Party Food: Drinks and Apps

Here is a whole collection of our favorite party drinks and appetizers. Page down for the best margarita recipe ever, my favorite bourbon concoction, homemade raspberry liqueur, simple bruschetta, tortilla pizzas on the grill, panela cheese with oregano, dilly pretzels and more. Make a batch of each, there is an entire party right on this page.

· 1 can lime concentrate (the goo, straight out of the can, not mixed into juice) 

- 1 can light beer (Corona or similar works great)

· 1 can Diet Squirt

· decent tequila

· lime slices or wedges

· ice

Thaw the lime goo and pour it into a decent size pitcher. Do not discard the can. Pour the beer and Diet Squirt into the pitcher, stir gently to remove foam. Fill the emptied can of lime goo with tequila and add to the mixture. Voila! or should I say Ay Carumba! You just made margaritas better than any restaurant and almost as simple as saying “Oh pool boy”. Pour over ice, add a lime wedge, put on the Los Lonely Boys CD, let’s party!

The best part – these are so simple you can remember the recipe to make a second batch.

Makes: two people silly, four people happy or six people really wish they had another one. A telling comment about Pete's Pals is that this is the single most requested recipe on the entire web site.

  · 2-3 ounces of good bourbon - I like Maker's Mark

· 1 tsp pure maple syrup - use the real stuff, not that brown colored corn syrup goo with a picture of pancakes on the label

· 1 ounce orange juice

· dash of bitters

· 1 slice crisp bacon

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Slowly pour maple syrup over cubes and let it sink to the bottom. Slowly add bourbon, then carefully add orange juice but try not to mix. Add bitters. Slide bacon down the side like a swizzle stick but do not stir.

This is an original creation by your old pal Pete who had to come up with something for a bacon-themed dinner party (hey, you party your way…). All the elements of a great breakfast are here - bacon, OJ and maple syrup. Drink this without mixing. you will start with orange juice and bitters, then taste the bourbon and end with a taste of maple syrup, all the while enjoying the essence of bacon.

• 5-6 cups of watermelon chunks, seedless or seeds removed
• 1 cup of pineapple chunks
• juice of 4 limes
• decent tequila

Place watermelon and pineapple chunks in a blender.  Chop coarsely for 15 seconds or so, then push the button for one of the greatest verbs in the whole language - Liquify!  Let that go for 45 seconds. 

Stop and push residue down the edges of the blender and liquify for another 15 seconds.

Strain liquid into a small pitcher.  This should make 2-3 cups of liquid.  Add lime juice and 4-6 ounces of tequila.  Stir and pour over ice.  Enjoy!

See photo in gallery below.

• 24 oz of fresh or frozen raspberries (4 of the small boxes at the grocery that weigh 6oz each)

• 3 1/2 cups vodka (or a 750 ml bottle) – 100 proof works best because it extracts more flavor from the raspberries but 80 proof will be fine, too

• 1 cup of sugar

• Lemon peel (optional)

Pour raspberries into a large jar and cover with sugar. Pour vodka over raspberries and close with lid.

Shake several times the first day until all of the sugar has dissolved.

Store in a cool, dark place for a minimum of one month, 6-8 weeks would be better. Shake or rotate every day or two.

When the liqueur is ready to be bottled, line a strainer with a couple of layers of cheesecloth, preferably butter muslin and place it over a large pot or bowl. Pour the liquor over the cheesecloth slowly letting the liquid drain while the strainer catches the solids. Repeat if necessary.

When ready, store in a glass bottle(s) in a cool dark place or even in your refrigerator.

Serve an ounce or two at a time in a small glass.  A small slice of lemon peel will brighten the flavor.

· Loaf of French baguette bread

· 3 or 4 medium size, ripe tomatoes (Roma work best), chopped and drained

· Fresh mozzarella

· Olive oil

· Fresh basil, chopped

Slice baguette diagonally into ½” thick pieces. Lightly brush olive oil on both cut surfaces of bread pieces and toast them on gas or charcoal grill. Rub cut surface of garlic over one side of toasted bread pieces. Slice mozzarella thinly (1/8”) and place a slice on the garlic rubbed side of each piece of toast. Spoon chopped tomatoes on cheese, garnish with basil and serve immediately.  Make these as you serve them or they can get soggy but if the tomatoes are ripe and the basil is fresh, these are awesome!

Another option that travels well if you are going to a party is to cut the mozzarella into small cubes (approx 1/4") and mix with the tomato and basil mixture.  That can be spooned onto toast pieces (see photo below in gallery).

This is great for dipping vegetables, crackers, etc. and was inspired by a recipe in one of our favorite cookbooks – The Southwestern Grill by Michael McLaughlin. When we first got the book I went through and put sticky notes by the recipes that sounded good and used about 60 sticky notes. Everything sounded great. 

We adapted the recipe slightly but kept his name on it and I’d recommend you find his book for more great stuff. This is in the neighborhood of whackamole sauce, which we love, also, but this is more creamy and versatile. 

· 3 cups chopped cilantro leaves (about two bunches)

· 1 chopped jalapeno

· 1 cup sliced green onions

· 1 tsp salt

· 1 cup sour cream

· 2 avocados, skin and pits removed, cut into chunks

Mix everything except sour cream into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a glass bowl and fold in sour cream. Enjoy!

· Flour tortillas (8 inch)

· Olive oil

· Grated cheese

· Other toppings like vegetables or chunks of meat

· Sauces like tomato sauce (must be very thick) or pesto

Brush olive oil on one side of a tortilla and place it, oil side down on a hot grill. Close the grill cover for a couple of minutes until tortilla starts to arch up and turn golden. Then brush oil on the top side of the tortilla and turn it over. Add toppings, close the cover and cook for another couple of minutes or until cheese is melted.

Notes: Use tomato sauce sparingly or not at all. It is critical to avoid making the tortilla soggy and tomato sauce can do that easily so tomato chunks work a lot better. If you do use sauce, make sure it is thick and brush it on thinly, just for flavor. Pesto, with fresh mozzarella and basil will make something you would never expect to find in a barbecue cookbook. These can be made on a gas grill or a charcoal grill, the temperature is easier to control on a gas grill.