A Unique Cookout with a Signature Twist
I’m one of those people who never grew out of a fascination with magic. Advancing years have, of course, convinced me that magic is really just clever illusion and misdirection, but I find that just as interesting. I’ve even incorporated the fundamental concepts into my parties. Not, mind you, by making doves fly out of hats, but by using subtle influences to create a mood my guests aren’t even aware is being created. Be it as simple as tiki torches and the sound of running water to tropical scented flowers or candles, the magic is in the little details.
It’s those little touches that go a long way to making a simple cookout into something memorable and it’s a lesson you’d do well to learn. When planning, don’t stop at the food you’re going to buy and the drinks you’ll have available. Take it a little bit further and consider the nuances that stretch things into “special.”
Now don’t mistake my advice to mean you can discount the fundamentals. Of course, good food and drinks would be sorely missed were they ignored in favor of the little touches. But they are the foundation on which the rest should be built. You might, for example, go for southwestern burgers instead of the regular old kind or grill up steak, onions and peppers and serve fajitas.
Sides can go a long way to spicing up an event, too. Sticking with that Tex-Mex approach, don’t settle for simple corn on the cob. A southwestern corn salad mix might can help solidify the mood you’re going for or you might consider rubbing corn on the cob with butter and some Tex-Mex inspired spices and grilling it (if you’ve never tried it, you’ll love the result).
But what I really want to write about today is that single something that will make you standout from the crowd and that’s a signature item. To get an idea of what I’m talking about, think back to your family gatherings, for example. Wasn’t there always an aunt or cousin who always brought the same dish that everybody raved about? You have room to be creative here. Your signature item could be food, but it could also be a party game, music or even a drink. As most of my events revolve around a tropical theme (owing to my tropical paradise garden accented with tiki torches) my signature item turned out to be a pina colada!
We discovered the most incredible tasting pina coladas on our honeymoon almost a decade ago. Obviously, the drink has been around much longer, but my wife and I came a little late to the party. We spent years after that trip trying to duplicate the taste but it was only after more than a dozen failed recipes that we finally stumbled on the something that, with a little tweaking, became the perfect pina colada. It became our private escape from the everyday and my wife and I often sipped our pina coladas in our garden on the weekend, letting the sweet flavor wash our cares away.
Not long after discovering the recipe, we held one of our regular cook outs. It was a particularly warm summer night and, caught up in the glow of the tiki torches and the rich foliage in our garden, a guest mentioned in passing that the only thing missing were pina coladas. My wife jabbed a finger in my direction and told our guest she hadn’t tasted a good pina colada until she tried one of mine. I mixed up a couple batches and our guests devoured them. The satisfied smiles and happy expressions, naturally, turned this into our signature item and we’ve been serving them ever since.
One word of advice as you begin your quest for that uniquely yours signature item and that’s to spare your guests the role of guinea pigs. There’s no rush. Experiment on your own or with your spouse, trying a variety of recipes and ideas until you stumble on that perfect something you can share with company at your next gathering. And remember to be creative!
So we’ll leave off there. Hopefully you’ve taken the lesson to heart and will consider making your event something memorable and uniquely yours by incorporating a signature item. Whether you’re hosting a BBQ, a tropical getaway gathering or even something fancy, make it distinct and make it yours. It’s all your guests will be talking about in the weeks that follow as they anxiously wait for their next invitation.
What’s that? You want the recipe to my perfect pina colada? Oh no, dear reader. There can be only one and it’s all mine. But don’t worry, there are plenty recipes online that probably come pretty close. Avoid pre-made pina colada mixes, add just a dash of nutmeg to each glass and be sure to garnish with a slice of orange. That should at least put you in the ballpark. Have fun!