Tropical Party Food

Tropical Party Food Interview

Traveling to exotic places around the world to learn different culinary techniques sounds exciting. How did you get into this interesting field as a writer and party-planning expert?

Thanks—yes, for me, it’s a total marriage of things I love: travel, food, and writing. As far as how I got into this whole thing, well, I’ve always been a travel addict (I find the just-arrived feeling—when everything is new and still unknown—totally exhilarating!). As far as writing, I’ve always loved that as well, whether it was scribbling stories as a child, or during my time minoring in journalism in college. But I really started my career as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher—and textbook writer. Then I taught ESL in restaurants in New York City, which is how I ended up meeting Colombian-born chef and restaurateur, Rafael Palomino.

That was about 10 years—and six cookbooks ago! (I co-authored three of his books that feature Latin-style entertaining tips: Viva la Vida, Nueva Salsa, and Fiesta Latina—and we’re currently working on a fourth together.) So, working on his books led to other collaborations, and finally to my own books (Mambo Mixers, and Calypso Coolers).

And about party planning? You could say it’s in my blood! My parents—who raised five of us—were always entertaining when I was growing up. Beyond the traditional familial Sunday dinners, all the holidays—and more—were celebrated in my home. (In fact, my mom’s entertaining tips and traditional Christmas Eve dinner were even featured one year in Glamour magazine.) Now I’m trying to keep the tradition alive and pass it right on down to my two kids!

If someone were looking to organize a tropical themed party, what’s the best way to get started?

Get yourself a copy of either Calypso Coolers—or Mambo Mixers—and pick your recipes! (Sorry! Couldn’t resist!) Okay, seriously, first step—and all of this should be fun—if you haven’t chosen a theme, head to the nearest bookstore or library and checkout the cookbook selection. Now of course it’s going to depend on whether you want to serve a complete dinner or tapas—appetizers—and cocktails. Personally, I would vote for the latter because people like the whole small-bite thing. Think balance of flavors, colors, and textures. Also, it’s fun to choose recipes that complement each other.

For example, if you were doing a tropical party using, say Calypso Coolers, I’d suggest the following:

• Ginger Champagne Cocktail (light, refreshing, easy to make virgin as well!)

For Appetizers:

• Salmon Patties (so perfect with the Ginger Champagne Cocktail),
• Jerk Chicken (incredibly flavorful and easy to prep ahead)
• Cucumber Raita (a cooling cucumber salad that perfectly balances the spicy flavors of the chicken)
• Costa Rican Corn Cakes with Mango Chutney (great combination of flavors—and they marry well with the other treats)
• Toasted Garbanzo Beans (addictive cumin-kissed treats).

You have traveled to a lot of Caribbean islands to get your recipe ideas. What island has the most interesting style of cooking?

Oh! This question is huge! Every Caribbean destination is so different—and even within one island—say Jamaica or Cuba—you can find such a myriad of flavors and influences. What’s fascinating about the Caribbean—in terms of the culinary influences (and of course the people) is the melding of so many cultures and flavors. You’ve got African, South American, and European flavors, mixed in with those of China and India—and the descendants of the indigenous peoples of the region—just to name a few. The result is a true treasure chest of spices and herbs, and all different ways of combining them.

Which Caribbean island presents a bigger cooking challenge?

Hispaniola—which is the island on which you find both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Though I’ve traveled quite a bit in the Dominican Republic (fascinating and gorgeous—in terms of both geography and people), I’ve not yet made it to Haiti…though I feel as if I have through my experiences with the Haitian ESL students I’ve had over the years. Because of the varied culinary influences on this—the second largest island in the Caribbean (after Cuba)—are just tremendously complex and different from each other, I’d have to say that this island, to me, presents a bigger cooking challenge.

What are some basic ingredients you need to get that exotic flavoring for your tropical party food menu?

The heart of Caribbean cooking is found in the use of fresh foods, which are deeply enhanced by fabulous combinations of island spices and herbs. There’s allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger—not to mention lemongrass, sorrel, and so many more! I guess you’d really have to choose your recipes and take it from there.

To set the mood for your island themed party, what are some nice touches you can add to give it a tropical feel?

Lots of color! I like to use bright cocktail napkins (in deep purple, rich turquoise, golden yellow—you get the idea), along with ceramic serving dishes (I mix it up with ceramic and terracotta platters), and colorful—and carefully chosen candles (I say carefully chosen, because you want the luscious smells of your food to dominate). Fresh flowers also add a wonderful touch—as well as colorful, preferably hand-woven table runners. I also like using colorful ceramic tiles (Mexican, Spanish, and Portuguese) as hot plates. Your touches make the ambience—the whole scene—a warm, inviting, festive, and fun one!

Music is just as important! Have those tunes going as your guests are walking in (of course live music is always fun, too!!). About play lists, choose collections depending on your theme. My current personal favorites are those compiled by Putumayo; they’ve got a fabulous assortment from the Caribbean and many, many more—which I play for my parties and my cooking classes!

What type of tropical party food is appropriate for an island themed event?

I’d say keep it light and fresh. But really it could be anything that you like—and that works well together. Balance is key and you want dishes that go well together in terms of color, texture, and flavor.

Tropical drinks add an exotic feel to any occasion. What types of cocktails are commonly served?

There are so many cocktails to choose from! Right now I’d say that the classic Cuban Mojito with fresh mint is just perfect. (I’ve got that and some lovely variations in Mambo Mixers!). Or luscious Watermelon Margaritas (and you could make these with pink or yellow watermelons!)—or the classic Brazilian Caipirinha—are great choices, just to name a few. Of course if you’re looking to make one larger portion of cocktails for your guests, punches and sangrías are also fun, festive, and easy to prep ahead! (I’ve got a great Mango Sangría—among other cocktails—in Calypso Coolers!!)

You have written and collaborated with others on a few cooking books on different culinary styles. Tell us a little about your latest book, Calypso Coolers.

Calypso Coolers, like its predecessor Mambo Mixers, is a collection of 50 cocktails and 20 appetizers. While Mambo Mixer’s recipes are classics and variations on classics from Latin America, the 70 recipes in Calypso Coolers hail from the Caribbean. Though both serve as introductions to these areas of the world, they are really just the tip of the iceberg (I know…funny analogy when we’re talking about the tropics!). But seriously, I think that a Calypso Coolers foray into the Caribbean region is a great first step for those of you who would like to dabble, or perhaps re-explore flavors from your roots. Both books include serving and pairing suggestions.

What do you enjoy most about exploring the culinary tastes from around the world?

The fascinating thing about exploring culinary tastes is finding that the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know… there’s just so much out there to explore.

In addition to that, I think it’s just wonderful to see how we can all connect through food. Honestly, I think if we all explored the incredible foods of the cultures that share our planet, there’d be no more fighting, and we would, finally, all sit down and break bread together.

By Sheila Robinson