Sunday, July 26, 2009

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 - Cocktail Party

Party Table

Imagine my surprise and delight when I was chosen as one of the lucky people to have a dinner party sponsored by Foodbuzz. I have been seeing posts from fellow featured publishers for months and I felt truly honored to be picked for the occasion. My proposal was an elegant cocktail party full of little bites with a nice farm fresh twist. Of course when it is a million degrees out, it can feel anything but elegant, but I think I did a pretty good job with what I had.

For some reason, I have had a fascination with foods on sticks this summer. My party featured three such recipes. First up, Kefta Beef Kabobs made with grassfed beef from the farmers market. Though they were a bit time consuming to put together, they could not have been easier to make and the flavor was outstanding. They were definitely one of the highlights of the evening.

Kafta Beef Kabobs

Next were prosciutto wrapped shrimp. I was worried that the shrimp would not have any flavor given that they were not seasoned. I should have known that the salty prosciutto and the smoky grill were all the flavor I needed. These were fantastic.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp

Caprese Salad Skewers were made for the vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, the tastes of summer were a standout in the fresh tomatoes and basil.

Caprese Salad Skewers

Another vegetarian dish was the now infamous feta salsa. To go with it were homemade pita chips. It was a healthy and delicious snack that got many compliments.

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

This party wasn't all savory. To satisfy the sugar cravings I made a couple of desserts. Cinnamon Bruschetta with Strawberries used the best California strawberries I could find with a wonderful baguette from the farmers market and a touch of mascarpone.

Grilled Cinnamon Bruschetta with Strawberries and Mascarpone

Last and certainly not least were homemade samoas bars. An easy take on a Girl Scout classic.

Samoas Bars

Of course, a couple of my friends couldn't resist adding to the spread. I was gifted with Afghan pastries and Swedish meatballs. Both were amazing.

Afghan Pastries

A huge thank you to my friends for making it a wonderful day and a ginormous thanks to Foodbuzz for helping me to put this on. Recipes will be up over the next week. Which one would you like to see first?

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22 comments:

The Food Librarian said...

Esi, you rock! What a yummy cocktail party. Everything looks so delicious! Wasn't this fun? I heart Foodbuzz. :)

KennyT said...

Lots of yummy food!!

Evan said...

How about the recipe for those amazing looking meatballs? I'm a sucker for meatballs...

Erica said...

What an INCREDIBLE party! I want some of those Caprese Salad Skewers and the feta salsa! Such a hostess

Reeni said...

What delicious eats! Everything is mouth-watering!

Cooking with tien said...

Nice done. The party look like so much fun. -Tien :)

Annie said...

Definitely can't wait to try the beef kebabs!

Anonymous said...

I can't WAIT to see the recipe for the samoa bars! YUM!

angela@spinachtiger said...

Congratulations. How many people did you serve? Looking forward to the beef sticks.

Esi said...

Hey everyone! Hope you had a good weekend.

Ev, wouldn't you know, the meatballs were one of two recipes I didn't make so I don't have the recipe...sorry!

Angela, I had about 20 people. It was fun!

daxphillips said...

Congratulations! Must have been a lot of work, but everything looked rally good. Did Foodbuzz help, pay, assist as well?

Mary Bergfeld said...

Girl, you know how to throw a party. Everything looks wonderful.

veggie belly said...

Congrats on getting selected! Your spread looks amazing!

Diana said...

Congratulations on being chosen for the party! I didn't even know that!

Everything looks great! I made those samoa bars for Mother's Day, but they didn't quite turn out like yours so I haven't posted about them. Yet. ;)

lisaiscooking said...

Looks like you created a great event! Love all the food on sticks, and the caprese on a stick is one of my favorite party foods.

Unknown said...

how fun!! i am going to have to make a proposal of my own :) everything looks amazing, love the idea of a cinn bruschetta!

Esi said...

Dax, when Foodbuzz accepts your proposal, they pay you for the event. Pretty cool! I had to do the planning and prep myself of course. :)

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

Congratulations, this is an awesome party. Wish I was there.

sara said...

This is a great 24 post, why wasn't I invited to this fabulous party??? :)

The Duo Dishes said...

What a great 24 party idea. It's the perfect time for grilling skewers and kabobs. Proscuitto and shrimp is delish.

Alicia Foodycat said...

What a feast! Your lucky friends to have all that amazing food spread out in front of them.

Simply Life said...

Wow, EVERYTHING there looks delicious! Way to go! You definitely did well hosting that party!