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Southern Comfort presents
a guide to entertaining.
With your host, Beverly Sassoon.
Hi, I'm Beverly Sassoon, and welcome to the exciting world of entertaining.
Now, with the help of a few of my friends, we're going to show you how to be the perfect host.
And how to throw great theme parties like the good old Tex-Mex Fiesta.
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We believe that the best way to have fun with your friends is to entertain them in your own home or backyard.
It doesn't take a lot of money to throw a great party, but it does take some imagination and preparation.
And we're going to show you how to do both in this video.
We'll demonstrate how to carry your theme throughout the entire party.
And everything from decorations, to your entertainment,
to the type of food you serve. Every menu, recipe, and drink
mentioned in the video is also listed in detail in the recipe cards accompanying the video.
We'll even show you a simple way to serve your guests in a dramatic fashion.
Experts like Beverly Hills caterer Randy Furman
will show us lots of tips that will save both time and money.
We'll show you how to make the appropriate drinks for your party.
Like this refreshing tequila sunrise.
And we'll show you an easy and inexpensive way to make drinks for a large party.
And we'll show you lots of fun ideas that will help you throw a party that your guests will never forget.
Welcome to our little corner of Texas.
Outdoor barbecues and fiestas have long been a popular way to have fun in the southwest.
And we're going to show you how to have a text-mix fiesta in your very own backyard.
We'll show you how to do everything from decorating to cooking.
Speaking of cooking, it smells great.
Can't wait for them to start serving.
Timing is everything.
One of the easiest and most colorful ways to serve your guests is buffet style.
In keeping with our western theme, our server is dressed like cowboys.
Most people love buffets because they can get exactly what they like
and mingle with other people while waiting to be served.
Let's take a look at our menu. We're going to start with a mildly spiced chili that's made with turkey instead of beef.
It's served with the following condiments.
Shredded jack and cheddar cheese. Fresh chilled sour cream.
And of course lots of chopped red onions.
We made individual servings of homemade cornbread to serve with the chili.
Serve warm and with plenty of honey butter.
There's nothing quite like a homemade tortilla that's hot off the griddle.
But even a store bought tortilla will taste great if you warm it up and fill it with
shredded chicken with toasted red and green peppers.
And you can add some refried beans that are made with sherry and assorted cheeses.
Another side dish that's easy to make is red eye rice casserole.
This too can be made ahead of time.
These are the condiments for our soft tacos. Starting with shredded lettuce.
Chopped tomatoes. Homemade guacamole.
Chopped avocados. Finely diced red onions.
Green salsa. Sour cream.
Red salsa with cilantro. Shredded jack and cheddar cheese.
And a very hot and spicy red salsa.
A pretty display of fresh seasonal and tropical fruits
is always in style. And the perfect complement to Mexican food.
Everything looks terrific. They really know how to eat in the southwest.
I think I'm going to try some chili.
Mmm. That's good. Do you like it Beverly?
Mmm. It's one of my favorite recipes. I'd love to learn how to make it.
Let's go. Oh really? God it's like being in Time Warp.
That was fun. That was incredible. I like traveling like that.
What a way to get into the kitchen. What are we going to do?
You know what we're doing. We're going to do chunky turkey chili.
I like saying that. Where do we start?
We're going to start with five pounds of ground turkey.
Two cups of onions chopped.
Why do you put the onions before you put the turkey? Because it's going to give a little moisture.
We're just going to stir it up a little bit.
How many people will serve? This will serve probably a good ten to fifteen people
by the time we add all the other condiments. If it's real healthy servings.
We're going to let this sit because it's going to take a while.
This is what happens when it's done. You drain all the liquid away from it.
I'm going to show you all the ingredients we're going to use for this.
We have six cups of tomatoes with the juices.
We use salt and pepper to taste.
This is what makes my chili really interesting.
It's a half a cup of corn masa. It's corn flour.
I'm using one package of chili seasoning.
Does it make it spicy? Yeah, but this is what makes it spicy.
It's all ground chilies. Then a quarter of a cup of tomato paste.
Then we're going to use two jars of La Victoria salsa.
We're going to take this and put all the turkey in here.
I have a terrible feeling. I'm Beverly.
It's my job to mix. You talk, I'll mix.
We're going to take the six cups of the tomatoes.
That's a lot of tomatoes in there.
It's all going to crush down after it cooks. Good dash of pepper.
Real good dash of salt. Here we go. Here's the chili seasoning.
This thing is heavy. I'm going to help you as soon as we get all in.
I'm going to put the tomato paste in, the half a cup.
Then the quarter cup of chili powder.
Now we're going to put the two jars of the La Victoria.
I think you need a bigger bowl, Randy.
It's no good if you can't make a mess in the kitchen.
That's my favorite thing. Everybody loves cleaning up behind me.
Here you go. I'm going to turn it over to you.
It smells good. I like doing this a day ahead of time.
This also freezes well. I like using turkey because
people that do not eat beef, and it's also dietary, it's better for you.
Less cholesterol, less calories. Why don't you keep stirring.
Let me go get the other turkey chili. Again, we're going to have some magic.
This is going to look like that.
I'm going to move it over and move it down.
It's about ten pounds now. Here we go.
It's great. I'm going to taste it. Mix a little bit of the tomato paste off.
What's fun about this is that all these condiments that are over here
with the sour cream. We're not going to mix it with it.
You can serve it with it. I call it Mexican stroganoff because we're using the sour cream and the onions and the cheese with this.
It doesn't matter if it tastes good, but it sure does smell good.
It's half the battle. People are hungry.
Are we mixing it with everything else? It's family.
It's just for us anyway. I don't eat onions. Can I skip the onions?
Why do we have two separate containers here?
See, this is what's fun. We have them in terracotta if you're doing a Tex-Mex party.
You can do them in terracotta or if you wanted to go more towards the Tex inside,
you can use them in zinc pails like being out in the ranch. It's not going to taste funny from the zinc?
Not at all. While I'm waiting.
Oh, it's good. You know what? You do taste a difference with turkey.
You taste a difference. It tastes like turkey. It's delicious.
The corn flour gives you almost like a tamale flavor.
