Speaking of Tiki, today's Tulsa World has a pretty neat feature about planning a Tiki party that includes some tips along with yummy drink and food recipes. There's a mention of Decopolis too!
Transport your guests to a tropical paradise — if only for a night — by hosting a tiki party in your backyard.
The tiki trend is back, with tiki drinks in elaborate cocktail glasses popping up in restaurants and party stores filled with fun tropical party decorations.
Fruity and colorful tiki cocktails are perfect for a summer soiree. Add some beef teriyaki skewers, a cucumber mint salad, crab Rangoon and a picture-perfect pineapple upside-down cake and your tiki party is sure to be a hit.
At The Vault restaurant, 620 S. Cincinnati Ave., they serve several tiki drinks, such as the Mai Tai and a Pina Punch, said bar manager Jenny Bradley. Bradley also recently taught a tiki cocktail class as part of The Vault’s monthly series of cocktail classes.
The Vault also has many vintage tiki-themed glasses, which fit in appropriately with their retro them.
Bradley explained that the tiki culture became popular when American soldiers returned home from World War II and brought back stories and souvenirs from the South Pacific.
The tiki culture and trend has recently been revived with midcentury-modern themes and styles. But Bradley said that it is also popular because of the craft cocktail movement.
“Craft cocktails have had a resurgence, so tiki drinks fit in with that theme. Tiki drinks use a lot of fresh juice and ingredients, and so do the different craft cocktails,” Bradley said.
Many tiki cocktails are made with rum, and there are many different kinds of rums to experiment with, she said. They all have their own flavor profiles.
And in her tiki class, Bradley stressed the importance of using fresh-squeezed juice from limes, oranges and lemons to make the best drinks.
Finding the perfect glasses can be a treasure hunt, and Bradley recommended vintage shops and thrift stores. Bradley said Decopolis Studios, near the restaurant at 607 S. Boston Ave., has recently had some tiki-themed products.
The glasses and garnish are an important part of any tiki party, said Nichole Rosser, general manager of The Market at Walnut Creek.
“It’s all about showing off your tropical fruit-filled cocktails in large, glass serving containers and bowls, ready for your guests to drink out of the ultimate tiki party accessory, the tiki mug,” Rosser said.
In addition to vintage stores, some restaurants sell tiki mugs with the purchase of a drink. We found several mugs shaped like geishas and samurais at the Tokyo Garden Restaurant, 4020 S. Memorial Drive.
But the drinks and food are just half the fun when you are hosting a tiki party.
Be sure to pick up plenty of party favors and accessories for your guests to add to their outfits such as grass skirts, beach balls, flower leis, sunglasses and folding fans.
“The possibilities are endless,” Rosser said.
“Your guests will surely come up with some wacky combos, creating the perfect recipe for a photo op. Hang up a blue tarp and paint some waves and surfboards on it and have someone take Polaroids of your partygoers. The Polaroids will add to the vintage Hawaiian vibe of your party, and it will leave your guests with a great favor, serving as a reminder of your luau of the century.”
To transport your guests to a tropical paradise, the experts at The Market recommend bringing the outdoors in by filling your space with greenery.
“After all, there is nothing more tiki than a jungle. The more potted plants, flowers, bamboo, and trees — real or artificial — the better. Tiki parties are an opportunity to throw out the less-is-more theory and go all out,” Rosser said.
Picking the right soundtrack for your party shouldn’t be overlooked, Rosser said, if you want to set the perfect mood for your guests.
“If you have an old record player lying around, try hitting the thrift stores for vintage Hawaiian records; you can usually find them for under $1 each — a small price to pay to add that authentic touch to your event,” Rosser said. “If you are without a record player, there are readily available vintage Hawaiian luau tunes available online, as well.”
Rosser also had a great idea for crafting a homemade bar out of bamboo and an old table. Cover with fisherman’s netting and seashells and you have your very own tiki bar, she said.
Check out some recipes that would be perfect for a tiki party.
TIKI BEEF TERIYAKI SKEWERS
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin (a sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 cup Japanese shoyu (or regular soy sauce)
1½ cups pineapple juice, divided
¾ cup sugar
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 carrot, roughly chopped
6 scallions, roughly chopped
1 pound beef flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain into ¼-inch strips (about 16 strips total)
1. Combine sake, mirin, shoyu, 1 cup pineapple juice, sugar, garlic, carrot and scallion greens in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, whisk to combine and cook until the mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1½ cups, about 1 hour. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool slightly.
2. Combine remaining ½ cup pineapple juice with ½ cup reduced sauce and pour into a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Add sliced beef to bag and turn to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 4. Thread onto skewers. Be sure to soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning on the grill.
3. Preheat a coal or gas grill to high heat, or preheat a grill pan over high heat until smoking. Place skewers on grill and cook without moving until charred, about 2 minutes or until desired doneness. Flip and cook until second side is well-charred, about 2 minutes longer. Brush with sauce, and allow them to cook for 15 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate, brush with more sauce and serve, passing extra sauce at the table.
