Eat, Drink and Be Married - A Tasty Party Theme

Does your bride-to-be subscribe to Gourmet over Cosmo? Is her dream man a baby-faced Jamie Oliver or a kitchen bad-boy like Gordon Ramsey? Does she actually know how to pronounce ‘Quinoa’ and use it properly in a sentence? If you've answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then your bachelorette is a foodie. Defined as a person who has a passionate interest in all things food related, you don't want to show up at this lady's party with something from a can. So push aside the instant mixes and start things from scratch with PlanetBachelorette.com's guide for planning the perfect gourmet-themed bachelorette party.

Try these simple ideas to up the ‘chow’ factor.

The Cheese Platter

A gourmet classic. Choose at least three different types of cheeses to grace your plate and vary by taste or texture. If you have a specialty cheese store in your area, ask them to help you out and recommend best choices. Above all, don't be afraid to experiment and don't be turned off by the smell!

To brighten up the cheese plate, include dried fruits, a selection of nuts or even fruit chutney. All go well with a variety of cheeses.

When serving the platter, provide guests with an assortment of crackers and crostini — a fancy word for toasted bread. A simple way to make crostini is to cut a baguette into ½ inch slices and toast them in an oven until they are a tasty golden brown. When the crostini is ready, remove them from the oven, brush them with olive oil and rub them with a fresh garlic clove. Serve and enjoy!

Baked Brie with Onions and Cranberries

One word: divine. This recipe is a little bit harder, but so worth it. You can prepare the topping in advance and bake everything together once your guests arrive.

• For the topping:
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 medium onions (sliced thinly)
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar (or more, to taste)
• 1 tbsp. dried cranberries (chopped)
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar (or more, to taste)

Preheat the oven to 400°C

Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the brown sugar and continue cooking until the onions turn brown and begin to caramelize. Finally, add the chopped cranberries and balsamic vinegar and cook for just a few minutes longer.

Take a medium-sized wheel of brie and carefully remove almost all of the top rind, but leave a small edge so the cheese will keep its shape when baked. Place the cheese in an oven safe dish, cover with the onion and cranberry topping, loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Serve with your homemade crostini.

Portuguese Shrimp

Spicy and scrumptious. You can use either peeled or unpeeled shrimp. The unpeeled shrimp will collect more of the yummy sauce, but the peeled shrimp are less messy. The choice is yours.

• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 3 tbsp. Portuguese hot pepper sauce
• 454g bag of shrimp (peeled or unpeeled)
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• Salt to taste

Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped garlic and hot sauce and fry for a minute to blend the flavours. Add half of the shrimp and half of the paprika and salt. Fry for a few minutes, stirring often, until the shrimp have turned pink. Set the cooked shrimp aside on a serving plate, but leave the sauce behind in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp. Serve with crusty bread to pick up the sauce.

Serve your feast in style with bachelorette party-themed tableware and last, but not least, don't forget refreshments! Visit PlanetBachelorette.com's guide to the perfect martini for thirst-quenching inspiration.

Enjoy!

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