Once again, the recipes for every dish and drink on our party menu are in the cards that came with the video.
Speaking of drinks, you can't have a party without them.
In addition to soft drinks, here are three enjoyable drinks that are perfect for a Tex-Mex fiesta.
Beginning with the Southern Madras. The ingredients for the Southern Madras are
Southern Comfort, orange juice, and cranberry juice.
Take an all-purpose glass like this one and wet the rim with a little water.
Then place the glass in margarita salt, coating the top quarter into the glass.
Now, take some ice and toss it in Baja style.
And pour in a jigger or one and a half ounces of that grand old drink of the south,
Southern Madras.
It gives this drink a flavor that's deliciously different.
Then fill the glass with chilled orange juice.
Of course, freshly squeezed orange juice always tastes the best.
Top it off with a little cranberry juice and there you have it.
The Southern Madras. Enjoy.
Another drink that's perfect for a fiesta is Comfort Sangria.
It's ideal on a hot day and it's good for a cold day.
It's ideal on a hot day and it's great with Mexican food.
It's an easy and inexpensive way to serve a lot of people.
The ingredients are Southern Comfort, Cognac, Red Wine,
7 Up, and your favorite sparkling water.
Begin by pouring six ounces of Southern Comfort into a large punch bowl
that's full of ice.
Then add an equal amount
of 6 ounces of Cognac. This will give the drink a smoother flavor than just
plain brandy. Then add twice as much Red Wine or about
12 ounces. This will contribute to the flavor of the drink
and it also gives the Sangria its distinctive red color.
Top it all off with about 16 ounces of 7 Up.
This helps blend all of the flavors together into one harmonious drink
and it gives it a little carbonation. Then add a little
sparkling water to smooth out or dilute the strength of the drink to your taste.
Adding slices of lemon and lime enhances
the flavor and gives the Sangria a great look.
Mix everything together and serve in a wine glass or a punch glass.
As long as you use these proportions you can make as little or as much Sangria
as you need and your guests are going to love it.
You can even make it ahead of time.
Of course no Tex-Mex Fiesta would be complete without a tequila drink.
And our favorite is the Tequila Sunrise.
It's made with tequila, orange juice and grenadine.
Begin by pouring a jigger or
one and a half ounces of tequila into a glass full of ice.
We're using an all purpose glass which makes the bartender's job a lot simpler.
Then add chilled orange juice. Once again you'll need to leave
a little room for the grenadine.
Just add a little bit and let it settle into the bottom of the glass without mixing it.
This makes the sun rise in the glass.
Doesn't that look great?
Do you have any room for dessert? Your guests will love this dessert buffet
featuring fresh coffee and two desserts both of which
are served warm. Randy baked a country style peach cobbler
that's made with fresh sweet peaches, sugar and spice,
southern comfort and homemade pastry crust. Serve it warm and top it off
with heavy cream. Mmm, that's good.
A more exotic dessert are these straight jacket bananas.
Just simply split the bananas down the middle and fill with
orange marmalade, brown sugar and a little southern comfort.
Wrap them in foil and bake them in the oven or cook them over charcoal as we have here.
Open them up and serve them with heavy cream. It's a winner.
A big old outdoor party like this one affords you
a lot of opportunity to be creative. Even if you live far from the southwest
there are a lot of things that you can do to give your backyard the flavor
of the old west. You can serve drinks out of mason jars.
It adds a real old time flavor to the party.
Let your guests know when the food is being served by having someone
ring a triangle. Any music store will have one.
Freshly made tortillas are a treat for your guests and seeing
them made adds a little showmanship to the whole affair.
By serving our condiments in pottery instead of China
it makes the food seem more exotic.
We served our chili and pie tins from an old
chuck wagon. This gives everything a funky down home feeling.
Then serve your cornbread in little wash tubs. You can even wrap your eating utensils
in bandanas that your guests can keep and take home as a reminder of the party.
Be creative with your invitation. It sets the tone
for your party in addition to giving your guests the pertinent information.
And don't be afraid to tell them how to dress.
Now if children are welcome to your party make that clear to your guests.
It's also a good idea to have some special activities to keep them happy and occupied.
You may even want your friends to help with the props or you can go to places
in your area that rent them. We got all of our props from one of the best
places in Hollywood, Roe Shoes. You may be able to find places like
Roe Shoes in your community or you may even be able to borrow props like these from
a community theater or the drama department of a local college.
Now if you're having a lot of people at your party it may be a good idea
to rent extra tables and chairs and plenty of glasses and plates and
all the other necessities for throwing a big party. We've got nearly
everything from classic party rentals in Los Angeles. You should be
able to find a rental specialist in your community too. If you can't
rent an elevator they know where everything is.
Let's not forget the entertainment. Music is a must.
If you have a big budget you can hire mariachis or a band like Ruben
y su Portofino. If your budget is small just the addition of
a fiddle player and a square dance caller can bring everyone together for a great time.
If your budget is tiny then tape the appropriate music
for the event and play it all day from your stereo.
Music
Use your imagination. Any little thing that you add to the party will show your guests
that you really care about them. You can put up a horseshoe set or
hang a piñata from the tree even if it isn't someone's birthday.
Everyone was pretty excited when we started take turns whacking the
piñata. I wonder if that's because they knew we stuffed it with lottery tickets.
Well one thing's for sure the party was a winner and yours
will be too.
Music
Welcome to the party. In this section of a guide to entertaining we're going to show you
how to host a dressy party in your own home. We'll show you how to plan
everything from the invitations that you'll send to your guests
to the type of music and entertainment that's appropriate
for this type of affair. Famed Beverly Hills caterer
Randy Furman created an exciting and elegant menu for our cocktail party
one that you'll be able to adapt for your party. It features
such unique appetizers as chicken sauté with peanut sauce.
We'll also be joined by Diane J. Cook author of
A Live and Well Cookbook. All of the recipes on our menu are included here
plus Diane will show us the easy way to create hors d'oeuvres like these
Greek style spanakopita. Our bartender Matt Dowhauer
will show you the basics of setting up a working bar in your own home.