CRAB RANGOON
Sweet & sour dipping sauce:
½ cup rice vinegar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons red chile flakes (more or less to taste)
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup fresh pineapple chunks or canned chunks, drained
Crab Rangoon:
8 ounces softened cream cheese
6 ounces picked crab meat
6 scallions, whites only, finely sliced (about ½ cup)
1 pack square wonton wrappers (preferably yellow), about 40-50 pieces
2 quarts peanut oil
Kosher salt
1. Combine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, chili flakes and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking to combine until sugar is dissolved. Combine remaining tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to form a slurry. Whisk into sauce and bring to a boil. Allow to cool while you form the crab Rangoon.
2. Combine cream cheese, crab and scallions in a medium bowl and fold with a spatula or your hands until combined. Lay 1 wonton wrapper out on a cutting board (keep the rest under plastic wrap or a damp towel) and place a small amount of filling in the center (about 1½ teaspoons). Moisten the edges with a wet fingertip, the seal by either folding it in half in a triangular shape, or by pushing the 4 edges in toward the center to create a 4-pointed star. Be careful not to allow any air to remain inside as you seal them. Transfer to a large plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap and repeat until all of the filling is used.
3. To finish the sauce, add pineapple chunks and puree with an immersion blender or by transferring to a standing blender.
4. Heat oil in a wok or Dutch oven to 375 degrees as registered on an instant-read thermometer. Carefully add 10 to 12 crab Rangoons to the oil. Cook, adjust flame to maintain temperature and agitating and flipping them constantly with a wire-mesh spider until crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain, season with salt, and serve immediately with sweet and sour sauce.
— adapted from Serious Eats
CUCUMBER MINT SALAD
serves 6
4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
15 mint leaves, cut in a chiffonade
2 green onions, white and green parts chopped
1½ tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1. Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix.
2. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to let flavors mingle before serving.
— adapted from Serious Eats
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Topping:
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup packed light brown sugar, or ½ cup light brown sugar and ¼ cup dark brown sugar
6 to 9 pineapple slices, drained
8 to 12 maraschino cherries (optional)
Cake:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted, or ¾ cup all-purpose flour and ¾ cup cake flour
1½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg, or 2 teaspoons ground cardamom or ginger (optional)
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup pineapple juice or milk
1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make the topping: In a 9- to 10-inch ovenproof skillet (it will produce flared sides), 10-inch round baking pan (for straight sides), or 9-inch square baking pan, stir in the butter and sugar, then spread the mixture evenly over the pan.
3. Arrange 1 pineapple slice in the center of the pan and the remaining slices around it. You can break some of the slices to fill in the gaps in the outer portion. If using, place the cherries in the centers and around the pineapple.
4. To make the batter: Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and, if using, cinnamon.
5. In a large bowl, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium, gradually add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
6. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
7. Add the vanilla and, if using, lemon extract (or other flavoring extracts/rum). Add the flour mixture alternately with the juice (4 portions for the flour; 3 portions for the juice) beginning and ending with the flour, and beat until creamy, about 1 minute.
8. Pour the batter over the pineapple.
9. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched or the cake reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 55 minutes.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge, invert onto a serving plate, and lift off the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
MAI TAI
2½ ounces gold rum
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 tablespoon curacao or other orange liqueur
2 teaspoons orgeat (almond syrup, available in some liquor stores)
1 teaspoon grenadine
A spear of pineapple and a maraschino cherry on a cocktail pick
Optional, parasol garnish
1. In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the gold rum, lime juice, dark rum, curacao, orgeat and grenadine.
2. Shake until very cold. Pour into a stemmed cocktail glass along with any remaining ice or strain into a tall glass and add fresh ice.
3. Garnish and serve immediately.
- adapted from "The El Paso Chile Company Rum and Tiki Cookbook"
TEQUILA SUNRISE
1½ ounce tequila
½ ounce grenadine
½ teaspoon lime juice
Orange juice
1. Fill Collins glass with ice, add tequila and lime juice, fill with orange juice and stir.
2.Insert swizzle stick into the glass and pour the grenadine down the stick, enabling it to reach the bottom and rise.
-adapted from “Tiki Drinks” by Adam Rocke
BLACKBERRY BLAST
1 cup blackberries, plus more for garnish
2 ounces simple syrup (a mixture of equal parts sugar and water, boiled until the sugar melts)
2 ounces rum
½ ounce fresh lime juice, plus wedge, for garnish
¼ ounce Angostura bitters
1. Blend berries and syrup; strain. Return syrup to blender along with rum, juice, bitters and 1½ cups ice; purée. Pour into glasses; garnish with fruit.
— adapted from Saveur
Nicole Marshall Middleton 918-581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
