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Entertaining:
How
to Make Centerpieces: Easy "Gourmet" Table Centerpieces
A Holiday Dinner
Party - or for that matter, any
dinner party - calls for some creative ideas for table centerpieces.
An elegant centerpiece is as important a part of your dinner table,
as the rest of the table decoration, serveware or even the food itself.
Instead of the
usual flowers or candles, bring a creative twist to all your dinner
parties this season by displaying abundant and fabulous "Gourmet
Centerpieces" - centerpiece consisting of food you are serving,
all dressed up to take center-stage. You can enhance your culinary
centerpieces with flowers, candles, berries, or ornaments to
accessorize the table decor.
The main course of
your dinner party can be a great choice for a centerpiece. The
traditional roast or stuffed turkey, for example, makes a wonderful
centerpiece in and of itself.
'Accessorize' your
main course with other gourmet tid-bits. In the above example of a
roast turkey, you may circle the turkey with mini kebabs, stuffed
mushrooms, marinated olives, fresh veggies, baby tomatoes, baby
potatoes etc. Garnish each little piece for adding more color to your centerpiece.
Desserts are
another great choice for centerpieces. Trifles or puddings, when
prepared for a fairly large number of persons, make a lovely sight.
If you decide to
use your desserts as centerpieces, be sure to put an extra effort
into the garnishing. Desserts can be topped with whipped cream,
custard sauce, fruit preserves, etc. and garnished with berries, mint
leaves, crushed nuts and so forth. If using clear glass bowls for
desserts like fruit trifle, decorate the empty bowl first by piping
softened jam on the circumference of the walls. This will give off a
lovely 'layered' look when viewed from the outside of the trifle bowl.
Cakes are eternal
favorites as table centerpieces. Use a beautifully decorated cake,
complete with a cake topper, for a delicious looking centerpiece.
Beautiful cake stands, available easily in stores, can be used to
hold the cake. For a timeless, classic look, place cakes on a
3-tiered cake stands. For Christmas, a 'Buche De Noel' or simply, a
'Yule Log Cake' makes a beautiful centerpiece.
Use a bowl of
sparkling fruit for a wholesome and elegant centerpiece. Wash and
clean all the fruits before arranging them in a beatuiful bowl.
Creatively, alternate frosted, glazed or plain fruit and ornaments in
layers. You can also arrange the fruits on a tiered cake stand.
If you can't think
of dish from your main dinner menu which would be suitable in look
and size for a centerpiece, you can creatively use certain smaller
sized items, too. For instance, you can arrange appetizers, miniature
puddings, muffins, or candy on tiered cake stands. You can make this
type of centerpiece arrangement very attractive by playing with color.
For a cocktail
party, a perfect centerpiece might be a glass bowl filled with
crushed ice into which bright colored wine bottles are set. Drop a
few berries and/or mint leaves into the ice to add more color and
visual interest.
"Gourmet
Centerpieces", besides being very attractive, are also very
practical. More often than not, dinner tables are short of space with
the large number of items on your menu, not to mention serving
pieces, dinnerware, place mats, etc. It is possible to run out of
space for a seperate centerpiece. "Gourmet centerpieces"
will neither take up any extra space on your table nor too much of
your time. Only a little effort is needed to decorate and garnish a
gourment centerpiece attractively.
And last but not
the least, be sure to take the time to view your creation from all
angles to ensure that it makes a wonderful sight for everyone viewing it.
Source:
Celebrating-Christmas.com:
Your Guide to Celebrating Christmas in Style.for Christmas Crafts,
Recipes, Dinner Menu Ideas, Party Planning Tips, Gift Ideas, Holiday
Decorating Tips, Holiday Planning and Organizing Checklists,
Christmas contests, free downloads, kids' fun and much more holiday stuff.
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