Host Jeanne Benedict shows how to create a fabulous beach-theme appetizer buffet with a few fun and easy-to-assemble elements. Flower-Embellished Silver Tray For starters, says Benedict, add a dash of style to the traditional silver tray with this clever idea: - Think of your tray decorations as a miniature display. Here Benedict uses flowers and greenery for a simple yet charming effect. A vertical floral arrangement also makes a great backdrop for this type of table setting.
Important Note: Make sure all flowers and leaves are clean and safe: for example, don't use poinsettias on a holiday tray because they're poisonous. Do your homework! Museum wax, used to hold delicate items in place on shelves, is great for keeping items in place on a tray. Here Benedict places a few dots of wax along the back edge of the tray (figure A), then adds her flowers. Museum wax is available in most hardware and craft stores. Tip: This wax is also great on the bottom of a dip bowl to hold it in place as the tray is being passed. - Once your flowers are in place, use a few lemon leaves to cover any exposed wax (figure B).
Bamboo Steamer with Green Bamboo, Orchids and Banana Leaves - When serving fried foods such as potstickers and tempura, or food with excess moisture (like steamed dumplings), Benedict recommends placing the items on a bed of kale or leaves. Oil residue or moisture from an hors d'oeuvre after it has been removed from the tray usually won't be visible on a leaf's surface.
Here Benedict uses the bottom portion of a bamboo steamer as the tray, which she first lines with plastic wrap, then fills with blocks of floral foam (figure C ). Note: The floral foam should also be covered with plastic wrap to prevent sauces from leaking through the bottom of the steamer. - Next Benedict layers or "shingles" banana leaves around the top of the steamer to cover the floral foam, tucking the ends into the opening in the center of the foam (figure D).
- To add height to the decoration, Benedict inserts a bundle of miniature sprouting green bamboo (bound with a rubber band) into the center of the ring of leaves.
- For a final touch of vibrant color, she winds oncidium orchids up the stalks (figure E) and adds a few tiny dendrobium orchid blossoms on the surface of the banana leaves.
Artistic Pineapple Sculpture with Skewered Shrimp Now for something a really fun and offbeat -- an artistic pineapple sculpture. Start with a medium-size pineapple and slice off a little of the bottom to make sure it will stand level. Insert your knife about two inches down from the green top and cut around the pineapple, similar to cutting out the lid on a jack-o'-lantern, but just make a point in the front and the back. Then use your knife to remove the fruit in the lid while keeping the outer shell intact. Next, cut about 3" up from the bottom around the pineapple in a curvy line and also remove the fruit. Place the bottom shell on the serving tray. Now comes the artistic part: Take a head of red cabbage, insert a few toothpicks in the top and the bottom and set the cabbage on top of the bottom pineapple shell. Push down so the toothpicks pierce the pineapple, place the pineapple lid on top of the cabbage and again push down, securing it all in place. With your knife, trim the sides of the cabbage, starting at the edge of the top lid and following the natural curve of the pineapple down to the bottom. You'll end up with a bright, swirled magenta middle for your pineapple. Chop the excess cabbage and place it around the bottom of the sculpture on the serving tray -- it becomes a bed for your hors d'oeuvres. You can further embellish that with tropical fruit such as papaya and kiwi as long as the fruit is compatible with the flavoring of the hors d'oeuvre. You could also insert skewered shrimp into the cabbage middle, which would make a terrific presentation as well. Once you discover the artistry of the appetizer, you may never make a full meal again! LP Record with Novelty Label Here's another fun idea -- an LP record used as a tray. You can match the record label to the theme of your party, such as Christmas music or a birthday song. You can make your own label using a computer and a color printer, or kids can draw a label for Mom -- there are a lot of possibilities. Use a glue stick to adhere the new label over the old one. Thrift stores are a great place to shop for records. Make sure to clean them thoroughly before use -- and don't use a classic Beatles album!
RESOURCES :
Decorating Table Linens: Sixty Tablecloths, Place Mats, and Napkins
Model: 0806985984
Author: Chris Rankin
Table Settings: 100 Inspirational Stylings Themes and Layouts
Model: 1859673805
Author: Tessa Evelegh
The New Book of Table Settings: Creative Ideas for the Way We Gather Today
Model: 1579901697
Author: Chris Bryant, et al
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