Party in Pink! How to host a Cook for the Cure cocktail party

What's the best way to make your party menu a real standout? A theme, of course, and it's most effective when it appears in the décor and menu. Our Cook for the Cure cocktail party offers clear inspiration with a pink one! The trick is to do it with subtlety and imagination. Resist the urge to paint the town pink; pass on the pink crêpe paper streamers and ban the pink food colouring. Be inspired by the naturally occurring colours in foods and libations.

Cocktails are an easy place to start; set up the bar with wine and beer and have a pink cocktail -- a Classic Cosmopolitan, a Watermelon Martini or a Pink Greyhound -- ready to serve to your guests. Or keep it simple and elegant with a sparkling rosé wine like the Ontario-produced Cuvee Catharine from Henry or Pelham, or a rosé wine like Quails' Gate from BC or Bajoz Rosada Toro from Spain.

Suggest your rosy-hued theme with your menu selections. Gin Cured Gravalax served with small slices of dense black bread, sliced radishes and fresh chives makes a stunning centrepiece for your buffet table. Or wrap it around fresh salad greens for a pretty individual presentation.

Feature Sun-dried Tomato Dip or pale pink Herbed Crab Dip with a selection of green vegetables to set off the colour; Belgian endive spears, sliced cucumber rounds, lightly blanched asparagus or sugar snap peas are all pretty and tasty crudités. Feature a couple of canapés to pass around or set out on trays that are easy for your guests to enjoy. Medium-rare sliced roast beef on a baguette crouton with a smear of corally pink chipotlé mayonnaise and a sprig of watercress is a simple appetizer to assemble. Savoury sweet Potato Latkes with Pink Applesauce will please vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Consider ordering a sushi platter with pink selections; salmon, tuna, shrimp, pickled turnip rolls, salmon roe maki, with a picked ginger garnish will make a impression with their varying pink tones.