Critique My Party Menu!!

[elnant]

DBF and I are throwing a housewarming/belated birthday party on May 5th. It's also Cinco de Mayo -- so we're thinking about possibly adding a Mexican appetizer --- any suggestions would be appreciated.

Here's the menu so far:
Shrimp cocktail with 4 different sauces (tradtional cocktail/Indonesian Peanut/Green onion & lemon/Wasabi soy mayo)

Greek Salad bites (posted on CLBB)

"gutless" rumaki (basically bacon-wrapped water chestnuts without the chicken livers)

Chips & salsa & guacamole

Cheese/grapes & stuffed olives

Possibly blue cheese dip w/crackers or chips


We're going to serve Mexican beers & margaritas for drinks but we will also have a variety of liquor for other mixed drinks, plus wine.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!!

Ellen

[patissac]

MMMMM looks good so far!
My only suggestion would be since your trying to do a cindo de Mayo-ish spread, why not just have a Mexican Shrimp cocktail instead of the 4 dipping sauces? Rick Bayless has an excellent recipe that comes close to being authentic too! Just my two cents....

[MissFood]

Sounds fun!

If you're just looking to add, what about the chicken taquitos that have gotten such good reviews around here? I personally can't vouch for them, but plenty on this thread did!

[IndyKF]

How about a couple different types of quesadillas? I did that last year for a Cinco de Mayo party. You can make them ahead of time and either reheat or keep warm.

[RecipeGirl]

Are you doing a dessert, or are you getting a birthday cake?

[dorothyntototoo]

You can make tortilla rollups with many different fillings - cream cheese with jalapenos, grated pepperjack cheese, refried beans, etc. Serve with salsa. These can be made a day or two ahead. Or bite-size empanadas or a baked southwestern cheesecake w/crackers. Instead of the blue cheese dip you could make a black bean salsa.

[RecipeGirl]

Tortilla roll-ups would be a good idea.

Here's an easy recipe- make them ahead, and cut them when you're ready to serve.

Texas Tortilla Twisters
Bite- sized pinwheels full of cream cheese and other savory flavors...

8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
5 whole green onions, chopped (green and white parts)
4 oz can chopped green chilies, drained
½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 Tbs chopped black olives
12 large flour tortillas
8 oz jar picante sauce or salsa

1. In a food processor, combine cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, chilies, cheddar cheese and olives; process until smooth. Spread mixture on tortillas. Roll up each tortilla tightly.

2. Wrap tortillas individually in damp paper towels. Place in airtight plastic bag; refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. When ready to serve, removed tortillas from plastic bags and paper toweling. Slice each rolled tortilla crosswise into 1-inch pieces (pinwheels). Place a toothpick in each pinwheel, and serve with a bowl of picante sauce or salsa on the side for dipping.

Yield: About 5 dozen pieces

[elnant]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Patissac -- I like the idea of a Mexican shrimp cocktail -- is this the recipe you were talking about?


CEVICHE DE CAMARON: SHRIMP CEVICHE "COCKTAIL"

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 generous pound unpeeled smallish shrimp (I prefer the ones that are 41/50 count to a pound)
1/2 medium white onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
1/2 cup ketchup
1 to 2 tablespoons vinegary Mexican bottled hot sauce (such as Tamazula, Valentina or Búfalo, the latter being on the sweet side)
About 2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin (optional, but recommended to smooth out sharpness)
1 cup diced peeled cucumber or jícama (or 1/2 cup of each)
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
Salt
Several lime slices for garnish
Tostadas or tortilla chips, store-bought or homemade or saltine crackers for serving

1. Cooking and Marinating the Shrimp. Bring 1 quart salted water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Scoop in the shrimp, cover and let the water return to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat, set the lid askew and pour off all the liquid. Replace the cover and let the shrimp steam off the heat for 10 minutes. Spread out the shrimp in a large glass or stainless steel bowl to cool completely. Peel and devein the shrimp if you wish: One by one lay the shrimp on your work surface, make a shallow incision down the back and scrape out the (usually) dark intestinal tract. Toss the shrimp with the remaining 1/2 lime juice, cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

2. The flavorings. In a small strainer, rinse the onion under cold water, then shake off the excess liquid. Add to the shrimp bowl along with the cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, optional olive oil, cucumber and/or jícama and avocado. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

3. Serving the ceviche. Spoon the ceviche into sundae glasses, martini glasses, or small bowls: garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of lime. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or saltines to enjoy alongside.

Working Ahead: The ceviche is best made the day it is served. The flavorings can be added to the shrimp a few hours in advance.

Makes 3 cups, serving 6 as an appetizer.

Mexico One Plate at a Time
October 2000
Rick Bayless



I see that it calls for mixing the shrimp in with the cocktail sauce. Do you think it would still be okay if I served the shrimp separately and let people dip their own?