover."
Debbie Meyers, author of the cookbook Good Friends Great Tastes: A Celebration of Life, Food and Friendship, tells the more dramatic tale of King Alfonso X of Spain. The king fell ill and had to eat small bites of food with wine between meals. After his recovery, he required his subjects to serve wine and small morsels of food.
serve wine and small morsels of food.
No matter what the origin, tapas with wine now serves as a staple for popular social gatherings where the guests can linger for hours.
A Little Taste of Heaven
Bernacette Kuhn, Courtland junior and employee at Cork and Barrel, 901 Mississippi St., recommends Obsolace, a Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. One bottle costs $6.99.
Tapas dishes can range from a simple can of olives presented in a nice bowl to the fun tortilla Española. Let your guests help out. Ask them to bring their favorite tapas dish or a bottle of wine (grape juice can act as a nice substitute, depending on your age).
Meyers says sangria is a nice option if you are on a budget because it stretches your wine much further. Sangria is a mixture of red wine, fresh fruit and spices.
Want a traditional tapa? Try a manchego cheese dish. You can find manchego at Round Corner Cheese and Salami Shoppe, 801 Massachusetts St.
Cheese and Salam Shoppe, 608 W. Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI 48219 When making tapas, feel free to express your creativity and make your own version of a tasty, bite-sized dish. Be sure to read Jayplay online at www.kansan.com for sangria and tapas recipes and for advice on creating the right atmosphere.
Marinated Cheese
5 ounces manchego or other firm cheese
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, sliced
Sprigs of tarragon or fresh thyme
Fresh flat leaf parsley or tarragon (optional)
To make the marinated cheese, cut the cheese into bite size pieces, removing any hard rind, and put in a small bowl. Combine the oil, vinegar, peppercorns, garlic, thyme or tarragon and pour over the cheese. Cover with clear film and chill for up to three days.
Recipe courtesy of Spanish Food and Cooking by Pepita Aris.