How to Successfully Host the Cocktail Party of the YearWritten by Candice Barrigher
If thought of planning and hosting a cocktail party frightens you, be assured that you are not alone. For many “would-be” entertainers, hassle and expense many associate with hosting cocktail parties, is enough to make them eighty-six whole idea. There are a few guidelines that can be followed that will make your event memorable, affordable, and most importantly, stress-free!Perhaps, most important decision you will make in regards to your cocktail party is who to invite! The trick is to invite a wide array of guests. This means inviting guests in different age ranges, occupations and styles of life. This will induce many interesting conversations within your mix of guests. After you have chosen an eclectic group, mail invitations to them 2-3 weeks before soirée. This would also be an excellent opportunity to cut costs by limiting number of cocktails offered. By including a space on R.S.V.P card for guests to fill in their favorite concoction, you can tally responses and choose 2, no more than 3 of most popular cocktails. Some Home Entertaining experts suggest that you assign a base spirit for guests to bring; that is not recommended by experts at Unique Entertaining. Your guests are to be treated like royalty and asking them to bring a spirit to a party you have invited them to would be in bad taste. You can also decrease costs by having a 3 drink maximum for each guest and determine amount of spirits needed based on that calculation. This will also assist you in monitoring alcohol intake of your guests. While planning beverages to be served, remember to stock up on water, coffee and tea for those guests who are in attendance for party and not cocktails.
| | Indoor Grills Featured in Steven Raichlen's Newest BookWritten by Laura Ciocan
With a great number of city people living in condos, with no possibility to grill outside, Raichlen's latest book, "Indoor! Grilling" covers a topic of large interest, especially that grilling is a tradition in America, some sort of a national custom. So, this theme surely relieves a lot of frustration for part of audience that had been previously left out!Steven Raichlen is a cooking teacher, lecturer, author, journalist and TV host. He founded Carribean cooking school Cooking in Paradise. Raichlen's TV show, Barbecue University debuted in 2003 on public television. The same year he was named "cooking teacher of year" by Bon Appetit magazine. Participating in a "barbecue battle" on Japanese television and defeating Iron Chef Roksbura Michiba attracted him nicknames such as "Michael Jordan of Barbecue", as Howard Stern called him or, like Oprah put it, "Gladiator of Grilling". Raichlen published over 25 books of which best-sellers such as Barbecue Bible Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Beer Can Chicken, Healthy Latin Cooking, Miami Spice, Big Flavor Cookbook and famous first and foremost book on grilling, The Barbecue Bible, that appeared in 1998. It was first guide on grilling, a study of barbecuing around world and a course on live fire cooking techniques. His writing won 3 IACP awards and 4 James Beard Awards and was translated into ten different languages.
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