You'll learn what types of liquor to stock and the most popular cocktails to make
with each one. Matt will show you everything you need to know to mix some classic
cocktails like this Comfort Dry Manhattan Up that's
shaken not stirred. Traditionally a cocktail
party is held indoors during the evening. It's also the type of affair
where the guests may be asked to dress in their very best gowns for the
ladies and nice suits or tuxedos for the gentlemen.
It's an elegant way to celebrate a special occasion such as
a promotion, an anniversary or New Year's Eve. But even
if you're not celebrating a special occasion it's really fun to see all of your friends
get dressed up. Your invitations are very
important. As we've mentioned before they make the first impression on your guests
so it's your opportunity to get everyone excited about coming to your party.
You can buy them, make them yourself
or have them made by a designer like Ann Fiedler.
Make sure you give all of the pertinent information such as time, location
appropriate dress and in this case the beginning and
ending hours of the party. Our invitation also reflects the theme colors
of our party. Silver and gold, black and white.
The type of music you provide sets the tone for the entire evening. It should
also reflect your style and taste and not be played too loudly.
Remember this party is for conversation and the purpose of the music is to set the mood
for the conversation. Live musicians can add so much more to the
party. Their presence gives the party more style and really contributes
to the atmosphere. Even if you're on a budget you can usually find good
musicians who are willing to play for a very modest fee. Contact a local music
teacher or a school to get a good recommendation.
The style in which you serve your guests is just as important as
the style in which you serve. At a cocktail party no fuss finger foods that are served
buffet style and by circulating waiters is the best way to go.
Just the addition of a single waiter can make a big impact at your party.
Contact a local caterer or restaurant to find a good one.
Even if you don't use a waiter, finger foods or foods that don't require utensils
are a must. That way your guests are not trying to balance drinks,
plates and utensils all while trying to stand up.
Randy designed a menu that looks great and is easy to prepare.
Beginning with mushroom caps that are stuffed with crab meat and brisson cheese.
These will be passed around the room by our waiter. Next we have
an appetizer that's a tasty blend of eggplant, olives, capers,
onions and celery. That's served in a hollowed out eggplant with
whole wheat crackers. Randy created a cheese display that looks like
a work of art. It combines wedges of imported Jarlsberg,
sharp cheddar and a classic brie that's served with a champagne mustard sauce
and toasted cocktail breads. One of the most popular
yet easy to make appetizers served at our party is a taste treat
from Thailand called chicken satay. Simply marinate
white meat chicken in southern comfort and spices and grill it on a stick.
It can be served on a tray or as a pass around appetizer by your waiter.
Serve it with a peanut sauce and then watch it disappear.
Our third
pass around appetizers are these Greek style spinach cheese turnovers
that are called spanakopita. Diane J. Cook joined me
in the kitchen and showed me how to make these delicious treats.
Well this is really quite simple. It takes very few ingredients which I'll show you about right off.
Well the first ingredient Beverly is spinach and we're using two packages of
frozen spinach. Frozen not fresh? No it can be frozen or fresh
but I prefer frozen because of the fact that it's easy.
You don't have to precook it and you don't have to pre chop it and we're going to make a lot of
things for this wonderful cocktail party and I would just rather do something quick.
Now can we make these ahead of time? Oh sure you can make the spanakopita ahead of time
and you can freeze them and you can take them out one at a time or how many you need and just
bake them off 30 minutes before you're ready to serve. Okay so we have two packages of frozen spinach.
Okay two packages of frozen spinach. Then we have 12 ounces of ricotta cheese.
That's the lasagna cheese. You can also use small curd
cottage cheese if you like. Very bland mild cheese. We're going to use
a third of a cup of chopped green onions and then the cheese that we have
over here. This is potent cheese Diane. And this particular feta cheese
is a little bit pungent. Now if you don't care for it
you could use Harlsberg swiss cheese or you could
substitute any cheese but we're using one pound of it. So it could be shredded.
And then we have two eggs. So very simple ingredients. The most important one
is the phyllo dough which is right over here and
phyllo Beverly you can buy. It's actually pastry strudel. It's very very thin
sheets of dough. It comes in a sheet. Right in long sheets
and you can buy it in the grocery store and in the frozen food section
or in a Greek or Italian deli. So you don't have to sit and roll. No it would be a lot of work.
Okay let's get started. Okay first of all would you help me beat the two eggs?
I will let you whisk them around and I'll break up
the cheese. And it's just a matter of putting a few ingredients together and then the fun
part begins when we start to wrap them. And this is the original Greek recipe
that I'm giving you. Okay. Alright now we're going to use
cheese in? Put the whisk away? No you might still beat it a little bit more.
Okay. Or you can use a spoon whatever you like.
And give it a good stirring around. Okay. Now incidentally
the little triangles that we're making which are stuffed with spinach
and cheese you can also put in anything else that you like.
If you don't like the feta we're substituting with another cheese and
if you would prefer to have another mixture maybe crab
and cheese. That sounds good. Think of any mixture you would like. Maybe
ground hamburger. You could do that and it makes it very very nice. Now what's the consistency?
Okay you're doing fine. I'm going to put in all the cheese, all the feta. It's a very very cheesy
mixture. And then... Is this high in calories?
No it's really not very high in calories at all because the ricotta is a low fat cheese.
The spinach naturally any vegetable is very low. And the feta
is a low fat cheese as well. Now the high fat part
can come in if you use too much butter on the pastry which we're
not going to do. So can you stir that up just as well as you can. Okay.
If the cheese is a little bit chunky that's fine. In fact we like it that way.
Right we want it to be a little bit thick. It's almost like a quiche
inconsistency. And I'll let you move it over there. And let me show you now
what the filo is all about. Okay you buy it in the package over here.
Called F-I-L-O. How many sheets do you get in a package? Oh gosh this many.
I don't know exactly how many. It's very very thin and we're going to pick up
one sheet very very carefully. Now keep in mind that when you finish
taking your piece out wrap the rest of it up because it does dry and then it'll start to crumble.
Okay. And I like to keep a damp towel over it. Alright how are we doing
for this? You're really working hard aren't you? I don't know.
