Tropical Cooking Tips - Hosting a Tropical Party

The notion of hosting a Tropical Party means it should be a sunny day or a cool tropical weather.

Since the advent of climate change, there's also an adjustment with the interpretation of having such kind of party here in the Philippines.

It can be a corporate or just a birthday party at home. The only difference is the way food are prepared from simple to complicated tropical dishes fused with either other eastern or western cuisines.

I will not say that the term "authentic tropical party" is in the offing but I assure you that home cooking prepared by family members and friends.

Here in the Philippines, more and more fast-food restaurants are catering to a more home-cooked style preparation. I mean, kitchen or galley staff with the chef are using indigenous ingredients in order to promote a native delicacy and its authenticity.

Due to the merging of different cultures in the hearts of many Filipinos, Philippine cuisine is an array of both Asian, European and American cuisines. Call it a 'melting pot' in the Far East but you're apt for gastronomic surprises as you taste regional dishes that highlight food courts at the malls.

So, lets go back to the hosting job. But of course, the celebrator or celebrant will always serve as the host-cum-menu planner-cum-cook- when the birthday party comes.

Let's take a look at an array of food arrangement (usually buffet) in a typical Filipino birthday party.

1. Fruit salad -usually a mixture of fruit cocktail with cream dressing.Filipino twists include buko or young coconut slices, kaong (preserved sweetened coconut) and cheese (preferably Feta cheese).
2. Spaghetti - with Filipino-styled sauce, with ground pork, sauteed in onion and garlic, together with tomato paste/sauce, hotdog slices, condensed milk and taste enhancer.
3. Pancit Bijon or Bihon - Vermicille or dried rice noodles in soy sauce and mixed vegetables slices with chicken broth and meat slices topped with fish balls and kikiam.
4. Leche Flan - steamed sweetened egg yolk with condensed milk and sugar caramel.
5. Suman - sweetened glutinous rice, cooked over low heat with coconut milk.
6. Puto - little sweet cakes in assorted color.
7. Cake - star of the table
8. Ice Cream - usually Pinoy-style,emulsified with lots of tropical fruit flavors as in mango, buko or ube.
9. Sago & Gulaman drink - tapioca pearls with gelatin cubes, with evaporated milk and sugar caramel, enhanced with vanilla essence and lots of ice cubes for a refreshing drink.

Lots of surprises still awaits the celebrator/celebrant as those can-afford guests will supply additional drinks for the party to stay longer.

If you're on a budget, you can just settle for one main dish, one or two deserts and drinks (softdrinks) or for a grand tropical party, you must have a thorough planning which included the place, number of persons to be invited and the budget (for food, music and a lot more).

BEACH PARTIES are the most common parties when it comes to tropical partying all-night long. It usually begins morning time until sundown. There are lots of themes that differ when it comes to age bracket. Youth are more flamboyant than the elders. From the coast of California and the rest of North America down to the Latin American territories, lots of ideas sprang each year. Philippines and the rest of tropical nations in Asia are also having their slice when it comes to parties. Here in my country, Boracay is the prime destination when it comes to having parties such as these. Come to think of it, the tourism industry will have a boost due to it's trending slogan: It's More Fun in the Philippines.

• Overnight Parties - a must to experience partying at night during summer, crowding the shore of known beaches in the area and doing barn dance around the bonfire
• Reggae Parties - also a night tropical parties, and the theme suggests of lots of good reggae music, Bob Marley and his followers
• Hawaiian Parties - I witnessed this kind of theme party at a posh hotel here in Manila. Yes, everyone can think and act like the native people of Hawaii, don with their native costumes performing hula dance.

POOL PARTIES are the most common at the leading hotels in the vicinity. Such amenities are now being crave by their clients as surprise tropical parties, with lots of gorgeous women in bikinis and hunky men parading and strutting their assets along with the surprised guests or out-of-towners.

BEER PARTIES are also included in my list. My former classmate in college happens to be one of the organizers of the most successful rock concerts and beer parties or beer plaza in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. She's connected with the leading beer company in the country and she even invited me to witness one of her engagement in Bicol during Penafrancia fiesta.

Tropical parties always abound in music, food and drinks. A lot of dancing will be seen whether you're just in shorts or barefoot.

You don't have to worry about your stilletos and dancing shoes just to enjoy the party.