Dessert is an important part of your menu planning. As you plan for your Cinco de Mayo party, spend as much care choosing your desserts as you do your appetizers and main dishes. Dessert will leave a lasting impression of your party in the minds of your guests, so do not skimp on the food or the ambience.
Making the Choice
Luckily, many desserts can be made the day before your party. If you want to make something truly memorable such as a Tres Leches cake, it definitely needs the time to set before you serve it. Choose a couple different desserts. A nice complement to the creamy, cool Tres Leches cake is a dessert combining chocolate and chilies. It may sound unusual, but these two flavors create a flavor sensation.
Take the time to do the dessert the right way. While everyone loves a decadent dessert, you may also want to make sure you provide a lighter alternative. A fruit flan or sorbet may be just the perfect way to top off the evening for some of your guests.
Laying the Table
Now that the desserts are done, let us turn our attention to presenting the food in an appetizing way. Mexico is known for deeply saturated colors. They do not hide behind pastels and earth tones. Drape your food table with a deeply colored tablecloth. Red or green are perfect since they are on the Mexican flag. You can complete the patriotic feel by setting out napkins of red, green, and white.
Tropical houseplants can help you decorate your table. Borrow a few leaves from a palm tree or large tree philodendron to add that exotic, tropical feel to the table. Lay them out on top of your tablecloth and let the natural shape add to your dcor. Place the platters of food on top of the leaves, letting them fill the space between the dishes. For the food, choose platters in bright, solid colors.
Instead of flowers, try making a centerpiece from peppers and tropical fruits accented with foliage. This looks great and sets off your food perfectly. For desserts, serve them on brightly colored dishes. Tres Leches is a pale cake, so serving it on a brightly colored dish sets it off perfectly. You can even accent it with some small, colorful, edible flowers or petals. The petals can be natural or candied. Bright colors will also make chocolate desserts look even richer.
Setting the Mood
What you should see is color. Since Cinco de Mayo parties are a great excuse to honor Mexican culture, use those cultural preferences and use color to the max. This will create an ambience that will permeate your entire party. The presentation you create using color on your table and with your food will add to the overall effect. Even the most humble dish will look sumptuous.
Now that your setting is done, attend to yourself. Dress up. Be colorful and have fun. In the Mexican culture, it is expected that people will dress up for special occasions. Dressing up in something bright will take away your stress and make you feel good.
Now that the stage is set, all that is missing are your guests. Take a deep breath and survey your surroundings. Color should be everywhere and the food should be calling your name. Turn on the music and get ready to start answering the door.
When you’re planning your Cinco de Mayo food, choose easy recipes so you don’t have to fret over getting everything ready at the last minute. Plantain chips make a terrific authentic snack. Just peel and slice your plantains and fry them in oil until they are golden. Drain and salt. Yum!
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