That's exactly how it should be. That is absolutely fine.
This is the diaper. You take a sheet of filo and you fold it
in thirds. Alright. Now we're going to take
a dollop of this in the corner. Okay. And
about right there one good tablespoon. And as neatly as I can
I'm going to fold it in a triangle. You see there's where our
shape comes in. Exactly. Okay. Alright now over here I have one cube of melted butter Beverly.
So this is really like the only part that would have any kind of calories for those of us that are
watching our videos. Right. And we don't have to use an awful lot. You know it does not have to be
I don't like them when they're real greasy. Okay now would you like to try one?
Oh sure. Okay you can just pull yourself out a piece of filo
and notice how simple it is to do. But with every turn. We're getting my own here?
I like using yours Diane. Okay. Alright.
You can try and just see how absolutely simple it is. Now
I'm going I think this is getting a little bit thick for me so I'm going to cut it off
right here. Okay about one third of the way
down. And these cute little things go over on the cookie sheet.
You want me to move that over there? Alright thank you and I'll pull out a sheet for you.
Bake at 350 degrees. For how long? For 30 minutes.
Or until they're golden brown. You'll be able to tell.
Alright now we said we'd let you have a chance to do one. Alright this is my time
with fold my little diapers up here. My kids would be so proud of me. I can only go this far because
it's broken. Alright. Little dollop. Little dollop about one tablespoon.
How's that? Is that fine? Is that too much? No that's fine. We want to push it
into the corner. Alright. Isn't it wonderful to have someone who knows
nothing about what they're doing. That way you really can teach. Alright which way we folding?
Fold it this way. Okay. All the way down that way. My fingers. Ah it broke.
Oh that's alright. No it's getting a little bit dry. We'll take care of that. Wonderful excuse.
We'll mend it with a little bit of butter. Go ahead. Now bring the diaper over. And one more time.
This way. Okay and I'll give it a dollop. Wonderful. Oh. Well this is cute.
You can make as many as you want. Right. Put them in the freezer and take them out
just as you need them and bake them before the party. Okay let's leave this one over here. This is for people
who need real practice in their diapers. Okay. It's been a long time. This is where
we're supposed to have them. And here is what it looks like when you're done. Now that looks for you
right. It's all nice and golden. Golden and crisp. Okay. Well I'd like to try
one. Is that okay? Please do Beverly. I think I will also. Alright. Oh they're so
crunchy. Mmm. That is good.
They turned out very well today. It's nice. In addition to your appetizers
it's also nice to round off the menu with a couple of sweets.
I chose to serve these homemade pecan cookies that are dusted with confectionary sugar.
Mmm. These are called comfort truffles.
They're made with southern comfort and chocolate and then arranged like a giant bunch of grapes.
Don't worry the instructions are in the recipe cards.
How about a drink? After all this is
a cocktail party. A good host needs to plan what kinds of drinks
and alcohol will be served at the party. This is even more important for a cocktail party
because you'll need to stock a bar or tell your bartender what types of drinks you'd like
to feature. These are some of the most essential liquors and the cocktails
they're associated with beginning with vodka.
Vodka mixes well with just about anything. Orange juice, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice,
tonic water and sodas. Vodka martinis, bloody marys and
screwdrivers are very popular drinks today. Gin is also a
very popular liquor and goes well with lots of different mixers. It's primarily
used in gin and tonics, fizzes, gimlets and the classic
dry martini. You should always stock some gin.
Scotch is a sipping whiskey that's imported from Scotland.
It's popular on the rocks or with a splash of soda water.
It's often used in a Rob Roy and in the old fashioned.
And here's the grand old drink of the south, southern comfort.
It mixes well with just about everything and has a taste that's deliciously different.
It's great in a Manhattan, a sour or on the rocks.
Cognac is a fine brandy that can be used in any drink recipe that calls
for brandy. It's also the preferred brandy of those who enjoy drinking it
straight up in a snifter. All cognacs are brandy, but not all brandies
are cognac. It's always nice to have some at your bar.
Tequila is a Mexican liquor that's a distilled spirit from the juice of a
cactus type plant. It's used in a margarita and in a sunrise.
It mixes well with juices, especially citrus ones.
This is Jack Daniel's old number seven. It's a classic
bourbon sipping whiskey that's usually enjoyed straight up or on the rocks.
It's also mixed with soda, coke or a 7-Up. This may be a
bourbon, but it's one of a kind. You'll also need to stock a sweet vermouth
for your Rob Roy and Manhattan recipes and some dry vermouth for your martinis.
It's also a good idea to have some triple sec. It's an orange flavored liqueur
that's used in nearly every margarita recipe. In addition
to all of this, it's always nice to stock some champagne too, especially if
you're celebrating a holiday or a special occasion like an anniversary. We also
recommend that you serve the champagne in flutes or tulip shaped glasses
like these to best appreciate its sparkling character.
Besides your champagne glasses, here are some of the other
essential glasses to stock. The classic cocktail glass which is used for martinis
and manhattans. The brandy snifter for cognac,
brandy liqueurs. And the all-purpose glass which can be used for nearly
every other type of mixed drink and beer and wine. This glass will
simplify things for you and your bartender. Another
important part of setting up your own bar is having the proper bar tools.
A blender is necessary for many kinds of drinks. Frozen daiquiris,
fizzes, and margaritas. Always use it at the fastest speed
and this will ensure that the drinks will come out thick and frothy.
Next we have the all-purpose wine opener.
It has a bottle opener, a blade, and a corkscrew
and will open just about anything that you'll stock in your bar.
It's the perfect tool to keep in your kitchen at all times. Next we have
a measuring glass or a shot glass. Filling it up to the line is the equivalent of
one jigger or one and a half ounces of liquid. It's always important to measure
each ingredient that you put into a mixed drink. By measuring properly you're sure
to mix a perfect cocktail every time.
This is a strainer and mixing glass combination. It's another important tool
for the bartender and it's really easy to use. The ingredients are combined
with ice, shaken, and then poured into a glass through the strainer.
Empty out the ice and you're ready to make the next drink.
Pour spouts make pouring the liquor fast and easy.
