12 Tips for an Eco-Chic Dinner Party on Earth Day

I was looking for fresh ideas a couple weeks ago when I received the digital version of Canadian House & Home May 2008. It is their Green Issue. I want to give pointers for people who care for the environment but are not an aficionado. In short, I am talking about a green party that we can all do.

1. Serving Uncooked Food

Since we eat three times a day, how we cultivate, prepare and consume food has a huge impact of the environment. So why not rely less on the stove for this dinner party?

Besides serving the obvious salads, sushi, meat tartars and vegetarian dishes, what can you do? Canadian H&H reminded me of the raw food movement. I am not a follower but I can see some merits.

Raw Food Movement

Cooking raw requires new cooking techniques and recipes. Raw food is not to cook over 118 degrees Fahrenheit because higher heat degrades the enzymes that help the digestion system. I look at some recipes. Many are lengthy especially if you wish to reproduce the taste and texture of cooked food. If you are a novice, your best bet is probably to order from a raw food caterer or restaurant in your area.

There are recipes for beginners. The Cold-Cured Salmon Gravlax is one of them. This is a dish that everybody will feel comfortable with. The raw food recipe from Canadian House & Home May 2008 is basically the traditional Scandinavian Gravlax recipe with agave nectar instead of sugar, Kosher salt and the leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh tarragon plus 4 sprigs of fresh dills.

11 More Tips to Plan Your Eco-Friendly Party

Some of these tips are my own, others I read in the Green Issue of Canadian House & Home.

1. Serve flavored tap water in a pitcher. Use frozen fruits or fresh herbs. To set a chic love of nature feeling, make own water popsicles as I shown you last summer.
2. If you are looking for glamour, make your own sparkling water with the vintage seltzer bottles. They look fabulous. From art deco to Hollywood style, they are a whole array to dig up.
3. Buy local organic produces as much as possible. Limit the use of manufactured, processed food
4. Rely less in power kitchen equipment. You can prepare homemade dips in five minutes with a manual food processor. Look at the dip recipes featured on the Kitchen.
5. Freshly cut herbs boost the flavor of any dish. Cultivate your own herbs. It even decorates your kitchen.
6. Use organic fabric napkins and tablecloths. I am showing you the latest eco friendly fabric collection designed by Lara of Kirin Notebook. The colors complement the party theme. It shows that you do not need to look blah to be eco-friendly. Look for organic cotton, bamboo and hemp.
7. Retrain from using paper and plastic tableware. Or you can use Bambu dinnerware and flatware. The Bambu collection looks so organic.
8. Have a candlelight dinner. To create a nice mood, spread solar power landscape lamps around your house for a soothing glow. You could also hang decorative LED lamps.
9. Make a centerpiece with organic locally grown flowers.
10. Play in the background the series Earth by the BBC on the big screen. So people can appreciate the beauty of our Blue Planet. There is nothing more convincing than seeing with your own eyes.
11. Give each family a trio of herbs in a terracotta pot or a tree growing kit as party favors.

I feel the big message of Earth Day is to fall in love again with our planet.

SOURCING:
+ New organic eco friendly fabrics! On Kirin Notebook
+ Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series – price: $59.95 USD for the Blu-Ray version
+ Starfrit Manual Food Processor – price: $24.99 CAD
+ Natural tree-growing gift-kit at CadOsphere – price: $14.95 CAD
Photo credits: Cold-Cured Salmon Gravlax, Seltzer bottles, Noma Eco-Bright Light – Canadian House & Home May 2008 issue