Party Food
You reserved space at the park, rented the big inflatable games and invited everyone. All that's left is to plan some great food - and carnival fare is a natural fit for an outdoor celebration. It's grab-and-go snack food, easily served from food carts or stations. For an occasion as special as an 18th birthday party or graduation festivities, you'll want to take the cuisine up a notch. Here's one menu, with plenty of kid and grown-up appeal:
Caramel Popcorn: Hot, salty popcorn is delightful anytime, but make your own caramel corn, and it elevates the concept to delicious heights. Up the ante further by spreading the caramel corn out on a waxed paper-covered work surface and drizzling it with melted bittersweet chocolate. Let the chocolate harden, break the kernels apart into clumps, and fill paper cones or small popcorn bags with the sweet and salty treat.
Chocolate Pretzels: Do the same thing with twisty pretzels, drizzling them with bittersweet chocolate and sprinkles, or dip pretzel rods into melted white or dark chocolate.
Hot Dogs & Burgers: Every carnival has hot dogs, but yours will be that much tastier if you fill mini-buns with grilled chicken-apple sausages or sliders. Offer an assortment of interesting mustards, relishes, ketchup and salsas.
Oreo Tower & Dessert Bar: Bake an assortment of mini-cupcakes, cookies, brownies and bars, or make an Oreo tower by piling the cookies (use tiny dabs of frosting as glue) three high and nestled close together on a large platter. Let dry, then start a new layer, again with triple cookie stacks, straddling the first layer, pyramid-style, to form a smaller second layer. Repeat until you have a towering Oreo "cake."
Drinks: If it's a hot day, you'll want to provide plenty of ice water and other refreshing drinks. Stock ice buckets with individual bottles, or use large glass carafes to make lavender-lemonade, passion tea lemonade and other twists on the classic citrus drink.