You can buy them or rent them from lots of places. Prior to the
opening of the bar remove the caps from the liquor bottles and insert the pour spouts.
Make sure you don't throw out the bottle caps since you'll want to
recap the bottles when you're finished. After the party remove the
pour spouts and rinse them out with hot water so that they'll be ready for your next party.
Now let's talk
about garnishes. Lemon twists give a cocktail a finished look as well as flavor.
This is how you make them. Cut the tops and bottoms off your lemons
and cut into the rind lengthwise and about a quarter inch apart.
Don't remove the rind until you need it. Always twist it over the glass
so that the juice drops into the drink. Never rub it around
the rim of the glass unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
Limes are also a very important garnish. Cut
each lime into eight equal pieces. Squeeze the juice into the drink and
drop it in. These garnishes are used less frequently than lemon twists and limes
but a well stocked bar will have them. Just place them on toothpicks.
The olives are used in martinis.
The onions go in gibsons and the cherries are used in sours and sunrises.
It's also a good idea
to have a little sugar handy for your old fashions and a tub of
margarita salt which is for those drinks that have salt around the rim.
There's just one more thing that you'll need
to stock your bar. Can you guess what it is? Here's Matt Dowhauer with the answer.
I'm going to show you what are the most common mixtures to use at your party.
I'm going to start with the most common, orange juice.
From orange juice you go to cranberry juice. These two are used more than anything.
Grapefruit juice is good to keep one or two jars around. And a soda water.
A soda water of your choice being plain soda or perrier, ramosa,
anything with bubbles, mineral water. Tonic.
Tonic is good to keep at your party for your gin and tonics, vodka tonics.
Then you'll need a Coke's or 7-ups, a soft drink of any
source or flavor. You'll want a Sprite or whatever.
And a sweet and sour mix. You can get this at any liquor store.
You'll need a sweet and sour mix for your sour drinks, your Tom Collins and your margaritas.
These are the most common mixtures you will be needing and are very easy
to find at your common source.
Now that you know what it takes to stock a bar,
why don't we make a few cocktails? Let's start off with a Dry Southern Comfort
Manhattan Up. This is a delicious variation on a classic drink.
Here's Matt to show us how to mix it like a pro.
Put your mixing glass full of ice.
Here's your martini glass to make it in. You take your shot glass,
put three ounces of Southern Comfort,
and about a quarter ounce of dry vermouth.
Stir that, let it get chilled real well.
We're using a martini glass.
And we're garnishing with a lemon twist.
Next up, a vodka gimlet.
On the rocks.
So vodka gimlet on the rocks, you're using a rocks glass.
What you do is you take one and a half ounces of vodka.
Half an ounce of lime juice or gimlet juice.
Half an ounce of lime juice or gimlet mix.
And a squeeze of lime on top.
Here's a drink that is gaining in popularity everywhere.
The Comfort Sour. This is Southern Comfort Sour,
using a highball glass filled to the top with ice.
You need an ounce and a quarter of Southern Comfort.
Fill it with sweet and sour.
And you garnish all sours with maraschino cherry.
There we go.
The martini is the drink that most people associate with a cocktail party.
And here's the classic recipe.
First you're going to need some ice in your mixing glass.
Then you're going to need three ounces of
gim.
And a quarter ounce of the dry vermouth.
Depending on how dry you want it, if you want it extra dry, use a little left vermouth.
And you stir it around a little with good and cold.
Pour it into your martini ice.
You garnish your martini with a cocktail ice.
You garnish your martini with a cocktail olive.
And you're finished with it.
A cocktail party is a great way to entertain. When you see all of your friends
all dressed up and being served by waiters, you're going to think that you're in a Hollywood movie.
Doesn't that look like fun? Well here's another
little tip on throwing a party. Write down all the things that you
need to do and to simply check them off as you do them. It's an easy way to get organized.
Now we're going to show you how to host a party that
coincides with one of the biggest events of the year in the bayou country.
The Mardi Gras.
In New Orleans, the Mardi Gras
celebration builds for weeks before climaxing on the last Tuesday before Lent.
The French speaking people of New Orleans called it Le Mardi Gras.
Or Fat Tuesday because it was the last day you could stuff yourself
with food and drink before the self denial of Lent.
Today the festival has come to mean
great Dixieland music
outrageous costumes and masks
great food and drink and the uninhibited sort of fun that the people
of New Orleans love. You can throw a Mardi Gras party
anywhere and this is what you'll need to do. First you'll
need to send out invitations to your guests. If you expect your party to be fun
and festive then show it in your invitations. Remember it
makes the first impression about your party so send out the kind that will let
everyone know that this is one party they shouldn't miss.
Then there's the music. Dixieland music is the sound
of the Mardi Gras. We recommend getting a live band whenever possible.
A live band will really entertain your guests.
Even if you don't have a big budget you may still be able to afford a group like
our misbehaving band shown here. Always get recommendations
and try and see and hear the band play before you hire them.
Dixieland has always been popular
on college campuses so you may be able to find a good affordable band
at a school or college near you.
Even if you have a tiny budget you can still buy plenty of Dixieland records, tape them
and play them yourself for hours. Another option is to hire a DJ
and tell them what you want. A good one will really keep things jumping.
Costumes and masks are a fun option
and an easy way to get everyone to let their hair down a little.
You can provide inexpensive masks to your guests as they enter the party.
Decorating with balloons is an easy yet effective way to bring
a lot of color to your party. Fill them with helium and put them everywhere.
You can hand out bags of confetti
and rent or make giant heads or masks out of paper mache.
We put some of ours on poles so that we could pray them through the party.
Carnival style.
Be outrageous. You can dress up some mannequins to be showgirls.
Or the Mardi Gras king. Your friends will love it
and are sure to catch the Mardi Gras spirit.
The appropriate food for the Mardi Gras has to be the
Cajun and Creole cuisine of New Orleans. More popular than ever
this hot new taste is a wonderful combination of old French recipes
hot Spanish spices, American herbs
and the seafood, rice and hot peppers that are indigenous to the area.
We're going to start with the southern style
shrimp and vegetable tempura. Place the shrimp and vegetables
on skewers and dip them in batter.
