I love to entertain, however am not a wiz (ok, I am the furthest thing from a wiz) in the kitchen. So when I entertain, my wow factor has to come from the presentation (because i cannot rely on my culinary skills!). Last weekend, on a winter Sydney afternoon, I had some of my best girlfriends over for a champagne, sushi & cocktail catch up on a sun drenched balcony. I ordered in Sydney's best sushi (Sushi Fusion Randwick), cheese plates & fruit platters (I was capable of prepared these myself - impressed?) & the most AMAZING deserts from The Sweet Spot Patisserie at Randwick.... It is an in-expensive way to entertain but with the right 'touches' it can look a million dollars.... heres some of my favourite entertaining flamboyance!
COCKTAILS
As some guest where driving, I didn't add alcohol to the jug, rather created the mix & had the liquor there so guest could add / mix as they liked. I had two on offer & there was not a drop left of either at the end of the night so I assume they where a hit!
MOJITOS
- Get a glass jug (there are some AMAZING coloured glass or Moroccan inspired jugs available! Go to town here with your theme - the accessories are the fun part.
- Cut up about 6 fresh lines & squeeze the juice into the bottom of the jug & leave the squeezed limes in the jug, along with a heap of ice. (I love lime - so i add more, but add what is tailored to your taste).
- Chop up & add fresh mint leaves & fill jug with cold soda water.
- You now need to add in raw castor sugar - depending how sweet your want your mix. swirl it all around & add more of which ingredients to create your perfect taste balance.
- If you want to add alcohol - add in white rum such a Bacardi. (I prefer to add Havana Club white rum for Mojitos)
- Line up your glasses on a serving area & have a piece of squeezed lime into the glass with a few mint leave (indicating these are for the Mojitos & add garnish to the drinks initially only adds to the flamboyance!)
- I believe champagne is a must - at any function , at any hour! So a chilled glass of bubbly in an ice bucket looks beautiful on your serving area also.
ATMOSPHERE... INDOORS OUT.
If you have an outdoor space to entertain in - one of my favourite things to do with interior/exterior spaces is bring the indoors out. So try to open up & combine your indoor/outdoor space as much as possible. if a sunny day - move some of your interior furniture into the garden / onto the balcony, even go as far as rugs on the lawn / balcony with chairs on top. This is uber Moroccan & a very luxurious way to spend time with your guests.
This is only one of many posts to come about entertaining, my love of it & little tips, tricks & touches to make your soiree one to remember! Cheers! - SWx
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