Entertaining Extravaganza

I hope everyone is reading our two-day entertaining extravaganza in the Food and Home sections. The stories contain every possible detail on hosting a dinner party, buffet or cocktail party, from menus to music. We also have a question on this topic:

I'm having a "Treats & Toddies" party. My whole family and friends and their families are included so there will be children attending. Because my carpet is new, I don't really want to have red wine because of the inevitable spills. My condo is too small for a full bar, so I was thinking about Prosecco and beer (both bubbly) and maybe some white wine for those who don't drink sparkling drinks. What do you think or do you have any other suggestions? I also need to know how much to buy. What is the ratio of bottles/glasses to people attending?

I've asked Annie Groer and Terri Sapienza, writers of today's entertaining stories in the Home section to comment:
Annie:
An all-white beverage party is fine. Don't forget sodas and also some fizzy water and still water for non-drinkers, and white juices for kids. Also, with enough white wine and club soda, you can make wine spritzers, which means guests won't get drunk as quickly and calorie-counters will also be better off. An old bartender's trick is to put ice in the glass, add soda and then add the wine but don't stir. That leaves the wine on the top as the dominant taste.

Figure five glasses of wine or bubbly per 750 ml. bottle. People drink one or two glasses per hour if they're prudent, more if they're not. If your food is salty, i.e. ham, nuts, chips, guests may drink more because of thirst.
And if you're watching your rug, stay away from salsa and gloppy dips like guacamole. Go for humus, cheeses, veggies (in a white dip like ranch dressing).

Terri:
I think limiting your drink selection is a good, practical idea, that can be a fun one as well. Prosecco and beer are good choices, but you may also want to consider serving champagne with your desserts. It's both yummy and decadent. Another possibility could be a special cocktail that you make ahead of time in large quantities and serve when guests first arrive. Check out yesterday's Food section for a recipe for a Ginger Martini.

By Liz Seymour | November 30, 2006; 12:09 PM ET | Category: Parties
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Might also want to invest in sparkling white grape juice/apple cider for the non-drinkers, bottles are usually only a few bucks each and some people may appreciate a non-alcoholic option (either because they're designated-driving or don't want to overdo it after a drink or two).

Posted by: | November 30, 2006 01:44 PM

Prosecco, if I'm not mistaken, is Italian sparkling wine. It's just like Champagne, which, technically, is from the Champagne region in France.

We use the term to describe any type of sparkling wine.

Prosecco is a great choice because the taste is real close to the sorts of white wines that tend to be popular and it's reasonably priced.

I like the white food concept. You could serve risotto or white mac and cheese in puff pastry cups (freezer section.) Yummy rice crackers and white cheeses along with green grapes.

Deck the place out in silver balls, stars and white flowers and it could be quite spectacular. Could you get everyone to wear something white too?

Posted by: slvr sprng | December 1, 2006 05:55 PM