Deep fry until they're golden brown and serve them with a creole sauce
and a champagne mustard sauce.
Next we have New Orleans chicken and veggie tempura.
We're going to start with the southern style shrimp and vegetable tempura.
Next we have New Orleans chicken and vegetables on a stick which are cooked over a grill.
It's a Mardi Gras tradition to munch on stick food while you're walking around the party.
Steamed crayfish or crawfish
as they're called down south, taste great by themselves
or as a part of another dish.
Chicken, shrimp and sausage jambalaya is a traditional dish
that's very similar to the paella of Spain. It's really a meal in itself
and we're going to show you how to make it later in the show.
Loaves of French bread with freshly whipped butter
and colorful Mardi Gras coleslaw that features purple and green cabbage
red and green peppers and olives. The recipe for this
and everything on our menu are in the recipe cards accompanying the video.
This is the traditional
bread of the Mardi Gras and it's called king cake. It's topped with sugar
that's been colored to represent the three colors of the Mardi Gras.
Green, gold and purple.
Hi guys, anybody need another piece of king cake?
Great. Hey look, I got one with a pecan.
Do you know what that means? It's a tradition in the Mardi Gras
that whoever gets the pecan or a coin in the king cake gets to throw the party next year.
That's great, everybody will be at my house next year.
We'll have a great time.
Everyone loved the jambalaya that we served at the party.
Let's learn how to make it.
Diane J. Cook, the author of the Alive and Well Cookbook is going to show us
the recipe for this classic dish. It's easy to make and it goes like this.
And we're starting out, we're browning two-thirds of a pound of smoked sausage.
We have assorted chicken pieces. Now by the way, we're serving
six to eight people. So we can cut some of the pieces of chicken so everyone gets a little bit.
Bite size. Well not bite size, but portion size. One can have a leg, one can have a thigh.
Cut the breast in half. Alright, and then we're going to have an assortment of different vegetables.
Let's start out with red pepper.
We'll use one cup, or one medium red pepper.
Chopped that up. Some celery, we have about a cup there, chopped up.
And then we can go to the onion. We have one huge onion.
The more onion the better in this dish. Yeah, it definitely smells good, tastes good too.
Yeah, and a green pepper chopped up.
Yeah, a whole green pepper. And then we're going to have two cups of white rice.
And two-thirds of a cup of shrimp,
which is raw. Then we have the
tails on them and the skin on them. They're not deveined or shelled or anything yet.
And then two to three cups of tomatoes with their juice,
chopped up. These are 10 tomatoes, right? Yeah, they're canned,
but you could use fresh if you like, doesn't really matter. And then water, four cups for the
rice. And the most important ingredient, hot sauce. You can use as much of that as you like.
Tabasco. Tabasco. That's great. Okay, well Beverly, what we did is
we brown the sausage, and what I normally like to do is
to drain the sausage very well. Take all the fat out, leave a little
bit of fat in, in order that we can brown our chicken.
Sure, thank you. There you go. We'll have two legs.
It just takes a few minutes to do this, right? Just a few minutes to brown it, and you only need
to brown chicken on one side. Oh, on one side. Yeah, just to get the flavor.
And it's going to sizzle away very nicely. Okay, we already have the sausage, so I'm going to leave that.
Oh my goodness, it's exploding a little bit. Okay. What about, okay,
now you want to wait until it browns, and then we're going to put the vegetables in. Okay, we're going to
wait until it browns, and then turn it over, which will be any minute now because I've got a
very hot pan, and we'll add all the vegetables,
and then we'll add the rice. You see, it's a very, very simple dish to make.
Very, very simple, and it looks so impressive.
All right, it's just starting to brown, not very much. You probably want to make it go a little longer
yet. All right, well now, why don't we
add, we'll mix everything around in here, and we'll add the red pepper
right on top. What color? This has to be made
just before your guests come in, right? There's no such thing as preparing? You could make it
a little bit ahead of time and maybe let it sit in the oven at about
250 degrees, but not for very long. Just to keep it warm, right? Just to keep it warm.
And then we'll take the onions. You can see how very simple it is.
The colors are fantastic. That's a great Christmas dish.
You could do it for that too. And then the green pepper.
All right, now what I like to do is to let
this brown just a little bit. Let all the vegetables, coconuts, and meat
for a little while, maybe about 10 minutes. Leave it uncovered
like that. Give it a stir every now and then. Don't make a mess on the stove like I do.
We'll clean that up. All right, and then after about 10 minutes
add your rice, which we can put on top, Eveline.
We're just going to sprinkle it, all right. Two cups of rice.
There we go, and then the tomatoes. There we go.
It's fit when I did it the other day in the pan. Let's see how much we can get in here.
All right, now we put the rice under the tomato
so we get some juice to the rice so that it can cook. And then we'll take our water.
That is impressive looking. Isn't that pretty? You know what, it also looks like
I'm sure it is, but it also looks like it's very healthy. It's a very healthy dish.
You know, the shrimp are very low fat, the chicken is very low fat. If we can
buy low fat sausage, which is available at the stores, and still
drain it, you've got a very nice low fat dish. You know, I didn't use any oil in it.
No, you get some sausage in it. Okay, now what we're going to do
is we're going to put a cover on it and wait about
I would say about 10 or 15 minutes. Next we're going to put the shrimp
on there. After 10 or 15 minutes. And what I like to do is just
lay it very gently on top. Now notice that these are gray
in color right now. You will notice that... That they're going to be.
You're right. They're going to be a beautiful pink color.
And you know, I think that when you cook shrimp in the shell like this,
you get a far tastier product. You get a shrimp which is
far more flavorful. And then when you present the dish, you've got the beautiful pink shrimp
decorated. Now, you
can add as much hot sauce as you like. This can be quite hot. I don't like
things that are too hot. Should we add some? I wouldn't let you do that.
I don't like your jambalaya. Spicy. Spicy, alright. Okay, we'll add about
two drops a person. That would mean about 16 drops. And I think I have it there.
