Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [119]
Keeping some general menu tips in mind
When putting together a menu, think of the overall look and feel you want to create. The taste, color, and texture of each dish should be considered. Create a nice flow from dish to dish by choosing a certain spice profile. You can make a plethora of menus using Italian, French, or Asian ingredients, herbs, and spices. Use pops of color in each dish with garnishes of freshly chopped herbs, grated carrots, or diced bell peppers of several colors.
If you’re serving a buffet or multicourse meal, use the following combinations to provide a well-rounded meal: one soft dish, one hard or chewy dish, two savory dishes, one spicy dish, two crunchy dishes, and one sweet dish. For a smaller meal, you could offer one soft dish, two crunchy dishes, two spicy dishes, one savory dish, and one sweet dish.
Dessert is an important part of any party, so choose something fantastic and memorable. Not everyone likes chocolate, and some people are allergic to nuts, so consider offering a fruit-based dessert instead of or alongside the chocolate offering. Chapter 15 provides some recipes for you to experiment with.
Dealing with the age-old question: What can I bring?
If your guests ask to bring dishes to share, it’s okay to ask that they bring vegan dishes. They may welcome the challenge, or they may decline — but there’s no harm in asking! If someone wants to bring “an old family favorite” that includes meat or dairy, perhaps she has another vegan dish she enjoys and wouldn’t mind bringing. If bringing a vegan dish is too complicated for a guest, tell her she can bring bread or wine to add to the celebration.
There’s no need to get into a tense situation over dinner, so offer alternatives and be open to your guests’ ideas. After all, the reason for getting together is to acknowledge your shared love for each other and to create new memories. If you feel that a more conservative friend or family member is hesitant to “go vegan,” even for one night, ask if she’ll bring her favorite nonvegan specialty. If you’re comfortable having nonvegan food at your event, it could help that guest feel like she’s a part of the party rather than an outsider — after all, you know how that feels!
Celebrating grilling season vegan-style
Warm weather brings out the grills and barbecues across America. Vegans often have a difficult time finding anything edible or substantial at these outdoor events. You can get by eating a burger bun with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and pickle slices, but by the end of the night you’ll be starving. And it can be tough to reconcile your hopes for the planet while hungry and surrounded by smoking plates of carnage.
Planning your own vegan celebrations allows you to share the barbecue season with friends without competing with the big meat-grilling days like July 4th or Memorial Day. Summer solstice is a nice, alternative holiday that many vegans prefer to celebrate. Held around the 22nd of June, the longest day of the year, this warm first day of summer offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate Mother Nature’s bounty and seasonal produce. (See “A summer solstice celebration” for more details on throwing this type of party.)
Parties can be created around any anniversary, upcoming event, or life change. Use these times to bring family and friends together and share with them your love for healthy, delicious vegan food.
Sample party plans and menus
Putting together a plan and menu well in advance can help you work out any kinks as you get ready for your feast. If you’re at a loss for ideas, but you’re sure you want to gather the gang, look to the themes in the following sections to get the party started.
A build-your-own-burrito party
Who doesn’t love Mexican food — chips and salsa, burritos, and vegan-style refried beans? A Mexican-themed build-your-own-burrito party is sure to be a hit with vegans