Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [120]
Serve steamed tortillas or corn chips with a buffet table laden with some of these fillings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded vegan cheese, tofu sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, diced red onions, guacamole, several kinds of salsa, vegan refried beans, crumbled tempeh seasoned with soy sauce and sautéed in olive oil, canned jalapeños, and cooked brown rice. (Check out Chapters 13 and 14 for recipes for Tofu Sour Cream and Seitan Burritos, respectively.)
Here are some ideas to liven up the Mexican theme:
Decorate the buffet tables with the colors of the Mexican flag: white, red, and green. Candles and novelty chili pepper light strings will add to the theme as well.
Put together a playlist of music to match the food: The Gypsy Kings, Salsa, Tejano, or Mexican pop can easily lend a festive atmosphere to the party.
If you’re serving alcohol, choose vegan Mexican beers like Corona and homemade margaritas with lime or lemon slices.
A summer solstice celebration
The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, deserves a party that lasts well through the afternoon and into the night. This pagan celebration was full of ritual and debauchery back in the ancient days, so encourage your guests to let their hair down, dance, and have a ball. Here are some great ideas for throwing your own summer solstice celebration:
Incorporate the ancient tradition of wearing flower or leaf crowns. Making crowns or headbands with ribbons, flowers, and floral wire doesn’t take too much crafting skill and really gets guests into the mood of the party.
Choose refreshing drinks. Homemade lemonade, iced tea, and white or rosé wines will fit right in with the warm-weather theme.
Serve seasonal vegetables and fruits to incorporate the bounty of the summer harvest. Visit your local farmer’s market two weeks before the party to ask which foods the farmers will offer the week of your party. Asking in advance gives you time to come up with a menu incorporating those ingredients.
Entertain your guests with group games. Plan a few games that involve shouting out answers and teamwork. Trivia competitions or singing games are popular party games.
Include fire, which is an important part of any pagan ritual. If you have a large outdoor space, build an outdoor fire pit, a bonfire, or a campfire surrounded by stones. Or just light a bunch of candles if you’re short on space.
Cook foods on the open flame or grill. You can grill all sorts of food, including seitan skewers, marinated mushrooms, vegetables, peaches, and pineapple slices.
Prepare some hearty salads to round out the summer menu. For instance, try a basil tomato salad with tofu chunks that have been marinated in olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Or put together a chickpea salad with olive oil, fresh parsley, and garlic. A vegan Caesar salad with fried tempeh croutons is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Plan to tell stories after the eating is over. Ask people to share a special event that they were in, a scary thing that happened, or a disaster they survived. Or ask guests to recount the funniest things that have ever happened to them.
Dress up and play. Draw inspiration from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and ask people to come dressed as any character from the play.
Light up the party. Once the sun goes down, offer sparklers to the guests, turn on twinkling outdoor Christmas lights, or light some tiki torches.
Being a Guest at an Omnivorous Table
It’s rare to live in a vegan bubble. Most of us still have friends and loved ones who choose to eat meat and dairy products. Shunning the entire nonvegan human race isn’t an option — they’re still good people and they can be pretty fun! So do accept invitations to celebrate and dine with nonvegan friends and family.
If it seems appropriate, offer to bring one or two vegan options to share with the other party members. Consider