And there you have jambalaya. Notice how quickly it's going to
cook. And that's all there is to it. Now if you would like to make it
ahead of time, what you can do, you can stop after you put the shrimp in and
transfer it to the oven. And now I'd like to show you
what that process would look like. That's our finished product. I have to go to the oven.
Oh, Diane, it smells good.
And it looks great. Is it nice? Yes, look at that.
You can see the shrimp, nice and pink and plump and the beautiful pilaf underneath
and the chicken and the sausage. Let me get the... Oh, I can't wait.
Alright, I'm going to taste this. Yeah, let me serve you
some chicken and some
rice and some shrimp. And the sausage?
Right. I think you have a little bit of everything. And a lot of peppers in there.
Oh, that looks good. Let me give you a fork. We're both going to share.
Okay. Let's see.
Mmm. The rice is tasty. That is very good.
The rice has taken all the flavors of the meat and the chicken and the shrimp.
That is good. It's good party food.
Mmm.
Your presentation is just as important as what you serve. Instead of just
having plain coffee and dessert, be imaginative and create a
dessert buffet. Serve your coffee with shaved chocolate or mocha
and then top it all off with fresh whipped cream. Now, that's
Southern hospitality.
For dessert, we recommend three Southern style treats that are really easy to make
ahead of time. First, we have our Southern Comfort Brownies.
Next, we have the pecan praline bars which taste like little crunchy pieces of pecan pie.
And then our favorite, St. Louis Lemon Bars
which are sweet and tangy at the same time.
Of course,
the drinks you have at your Mardi Gras are just as important as the type of food you feature.
You'll want to serve the drinks that are most associated with the Mardi Gras.
What's a good drink on a day like today?
How about a Scarlet O'Hara? That would be perfect for you.
To make a Scarlet O'Hara, you start off with a glass of ice and add one and a half ounces
or a jigger of Southern Comfort.
Then squeeze in a wedge of lime and top it all off with a little cranberry juice.
The Scarlet O'Hara is one of the most popular drinks served during the Mardi Gras.
Another drink that's a real Mardi Gras favorite
is the Mississippi Mud and here's how you make it.
Begin by putting two large scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream into a blender.
Then add one and a half ounces or a jigger of that
grand old drink of the South, Southern Comfort.
Next, add a jigger of your favorite coffee liqueur and blend it all together.
We suggest blending it at the highest speed
until it looks well blended. This will make the drink extra thick and frothy.
Pour the mixture
into an all-purpose glass like this one or a cocktail glass or a parfait glass.
Garnish with shaved chocolate
and you've just made one terrific drink.
In addition to these drinks, the recipes for other
Mardi Gras favorites such as the Comfort Old Fashioned, the Remus Fizz
and the Hurricane are also in the recipe cards accompanying the video.
We have a great drink idea that will save you time and money.
Here's Randy with the recipe.
We're going to make an open house punch. It's one of my favorites. It's great for a party because it's inexpensive.
It's easy to do. It frees your time up and you don't have to have an open bar because you're serving a punch.
So it makes it pretty reasonable for you. Let's make it. It's real easy.
We're going to take six ounces of orange juice, frozen concentrate.
We're going to take out six ounces of lemonade and six ounces
of lemon juice which I put together which makes twelve ounces.
Okay, I'm going to add a large bottle of lemon lime.
And I'm also going to be adding, I want to make it a little bit of a blushing color.
I'm going to be adding cranberry juice but you could add grenadine if you choose
or you could add a little red food coloring or even cranberry
raspberry juice which would be great. What makes it so uniquely different and special
is I add Southern Comfort which is one of my favorites and it makes it a very special punch.
I'm going to add three cups of Southern Comfort.
I still haven't added the cranberry juice which is going to give it this blushing color.
Which I'm going to do right now.
See, it changes the color totally. It makes it really nice.
And then I'm going to add sliced lemons, limes, and oranges.
And then we're going to toast.
Here we go.
Cheers.
If you follow our guidelines and use your imagination
you'll be able to bring a little bit of the flavor of New Orleans to your home.
More than anything else, the Mardi Gras means
have a real good time.
Even if you live far from the South you can still get in on the fun of this wonderful event.
Perhaps you can even begin your own Mardi Gras tradition with your friends.
Now our next party is designed to help you entertain a small group of friends
while you watch a special televised event such as the World Series
or the Super Bowl even. Don't forget your tickets.
Where is he?
Hi guys!
How are you doing?
Nice seeing you.
It's always fun to have your friends over to watch the big game.
Whether it's the Super Bowl, the World Series, or any type of televised event.
We're going to show you how to plan a small indoor brunch with a Super Bowl motif.
Of course you can have anything you like as the theme.
Serve your guests buffet style. That will allow them to help
themselves all during the game. Make the type of dishes that can be left on a buffet
table for long periods of time and still look and taste great.
You'll need to create dishes that you can prepare in advance
and ones that are easy to eat while sitting around a TV set. Let's start with
Southern Comfort Meatballs, which can be served from a crock pot.
Next we have a unique dish called Sweet and Spicy Sausages and Apples.
It's delicious by itself or served over pancakes or waffles.
And a homemade chicken pot pie that's kept warm by a little hot plate.
Next we have a lovely Crudite
which is simply chopped and sliced vegetables that are artistically arranged.
It makes a wonderful centerpiece for your table and it's great to snack on
all through the day. Serve the veggies with a spicy
red pepper dip for people who like something really hot.
For milder taste, try serving this delicious spinach leek dip
or everyone's old favorite, the California onion dip.
It's a good idea to always have a little variety.
A fresh fruit salad is always in style on any buffet
table. Cut your fruit into bite sized pieces but don't
toss them until you're ready to serve. That way your fruit salad will look fresher
a lot longer. And for dessert we're featuring
Grand Old Bread Pudding. It's an old fashioned baked pudding
that's made with raisins, pecans and southern comfort. Serve it warm
and top it off with fresh whipped cream and nutmeg. It's a winner.
And here's our Super Bowl
of pesto popcorn. Your guests can munch on it throughout the day.
Our menu and recipes for every dish
are in the recipe cards included in the video. One of the most
popular dishes at our party were these southern comfort meatballs. Let's learn
how to make them with our favorite expert, caterer Randy Furman.
