A sweet sixteen is a party to celebrate a young lady's 16th birthday. The party can be a huge affair with hundreds of guests and a live band. The party can also be a small and intimate celebration of a young lady's passage into the beginnings of adulthood. Food prepared for a sweet sixteen party should fit with the overall theme of the party. Consider these different approaches as you plan for the festivity. Does this Spark an idea?
A Party For Grown Ups
Make it formal. A sweet sixteen is likely to be a young woman's first grown up dinner party. Treat the occasion as an opportunity to prepare her to understand the art of fine dining. Give guests an amuse bouche. French for "amuse the mouth," an amuse bouche is meant to be a little burst of flavor. Consider a small bite of composed salad or shot glass of soup. After that, proceed to the appetizer course. Serve guests a few ounces of foie gras, a half portion of pasta or mushrooms stuffed with panko bread crumbs. Main courses should be equally elegant. Offer guests a choice of a roasted meat such as lamb and a roasted fish such as monkfish. Accompany each with a matched dish of in-season vegetables such as asparagus or baby squash. Finish the meal with a complicated dessert such as a chocolate soufflé or tarte tatin.
Go Sweet
Celebrate the sweet in sweet sixteen. Add a touch of something ambrosial to each course. Start with a soup made from sweet potatoes or a salad topped with candied walnuts. Serve a main course with a sweetened sauce. Brush honey over grilled chicken. Certain meats such as duck work well when paired with stewed fruit. Serve a sugar glazed ham. End the meal with a sugary treat. Serve pecan pie, chocolate cake or peppermint ice cream.
Teenaged Tastes
Create a menu centered around the interests of 16-year-old girls. Many of the guests will share the same age as the birthday girl. Ask her what she and her friends like. If a certain movie star is popular, use food items that allude to her latest movie. Serve a cake with the image of the movie star on top. If certain colors are popular, consider a dinner composed of dishes with ingredients in that color. Serve salad with red radicchio leaves. Prepare steak so that it is medium rare and pink in the center. End with a strawberry tart or brownie with raspberry sauce.
Tags: sweet sixteen, amuse bouche, meal with, movie star, sixteen party