Amelie Theme Party Food and Beverage

To keep the party preparations to a minimum, serve simple, delicious food family style. You can still set out lovely plates, napkins and placecards for each guest, but place a platter of each dish down the middle of the table. This encourages guests to interact and chat with each other as soon as everyone sits down to eat, and sets a comfortable, intimate tone for the evening.

Suggested Menu:

Food does not have to be difficult to prepare to taste delicious. Since Amelie took place in Monte Marte, consider French provincial dishes that are perfect for serving family style. We suggest the following menu, that is filled with low-prepwork, easy to cook dishes that guests will love. Round out the table with fresh loaves and baguettes of French bread placed in antique tins, and Amelies favorite, fresh raspberries, placed in small dishes so guests can cleanse their palettes:

• Roast Chicken (prep a day ahead)
• Ratatouille, or simple roasted vegetables summer vegetables
• Sauteed green beans with caramelized shallots, served chilled (can be made a day ahead and refrigerated)
• Artisan lettuce salad with cheese crumble, walnuts, fresh raspberries and a shallot-vinaigrette (prepare the salad and the vinaigrette separately in the morning, allow guests to dress the salad during dinner)
• Crme Brulee for dessert, Amelies favorite (purchase a pre-made version from a bakery you can heat up easily)

Suggested Beverages:

We kept it simple by purchasing old fashioned sodas that came in individual serving size glass bottles. For alcoholic beverages, provide glass beer bottles as well as a few bottles of wine on the table.

Encourage guests to self-serve by placing bottle openers next to a tub filled with ice and the beverages, and also place a corkscrew and wine glasses next to the vino. This eliminates the need for guests to ask for a drink, and also frees up the hosts time since they no longer have to play bartender for the evening as well.