Yay... Po Boys would be great! Shrimp ones please. Then again lots of people like roast beef with the gravy runnin down your arms. Handy to be by the water for that, eh? Of course you can have both desserts Michelle. It's a party! I plan to have some of most everything.. lol. A covered dock. How schmancy. I sure could sleep out under that. I notice we don't have any cabana boys/guys in work boots yet. I'll put in a call so they make it out here tomorrow. We need somebody to haul all this stuff around and keep the bbq stoked.

Oh, this is so much fun! Beverlyal, wow, thank you so much for all that work. That's a whole cookbook. I do think a tea sounds nice. I bet my friends will like it. I won't worry too much about leftovers. We can eat them the next day or so and give the rest to the shelter. Besides, it will be a pretty small group, so I can plan it so there won't be too much leftover anyway. I love little sandwiches! I will probably make more sweets and fewer sandwiches only because I can do the sweets way ahead and freeze. I want to be able to run around with FMTO and her mom, not be stuck in the kitchen for days in addition to what I'll be doing for Passover. As for tea ... How would you serve it? I do have a silver tea/coffee service (actually my mom's on rather permanent loan). But the tea and coffee get ice cold in them! I mostly use the pots for flower arrangements, but I use the sugar bowl, creamer, and "slops bowl" a lot (the last for artificial sweetener packets -- how tacky!). Anyway, I'm guessing more people will want wine than coffee or tea. The "tea" in "tea party" will be more an indicator of the type of party than of the beverage service, I guess. I will probably just have hot water and an assortment of tea bags available for the tea drinkers, coffee in the coffee maker, and a few bottles of wine; maybe sangria or one kind of cocktail in a pitcher. I love the champagne idea, too! Does anyone know about freezing petit fours? Would it depend on the type of icing?

As for what fruits go good in Sangria, well it is basically a wine punch so you have to know something about wine to figure that out, since wine already has "notes" of flavors in it which is what the fruit enhances in the punch. And I agree, go with just one type of wine unless you know a whole lot about blending wines. There are blended wines out there that you can buy, such as "Menage a Trois" which is a blended red wine that I like. I'm interested in blended wines and I have tried a few and found that a lot of them I don't like, so that's why I say you have to be careful and if you're new to Sangria I would agree with Sushipup, start with the basics and you can branch out from there. Also, there are certain fruits that seem to go more with red wine and others that go with white wine, which is why there are recipes out there for both types of Sangria. It has to do with the flavor notes of the wine. For example, I would say that kiwi would be good with some white wines but I can't imagine it with a complex red wine, but I can imagine blueberries going OK with a red. Another example is peach, which I think goes extremely well with white wine but just gets lost in a red wine. Same with strawberries--they are great with wine but would be lost with a strong red wine. Cherries and apples and blackberries, on the other hand, would go well with a red. I love to eat grapefruit, but in my experience with trying it in mixed fruit things and salads, etc., it just doen't play well with too many other tastes. It is one of the flavor notes of some wines though, but I'm not sure which ones. But if you're not a wino and don't know all the nuances of the different wines, best to start and stick with the tried and true.

