{"id":150,"date":"2020-01-11T16:15:14","date_gmt":"2020-01-11T16:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awaywego-origin.carnival.com\/?p=150"},"modified":"2020-12-16T18:00:32","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T18:00:32","slug":"holiday-entertaining-with-a-tropical-twist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/lifestyle\/food-drink\/holiday-entertaining-with-a-tropical-twist","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Entertaining With a Tropical Twist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of our partnership with Carnival, I\u2019ve come up with a few holiday recipes and entertaining tips inspired by the tropics. I\u2019m not suggesting you hire a steel drum band, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">although that\u2019s fine too,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I\u2019m simply infusing the traditional fete with some Caribbean color and spice influenced by my own travels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As my sister, an event director and master mixologist, and I island hopped from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/cruise-to\/caribbean-cruises\/san-juan-cruises.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Puerto Rico<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to St. Thomas to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/cruise-to\/caribbean-cruises\/barbados-cruises.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barbados<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to St. Lucia to St. Kitt to St. Maarten and back, she would dissect each tasty drink that we were served. Meanwhile, I was diligently taking notes so I could recreate the tasty concoctions at home. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where I would insert a ridiculous photo of us dancing in a conga line clearly not dissecting or doing anything diligently, but there is a pact of secrecy so those photos will never be shared.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on for the perfect island-inspired nibbles and libations for your holiday\u2026Just as you start off any tropical cruise with a rum punch, let\u2019s start our party with the same.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/images.newscred.com\/b55363e62c84b8a311b945b75f125c54\" alt=\"test\" width=\"428\" height=\"285\" \/>Sparkling Rum Punch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Add to glass in order:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2 TBS Guava Juice (or nectar)<\/li>\n<li>2 TBS Mango Juice (or nectar)<\/li>\n<li>A splash of dark rum<\/li>\n<li>Fill with champagne or any sparkling wine<\/li>\n<li>Add a sprinkle of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.earthy.com\/Fresh-Origins-Herb-Mini-Crystals-Mint-from-Earthy-Delights.aspx\">Hibiscus Flower Crystals<\/a>\u00a0(optional)<\/li>\n<li>Garnish with edible flowers either on a toothpick or floating right in the drink\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This exotic cocktail pairs well with a simple Tuna Tartare&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tuna Tartare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ingredients:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/images.newscred.com\/6ce96cbdf4d0596de5a13075975ccd89\" alt=\"test\" width=\"424\" height=\"308\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1\/8 cup EVOO<\/li>\n<li>1 TBS sesame oil<\/li>\n<li>Zest of 1 lime<\/li>\n<li>Juice of 1 lime<\/li>\n<li>1\/4 teaspoon wasabi powder or 1 teaspoon wasabi sauce<\/li>\n<li>2 teaspoons soy sauce<\/li>\n<li>1\/2 teaspoon Sriracha hot pepper sauce<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1\/2 teaspoon table salt<\/li>\n<li>\u00a01\/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper<\/li>\n<li>1\/2 pound sushi grade Tuna cut in 1\/4\u2033 dice<\/li>\n<li>1\/4 cup minced chives (or green onions)<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon minced jalape\u00f1o<\/li>\n<li>1 small avocado cut in 1\/4\u2033 dice<\/li>\n<li>1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Directions:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/images.newscred.com\/dc836febc10760a814df9b8b15dc1ac5\" alt=\"test\" width=\"418\" height=\"294\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Whisk all sauce ingredients and pour over tuna<\/li>\n<li>Add chives and Jalapeno and mix all<\/li>\n<li>Carefully mix in diced avocado<\/li>\n<li>Add in the sesame seeds or use a garnish.<\/li>\n<li>Present in store-bought Filo cups, prepared in a mold, on crackers, or in spoons<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: This dish can be made a few hours ahead. The longer it marinates, the tuna will \u201ccook\u201d in the lime juice and become more of a civich\u00e9 which is also delicious.<\/p>\n<p>We added a small wedge of dried Meyer Lemon, inspired by the Tuna Tartare we were served in Scarlett&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.carnival.com\/cruise-food\/steakhouse?cid=So_CM_NA_P_AWG#13_1119&amp;DMP=5019,6120,7036,,8003\">Steakhouse<\/a> on the cruise.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cheese Plate<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/images.newscred.com\/39920c53684c263b186c59b80f55cea0\" alt=\"test\" width=\"412\" height=\"329\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s move on to the cheese course, my favorite course!<\/p>\n<p>I always love to serve cheese at my parties. It\u2019s a fun communal experience and it\u2019s so easy to prepare.\u00a0<em>Unwrap cheese. Place cheese on plate.<\/em>\u00a0It also keeps the non-sweet-lovers at the table while everyone else eats dessert.\u00a0<em>I will almost always pick cheese over sweets!<\/em>\u00a0While I have traditionally put out a large cheese board for everyone to share, I love this idea I discovered on the cruise of serving individual cheese plates. This way the bites are organized from most mild to most strong and there is no awkward reaching. It might also encourage your more timid guests to try something new! These torte crackers that I found at Central Market make the perfect \u201cplate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/images.newscred.com\/5fb3c2c1ebec07472e5109ca109a7049\" alt=\"test\" width=\"412\" height=\"288\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Yum! Add some of my award-winning\u00a0<em>(not really but they should be)<\/em>\u00a0Pickled Cranberries. They are addicting, you\u2019ve been warned.<\/p>\n<p>For inexpensive cheese markers, turn picks into flowing flags with copy paper and a glue dot.<\/p>\n<p>And if the weather outside is frightful, warm things up with a Dark &amp; Stormy, or in this case a Darker &amp; Stormier&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Darker &amp; Stormier<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/images.newscred.com\/8abc4fc32032585430a3ab204c3efed2\" alt=\"test\" width=\"409\" height=\"356\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pour a jigger of black rum (like Gosling&#8217;s) over ice and fill with Crabbie&#8217;s Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Repeat. Call Uber.<\/p>\n<p>For a less boozy version, try the traditional Dark &amp; Stormy by mixing regular Ginger Beer, which also blends well with vodka or whiskey. So I\u2019ve, ehem, heard.<\/p>\n<p>Wishing y\u2019all smooth sailing in all of your holiday entertaining. Cheers!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>This post was created as part of my collaboration with\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/carnival.com\/?cid=So_CM_NA_P_AWG#13_1119&amp;DMP=5019,6120,7036,,8003\">Carnival<\/a>. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"nc_pixel\" src=\"https:\/\/pixel.newscred.com\/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT04YWJlMDJkZGJkZmJjMWI0MmUzNDRhYmUwN2RlMzliZSZwdWJsaXNoZXI9Nzc5YzgxZTNjMWE4MTU4Yzg5OGJmYTVjYjk4M2ZlZDE=\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As part of our partnership with Carnival, I\u2019ve come up with a few holiday recipes and entertaining tips inspired by &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/lifestyle\/food-drink\/holiday-entertaining-with-a-tropical-twist\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"read-more\" aria-label=\"Read more of Holiday Entertaining With a Tropical Twist\"> read more<\/a>","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,3],"tags":[31,30],"class_list":["post-150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","category-lifestyle","tag-drinks","tag-food"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Holiday Entertaining With a Tropical Twist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here&#039;s a few holiday recipes and entertaining tips inspired by the tropics! 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