Create a Party Menu for a Luau
Anyone who's been to Hawaii has probably been to a luau, a festive celebration with music, dancing and, most importantly, food--and lots of it. Even the dictionary definition of luau is "a feast of Hawaiian food," so creating a party menu is the most important step in planning your own luau. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Decide how far you want to go. The traditional centerpiece of a real Hawaiian luau is a roast pig--a whole pig, roasted on a spit in a fire pit. If you want to go all out, hire a professional caterer who specializes in luaus. If you want to go it alone, think substitutions. For example, you can still serve roast pig without actually having to roast a whole pig by buying a tub of already cooked pulled pork from a Hawaiian restaurant chain like L&L Barbecue or even carnitas from a Mexican restaurant or meat market.
2. Assemble a drink menu. Tropical fruit and rum beverages are your best bet, specifically mai tais, pina coladas and daquiris, which you can either buy premixed or make yourself with a good-quality dark rum (Myer's or Trader Vic's) and a mixer.
3. Plan your appetizers. Create a Polynesian "Pupu" platter with easy-to-make treats like pork meatballs, shrimp toasts, pineapple wrapped in bacon and all things teriyaki. The Internet is full of recipes for Pupu platters; two of the best are the Hawaii for Visitors and Epicurious websites (See Resources for web addresses).
4. Plan side dishes, like fried rice with vegetables and pork or macaroni salad, which is a very traditional Hawaiian side dish--and a key element of the popular "plate lunches" served throughout the islands.
5. Create some tantalizing Hawaiian desserts. You can keep it simple, like coconut ice cream with pineapple sauce or macadamia nut cookies, or serve something more exotic. Two excellent, authentic Hawaiian deserts are Haupia, a traditional Hawaiian coconut pudding, and Kulolo, a pudding made of taro, brown sugar and coconut milk. Recipes can be found on the Internet on sites such as Hawaii for Visitors.
Tags: Create Party, Create Party Menu, Hawaii Visitors, Menu Luau, Party Menu Luau