Mexican Fiesta
Perfect for: Cinco de Mayo; large gatherings such as college friends reunions
The Food: fajitas or enchiladas are the easiest when feeding a crowd. For more intimate dinner parties go for the more complex Mexican dishes such as chicken mole and chile rellenos to give the guests an extra "wow"
The Drinks: margaritas of course! Sangria, though Spanish, is another crowd favorite. For a twist make white sangria, substituting a light white wine like pinot grigio or even moscato for the traditional red wine, soaking canned peaches, pears, and green grapes with a splash of seltzer and triple sec for taste.
French Feast
Perfect for: entertaining to impress, such as your boss or in-laws ...
The Food: a salad nicoise is my French dish of choice, and reasonably easy to make and assemble - boil the eggs and potatoes, sear the tuna, and arrange with vegetables to make it look pretty on the plate. Heartier French meals I've done that have been well-received are beef bourguignon and cassoulet.
The Drinks: Sauvignon Blanc for the seafood salad and Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot for the meat dishes. Follow the meal with creme brulee or chocolate mousse for supreme decadence.
Into India
Perfect for: more adventurous eaters looking to spice up their Friday night
The Food: tandoori chicken or rogan josh are good protein dishes to try out if you're taking your first steps in venturing into Indian cooking, and my personal favorite vegetarian side dishes are saag paneer (spinach) and dahl (lentils.) Add some basmati rice and warm naan bread and you've got yourself a well-rounded feast.
The Drinks: I typically choose a red wine for Indian food; tends to pair well, and if you want to go the extra mile make your own mango lassi for guests' dessert - just blend mango, milk, yogurt, sugar and a dash of cardamom in the blender until creamy. *Note Trader Joe's sells frozen mango cubes in the frozen food aisle.
Taste of Thai
Perfect for: wintertime - spicy curry is sure to warm you up
The Food: I find the pad Thai and curry dishes served over rice are the easiest way to "feed the masses" as my Dad would say - stir-fry your favorite vegetables and choice of chicken/tofu/shrimp/etc. in a wok and serve over rice - make it as spicy as you like!
The Drinks: Singha beer or Mai Tai cocktail
Hawaiian Luau
Perfect for: summer barbeques
The Food: grill festive skewers such as salmon, pineapple and bell peppers with teryaki glaze or coconut shrimp and spicy dipping sauce - finger friendly food with lots of color to match those tacky flower leis. Lots of fresh fruit - no need to roast a pig on a spit in the backyard, people.
The Drinks: Blue Hawaiian cocktails and strawberry daiquiries with a cherry on top
Make-Your-Own Sushi Party
Perfect for: bored adults and kids alike
The Food: go to a Japanese market and pick up grade A sashimi - basic crab meat, tuna, and salmon work best to start - seaweed wrappers, rice, and sushi mats to roll. Steam the rice to super sticky consistency (this is an art that takes years so don't be hard on yourself the first try,) dice up some cucumber really fine, and lay out the table with bowls of ingredients for guests to use as they attemp to assemble their very own sushi rolls.
The Drinks: Sapporos and saki gets the party really going - be sure to take photos of the creations before they're eaten!
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