|
 For
many of us, parties can lose their luster once diagnosed with
Celiac disease. Since most parties center around food and
drink, many gluten-intolerant find it difficult to partake
in celebrations where they can’t eat the food and prefer
not to drink on an empty stomach. Instead of feeling left
out, try hosting your own New Year’s Eve Party! In this
article we will focus on everything you need to host a fabulous
holiday party, entirely gluten-free that all your guests,
gluten-intolerant or not, will rave about! As with any successful
endeavor, it all begins with a plan.
Plan your party
Step 1.
Decide on your guest list. How many guests
will you invite? How many are men, how many women? It is important
to be aware of the number of men and women guests because
generally, men will consume more food and beverages than women.
Step 2.
Decide on a theme. Themes not only add an
element of fun and uniqueness to your party, but will dictate
recipes, decorations and even suggested attire for your guests.
There are a limitless number of theme ideas,
among them, ethnic themes, such as Italian, French or Japanese
can be great fun for both you and your guests.
Last year we hosted a New Year’s Eve
Sushi Party. I had prepped many different sushi ingredients,
prepared huge bowls of sushi rice and set up sushi rolling
stations all over the kitchen. After a short rolling demonstration,
all my guests energetically created their own sushi masterpieces.
When all the sushi was made, we filled an entire dining room
table with platters of fabulous sushi. I decorated the table
and room in Japanese style and served a miso soup, green tea
and plenty of sake. The party was great fun because everyone
was involved and interacted together. Even guests who differed
in age and background and who didn’t previously know
each other were laughing and competing on who’s sushi
was the most creative and interesting looking. It was great
fun. And, there was no cooking involved!
You can also host a black tie party, dessert
party, hors de oeuvre party or anything else you can conceive
of.
Step 3.
Once you have your guest list and an idea
of what kind of party you would like to have, you’re
ready to plan the menu.
How much food is enough?
The answer to this question is relative
to a few variables. Are your guests big or small eaters, or
a combination of both?
Will you be serving hors de oeuvres only,
or will you be serving a meal?
For an hors de oeurve party, the rule of
thumb is 2-3 pieces of each appetizer for each guest. If you
plan to serve only appetizers, make at least six different
types. Think through a balanced menu of fish or shell fish,
meat, vegetables, breads, dips and don’t forget the desserts!
A good balance of foods will ensure that there will be something
for everyone regardless of food intolerances or preferences.
Step 4.
Once your menu is complete, plan your decorations.
Decorations help put everyone in a party mood. Decorating
can be elaborate or as simple as decorative serving dishes.
If your party will include a buffet, make
your table decorations as inviting as possible. One of our
favorite ways to decorate a buffet table for the holidays
is to first start with many different sized card board boxes,
the largest about 2’ tall. Cover your table with a tablecloth.
Place the boxes, (lids removed) upside down on your table
so that they are touching each other down the center of the
table. Place small boxes on top of large ones. The smallest
box should be large enough to hold a serving plate. Place
a string of small white Christmas lights around the bottom
of the group of boxes. Select a large piece of shear or semi-shear
material that enhances your theme and drape it over the boxes
and the lights. Bunch up the material and tuck in the raw
edges. Plug in the lights and you have a table of beautiful
pedestals to present your food on.
No matter what type of party you would like
to host, we have hundreds of delicious gluten-free recipes
to suit any party. Just search our archives by category, recipe
name or main ingredients.
To get you started, here is a collection
of fabulous gluten-free hors de oeuvres everyone will love!
Mini
Crab Quiches
Pesto
& Sun-dried Tomato Torta
Marinated
Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
Smoked
Salmon & Cream Cheese on Polenta Triangles
Smoked
Salmon Cheesecake
Shrimp
Remoulade
Chicken
Liver Pate with Cranberries & Pecans
Spinach
& Artichoke Dip
Bruschetta
with Smoked Salmon & Herbs
Mini
Beef Filets with Horseradish Crème Fraiche
Baby
Red Potatoes Stuffed with Garlic & Herbs
Baked
Crab Dip
Fried
Mushroom and Leek Spring Rolls
Green
Apples with Crème Fraiche and Smoked Trout
Hummus
Marinated
Olives
Melon
Wrapped in Prociutto
Parmesan
Crisps with Pecans & Basil
Spicy
Chicken Skewers
Tuna
Tartare
Happy Holidays from Glutenfreeda.com!
| 