You can start off by using your own favorite meatball recipe
or here's a real good one that Randy recommends.
Combine one and a half pounds of lean ground beef,
a half a cup of chopped onions, one egg, a teaspoon of garlic
powder or fresh garlic, a tablespoon of
ketchup, a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of ground
coriander, dash of cayenne,
three tablespoons of bread crumbs,
three tablespoons of fresh parsley and a dash of pepper.
Add all of the ingredients to a bowl
and mix them all together. Roll the meat into little balls
that are slightly smaller than ping pong balls. What makes
this meatball dish deliciously different is the unique sauce that you'll be serving them in.
And here's our special recipe. Start out with eight cups
of barbecue sauce, any favorite, because we're starting out with a real barbecue sauce.
Then I'm going to use about a cup and a half of brown sugar.
I'm going to use a third of a cup of mustard.
I'm going to take two bay leaves and a third of a pound of butter.
It's butter, not mustard, right? No, butter. And then a cup of southern comfort
and we're going to put a dash of cayenne in again. Here we go.
Whoa, there you go. Hot.
Real hot. There we go. I'm still rolling over here.
Definitely, definitely. And you can put the butter.
Two bay leaves. The mustard.
I'm going to add a dash
cayenne. I'm going to put in
about half of this, which would be about a cup and a half.
Oops, you're getting too big over here, Randy. Okay.
Then we're going to add a cup of southern comfort. This gives the recipe a unique taste
that your friends are sure to love. The alcohol will slowly cook out,
leaving behind the unique flavor of that grand old drink of the south.
Blend everything together before adding your meatballs.
Cook the meatballs in a 350 degree oven until they're about halfway done.
They'll finish cooking after you add them to the sauce. Let them simmer
for an hour. That way the meatballs will absorb the flavor of the sauce.
This is one dish that will improve in flavor, so we recommend
making it the day before your party. Then serve it from a crock pot.
They'll look perfect and taste great all day long. This is the finished
product. This is the finished product. That smells wonderful. Well, let me give you a sample.
Do I get, okay. Fingers are always best in the kitchen. Okay. Here you go.
Let me borrow your towel.
That's good, Randy. Spicy. A little spicy.
Delicious.
In addition to the menu that you plan, you'll also need to decide what types of drinks you're going to serve
to complement the food and the occasion. At a casual affair
like this one, wine coolers and soft drinks are always appropriate.
You can even keep some drinks on ice right near your guests so they won't miss any of the action.
On a cool fall or winter day, the perfect way to warm everyone up
is with hot drinks. Make your hot drinks ahead of time and put them in airpods.
We featured hot chocolate, barn burners and coffee.
The airpods keep these drinks hot and make things easier for everyone.
Here's Randy making a coffee comfort.
Add some coffee to a jigger of southern comfort. Top it off with
shaved chocolate and then
fresh whipped cream. It's great.
Another hot drink that your guests will love is the barn burner.
It's real easy to do and you can kind of do it before your guests even arrive because you can put it in an
airpod. Or if you choose, you can do it right in front of your guests and kind of serve it
right from the stove or put it in a crock pot. It's real simple. It's only four
ingredients. What we have is apple cider, southern comfort,
cinnamon sticks and fresh lemon. Real easy.
Let's do it. We're going to do two quarts of
apple cider. You can use apple juice if you choose or
you can use a mulled cider too that's maybe a little bit spicier.
I'm going to put a cup of southern comfort.
I don't measure. I kind of know what a cup is.
Then we'll put two cinnamon sticks in
and then I'm going to put the juice of a lemon in.
If you like a tartar you can use more than one lemon. Now if you're going to put it in an airpod
like this, you really shouldn't include the cinnamon sticks and the lemon.
You can squeeze the lemon juice in but you shouldn't put it in the airpod because it's going to clog it.
So what I would do is, clever idea is take a cinnamon stick, put it in your
cup and then put your barn burner
right like that and you've got your cinnamon stick that you can sip through or just smell it.
It's easy to throw a great party
when you follow a few basic guidelines.
Here are a few tips that will help you become a successful host
from our expert Randy Furman.
Party giving is really, there's an art to it. That's why there are great parties you go to and then there are other really dull parties you go to.
Remember, you set the tone for the party.
Always greet your guests as they arrive and try to make each one feel welcome.
Either take their coats or show them where they may hang them.
Let your guests know what the schedule is for watching the game
and for serving the food. Show them where everything is.
The food, utensils and drinks. The host should offer
to make the first drink for the guest. Make sure that everyone is introduced
to each other. This helps break the ice and makes your guests
feel a lot more comfortable. Encourage interaction among your company by
mentioning common areas of interest. By serving your guests buffet style,
you can avoid getting stuck in the kitchen all day. That way, you'll get to enjoy
the party and you'll be able to spend a lot more time with everyone.
As we mentioned earlier, make sure that you have the means for keeping your entrees warm.
And devise a convenient way to serve your guests hot drinks.
By using paper plates on wicker
and plastic utensils, you'll avoid a mountain of dirty dishes in your sink.
Color coordinate all your decorations and carry your theme throughout the room.
A party supply store or a good discount store should have almost everything
that you need. Our decorations are very inexpensive, yet they made
everything look more festive and fun. It also lets your friends know that today
is a special occasion at your house. Be creative.
Place a little TV or a watchman on the buffet table so that no one will miss a minute
of the action. Your guests will get a real kick out of it.
If you follow our guidelines and plan ahead, you're sure to score
points with all your friends.
We hope that you've enjoyed watching our video and that you're ready to incorporate some of our
ideas into your own parties. You know, there's another side to being a good
host. Besides providing the food and drink and the atmosphere in which
to enjoy them, a good host should take care of his or her guests in another
way. That means not allowing anyone to drive a car after they've had too much
to drink. Have someone else drive them home or offer to do it yourself.
Insist upon it. And chances are they'll thank you
the next day. On behalf of myself, Beverly Sassoon,
Randy Furman, and Southern Comfort, thanks for watching.
One, two, a one, two, three.