Hurricane Oil Lantern

"Entertaining Inspirations by Andrea Correale: Stylish Backyard Barbecue"

Stylish Backyard Barbecue

Believe it or not, the classic American favorite -- the summer barbecue can be virtually reinvented with a few new ideas designed to light up more than the grill. When having friends over, consider lining the entrance of your home with a path of tiki torches or luminary bags interspersed with plants. This will give your guests a Que as to where to go once they arrive but also sets the mood from the moment they set foot on your property. Don't hesitate to splurge on the right table linens - BBQ themes are always fun and yet the traditional red & white checkered cloths go a long way. For a less common but equally as effective alternative, go with true summertime brights -- fuschia & orange are irresistible -- coupled with monochromatic bunches of flowers placed in tight bunches in small vases. If you would prefer a simpler table decor - place a large hurricane vase with a candle on each table or a lantern for a subtler centerpiece.

Be sure to back up your decor with the right music - music based on your guests demographics - their generation of music. The easiest way to do this is to visit iTunes where you can customize your play list and save it for next year. Some great summertime favorites to start with are Jimmy Buffet, Bob Marley, and The Beach Boys - iTunes will direct you from there. The beauty of the right play list is the way it creates a nostalgic mood reminding your guests of relaxing summer memories.

Your barbecue menu begins with the grill itself -- make sure you use a charcoal BBQ -- the scent adds to the ambiance tapping into memories of barbecues gone by. The traditional foods are the burgers, dogs, chicken, and corn accompanied by cole slaw and potato salad...don't stop there. Add a gourmet twist by making stuffed burgers - try adding cheddar, bacon, and caramelized onions with your patties. Another tasty stuffing for the burgers includes mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Give the chicken a twist by prepping it in a bourbon, brown sugar, garlic & scallion marinade. Hot dogs made with Kobe beef served in mini bite format on skewers are a stylish twist on an old favorite. The same goes for potato salad with a creamy Gorgonzola whip instead of mayo. Potato salad can also be made grecian style too - roast the potatoes and then add feta, calamata olives, parsley and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. The grilled vegetables are a healthy mainstay which are best when marinated in a traditional balsamic and olive oil dressing with a dash of sea salt. Asparagus, portabello mushroom, yellow peppers, and carrots are a nice color & flavor assortment.

Go all out with a vintage ice cream sundae bar and provide an array of flavors with all the trimmings - oreo crumble, marachino cherries, wet walnuts, sprinkles, strawberries, with hot caramel and fudge syrups. Don't forget the whipped cream! Reddi-Wip® is the best vintage option as it dates back to 1948 and also one of the few whipped creams which does not contain hydrogenated oils - go figure!

About the Author

Andrea and her Culinary Team at Elegant Affairs has satisfied some of the most discriminating palates as the Trumps, Brooke Shields, Kelly Ripa, Kelsey Grammer, Jimmy Fallon, and Kim Cattrall. In addition to creating spectacular food with dazzling presentations, Andrea has become a regular contributor on Celebrations.com, a subsidiary of 1800 Flowers, writing her column for "Ask the Expert." As a notable New York caterer, Andrea Correale has been featured on Martha Stewart Living on Sirius Radio and NBC-TV sharing creative ideas on home entertaining.

Watch Andrea and Elegant Affairs on VH-1, The Fabulous Life of the Hamptons, The Real Housewives of New York City, and most recently, Bravo TV's, Millionaire Matchmaker.

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