Here's a couple more tapas recipes plus a gazapacho recipe (cold Spanish tomato soup) and some recipes for sangria... GAZPACHO Makes 6 servings Ingredients: 3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), seeded and cut into chunks 1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 stalk scallion, white and green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 clove garlic (1 clove is plenty in this dish) a good drizzle extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar ½ cup tomato juice ½ tsp red pepper flakes Salt freshly ground black pepper Directions Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, scallion, and garlic in a food processor or blender and process until semi-smooth. Add the vinegar, tomato juice, pepper flakes and continue processing just until thoroughly combined with the vegetable puree. Transfer the soup to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Check the seasonings before serving. Serve in chilled bowls with a table set with condiments Condiments, etc. to have at the table for self serve: -- Tabasco sauce or similar hot sauce -- finely diced vegetable mix (Roma tomatoes, red onion, green and red peppers, celery and cucumber. -- avocado, diced -- herbed croutons -- chopped cilantro -- sour cream (or, better yet, sour cream whipped with fresh basil) -- salt and pepper ENSALADILLA RUSA Spanish Potato Salad Serves 4 Ingredients 3 medium potatoes 1 large carrot, diced ¼ cup shelled green peas 2/3 cup green beans ½ medium onion, chopped 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 4 small cocktail gherkins, sliced 2 tablespoons baby capers 12 whole anchovy-stuffed olives 1 large hard-cooked egg, sliced thin 2/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish Directions In a saucepan, cook the potatoes and carrot in lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until almost tender. Fold in the peas and beans, and cook until all the vegetables are tender. Drain the vegetables and transfer them into a serving platter. Add the onion, pepper, gherkins, baby capers, anchovy-stuffed olives, and egg slices. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. Add this mixture to the serving platter, mixing well to ensure all the ingredients are coated. Sprinkle with pepper and toss. Garnish with chopped parsley and refrigerate. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour immediately before serving to enhance the salad's flavor. ARTICHOKE RICE CAKES WITH MANCHEGO Serves 6 Ingredients 1 large globe artichoke 2 oz butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 4 oz rice 2 cups hot chicken stock 2 oz grated fresh Parmesan cheese 5 oz manchego cheese, very finely diced 3-4 tablespoon fine corn meal olive oil, for frying salt and ground black pepper fresh flat leaf parsley, to garnish Directions Remove the stalks, leaves and choke to leave just the heart of the artichoke; chop the heart finely. Melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the chopped artichoke heart, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the rice and cook for about 1 minute. Keeping the heat fairly high, gradually add the stock, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked - this should take about 20 minutes. Season well, and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Leave to cool, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of one hand, flatten slightly, and place a few pieces of diced cheese in the centre. Shape the rice around the cheese to make a small ball. Flatten slightly, and then roll in the corn meal, shaking off any excess. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 12 cakes. Shallow fry the rice cakes in hot olive oil for 4-5 minutes until they are crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, garnished with flat leaf parsley. PATATAS BRAVAS Serves 4 Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled, and cut to 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ tablespoons Spanish paprika ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce ¼ teaspoon ground thyme ½ cup (4 fl. oz) Ketchup ½ cup (4 fl. oz) mayonnaise Chopped parsley, to garnish 1 cup (8 fl. oz) olive oil, for frying Directions The Brava sauce In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft. Turn off the heat, and add the paprika, Tabasco sauce, and thyme, stirring well. Transfer to a bowl and add the ketchup and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. The potatoes Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet fry the potatoes in 1 cup (8 fl. oz) olive oil until cooked through and golden-brown, stirring occasionally. (Take care when adding the potatoes to the saucepan because the oil will splatter due to the salt). Drain the potatoes on paper towels, check the seasoning, add more salt if necessary, and set it aside. Continued Getting it all together Mix the potatoes with the sauce immediately before serving to ensure that the potatoes retain their crispness. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm. TORTILLA OR SPANISH OMELETTE (neither name is what you think it is) Serves 4 Ingredients ½ pint olive oil 5 medium baking potatoes, peeled, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt ½ medium yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 5 large eggs Salt Directions Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Keep the potato slices separated so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oil in the skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half set. Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelet away from the hand holding the plate (so as not to burn your hand with any escaping oil). Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and slide the omelet back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set. Allow the omelet to cool, and then cut it into wedges. Season it with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste (optional). Serve warm or at room temperature. Basic Sangria Recipe Makes 4 glasses Ingredients 3 ¼ cups dry red wine 1 tablespoon sugar Juice of 1 large orange Juice of 1 large lemon 1 large orange, sliced thin crosswise 1 large lemon, sliced thin crosswise 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks 1 cup club soda Directions Combine all the ingredients except for the club soda in a large punch bowl or serving pitcher, mixing well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the club soda for added fizz. Ladle into cups with ice cubes. White Sangria Makes 8 glasses Ingredients Apple juice, for ice cubes 1 ¼ cups water 1 small bunch fresh mint ½ cup sugar 3 sticks cinnamon 3 ¼ cups dry white wine 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 2 small pears, cut into chunks 2 medium oranges, sliced crosswise 2 small lemons, sliced crosswise 3 cups sparkling apple cider Mint leaves, to garnish (optional) Directions To make the apple juice ice cubes, pour the apple juice into two ice trays and freeze until the sangría is ready to serve. Combine the water, mint leaves, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, remove and discard the mint and cinnamon sticks. Transfer the remaining mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the wine, peaches, pears, and the orange and lemon slices to the serving bowl. Mix well, and refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the sparkling apple cider and the apple juice ice cubes. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, if desired. Peach and Orange Sangria Makes 6 glasses Ingredients 3 ¼ cups dry white wine 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup Triple Sec 1/3 cup peach-flavored brandy 2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced 2 medium oranges, sliced thin and crosswise 1 cup sparkling orange soda 1 cup ginger ale Directions In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients except the orange soda and ginger ale and mix well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the orange soda and ginger ale. Serve over Ice. * Lemons and cherries may be added too, for an additional splash of color. Fruity Sangria Makes 18 glasses Ingredients 8 cups dry red wine 8 cups apple juice 1 small grapefruit, cut into eights 1 medium orange, sliced thin crosswise 1 medium lemon, sliced thin crosswise , seeded 1 small pear, diced 1 medium apple, diced Directions Combine the wine, apple juice, and grapefruit pieces in a large pitcher. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. The following day, add the orange and lemon slices to the wine. Refrigerate for a further 3 hours. Add the pear and apple to the mixture, then allow to stand for a further 1 hour to absorb the flavor fully. Mix well and serve over ice. Joe