Fiesta das 30: The food

We had a very belated birthday party to celebrate my 30th, effectively turning the entire month of March into one long festa. You'll hear no complaining from me! It was a small party, with just a few friends, as the house doesn't really have space for a grand event. Maybe someday we'll get an apartment with a patio and we can go all out...

As I am no food photographer, please pardon the not-so-slick photos. Here's a breakdown of the menu:

Watermelon-Tomato-Basil Soup Shooters



Cucumber and Potato Cups with Peruvian Huancaína Sauce and Herbed Yogurt-Cream Cheese Dip as fillings



Crackers* and Pita Crisps**
Mexican Chicken Meatballs
Chimichurri Meatballs
Shrimp Cebiche, Mango Salsa and Bloody Mary Tomatoes



Marinated Spicy Olives*
Nutty Caramel Corn

Surprise Peppermint Meringues

Caipirinha Cake and Cupcakes



* Purchased
** Semi-homemade

I planned it so that almost everything could be eaten with a toothpick, chips or hands. Though I did provide forks, which came in handy for cebiche and cake, they weren't an absolute necessity. I discovered that at least several of my guests were, like me, not fans of raw tomatoes, so I have an abundance of Bloody Mary Tomatoes to turn into sauce tomorrow. Note to self for future parties. On the other hand, the salsa and cebiche were a hit, and there aren't even enough meatballs left to give us a respectable lunch! The caramel corn, a recipe passed down from my mother, never fails to impress a crowd, and it's super, super easy. As is the yogurt dip, which is so easy I feel bad telling people it's homemade. Personally, I was thrilled with the pita crisps, which will be a regular snack food in the house. I miss crunchy things, and don't care much for Brazilian options...and these nicely fill the void left by the absence of tortilla chips, but avoid corn, to which my arthritis is ever-so-slightly-allergic. I'll also be having the watermelon soup for lunch today. I loved the fresh flavor! If I were to do my potato appetizer over again, I'd use less pepper sauce, as it was seriously spicy, and I'd cut the potatoes into cubes, which would have been easier to eat than the hollowed out cups I served. Though the meringues were forgotten in the middle of all the other goodness, I have to pat myself on the back and point out that two separate people were surprised to discover they were homemade. My husband stared at me and gave the phenomenal "You never cease to amaze me!" compliment. Swoon.

You can do this at home, too.

It is not that hard or time consuming. Well, most of it isn't!

Leave me a comment if you end up making something. I'd love to know how they turn out for you!

More posts to come with papel picado tutorials, wine glass marker tutorials and etc...