When sunny skies are in the forecast and you find yourself dreaming of exotic drinks and long walks on the beach, it's easy to put an escape to a tropical getaway at the top of your fantasy wish list. If neither your bank account nor your boss is accommodating enough to let you hop the next plane to Hawaii, however, there's a weekend alternative that's sure to put you in a laid-back state of mind. Throw your own luau!
THE SETTING
A nice backyard is an absolute must if you're going to stage a Hawaiian-style party for family and friends. Traditional luaus in the islands are usually held on the beach and are festive feasts to celebrate birthdays, weddings and other special events. The tourism industry has taken this a step further by providing professional entertainment in the form of dancers, singers, musicians, storytellers and even fire-juggling acrobats in costume.
While your friends would definitely be impressed if you went to the expense of orchestrating the latter, the real meaning behind such gatherings is to spread the joy of aloha--love--and enjoy time together eating great food, listening to blissfully tranquil melodies, and playing a few games.
Depending on the size of your guest list, the meal can be eaten at a picnic table or at small tables set up around the patio or pool. You may also want to use a large table as a buffet and let the guests nibble their way through a summer's evening.
Prior to the party, of course, enlist the family for clean-up duty including lawn-mowing, weed-pulling, picking up stray toys...and picking up after the family pet!
THE DECORATIONS
Tiki torches, available at local home and garden stores, will throw festive light on the party. You may also want to string colorful lanterns or make luminaries for walkways or around a pool or Jacuzzi. Do you know anyone with an old surfboard you can borrow? Prop it against a tree or use it as a makeshift bar. Fisherman nets, available at party craft stores, can be filled with large plastic fish, starfish and snorkeling masks and hung from branches. And don't forget flowers! Relatively inexpensive centerpieces can be made from local flora and supplemented with palm fronds. Coconut, jasmine or plumeria, scented candles are a nice touch, too.
If you have novelty glasses in the shape of tikis, coconut shells or hula girls, a luau is the perfectly silly time to use them. If not, invest in some colorful plastic glasses than can be used poolside without fear of breakage. Want to save yourself a lot of clean-up time with dishes? Purchase rattan or plastic paper plate holders and place ti leaves on the bottom of them. Ti leaves are wide, dark green leaves that lay flat and make for a nice (and disposable) backdrop for your luau fare.
THE FOOD
The main attraction in traditional luaus is a roast pig that has been slow-cooked in a fire pit called an imu for several hours. If you'd just as soon not dig up your backyard or go whole hog to be authentic, however, you've got plenty of alternatives. Barbequed pork tenderloins or spareribs, which can be done on an outdoor grill, make a delicious entree. Seafood--especially mahi mahi, swordfish and salmon--are popular, too, and can be baked, broiled, barbequed and accompanied by white rice, fried rice or sweet potatoes. Crab puffs and tempura prawns make for yummy finger-food appetizers (called puupuus in Hawaiian).
Because the islands are culturally diverse in their cuisine, you have a lot of latitude in terms of serving Chinese, Japanese, Polynesian or Malaysian dishes as appetizers or main courses. Poi, a taro root concoction that is eaten with the fingers, can be purchased in cans at specialty stores or ordered online. Don't plan to make a meal of the latter, though; it's an acquired taste that most people only choose to sample once!
Here are some other ideas to consider adding to your tropical table:
Lomi Lomi: This is a cold salmon salad which includes green onions, tomatoes and chili peppers.
Hawaiian bread: This can be found in most grocery stores and has a sweet flavor that lends itself well to a make-your-own sandwich buffet.
Spam: Yes, you read that right. Spam dishes, first introduced during the war years as a cheap animal by-product, still remain popular with island locals. Recipes and entire cookbooks about this quirky little food group can be found on the Internet.
Macadamia nuts: These can either be set out in bowls to snack on during cocktails, or baked into any number of Hawaiian deserts such as Macadamia nut shortbread cookies.
Pineapple or watermelon boats: These are cut in half and with the insides removed to form a hollow. They are then filled with melon balls, pineapple, cherries and fresh strawberries.
THE DRINKS
If you're going to serve exotic alcoholic beverages at your luau, be sure to lay in a supply of paper parasols and plastic swizzle sticks with palm trees, fish, birds, etc. Hawaiian drinks are often accessorized with chunks of fruit. Among the favorites are MaiTai's, Singapore Slings, Pina Coladas and Daiquiris. Recipes can be found in any bartenders' guides as well as on the backs of the bottled ingredients.
If you want to serve non-alcoholic beverages--or have children in attendance--you can use chilled pineapple, guava or papaya juices (all available at your supermarket), flavored iced tea (Mandarin Orange is a refreshing choice), or make a basic Hawaiian punch. Canned varieties of punch can be stretched by adding ginger ale or--instead of ice--a block of sherbet ice cream.
THE MUSIC
A luau is the time to listen to music that helps everyone forget their workaday cares, not to mention challenging them to get up and try the hula! There's a lot to choose from, too, if you do an Internet search for Hawaiian songs. Not only can you find tapes and CD's for the likes of Don Ho (one of Waikiki's most famous residents) but midi-file samples of vocals and instrumentals from new musicians just breaking into the entertainment business.
The Beach Boys, of course, popularized fun in the sun and surfer music and are a welcome addition at any backyard party. Don't forget, Elvis, either, especially with selections from his younger days of filming movies in America's favorite tourist destination.
If you decide to forego music altogether, you can still create some magical island ambience with any number of nature sound CD's available at record stores and online. The background screech of gulls and the crash of surf emanating from strategically placed speakers will help your luau guests forget they're in the middle of the suburbs.
THE CLOTHES
Beachwear and sandals are proper attire for hosts and guests. The popularity of Aloha shirts and shorts for both men and women make them easy to find in mainland department stores. Women also have the option of Hawaiian style muumuus, wrap around skirts or tropical print sarongs. If you're feeling especially daring, you may even want to don a hula skirt and a coconut bra!
Guests should be greeted upon arrival with a Hawaiian leu. Artificial ones come in a variety of materials, though the ones that consistently hold up the best are made of plastic. Party stores will have these in stock, as well as silk flowers, crepe paper, and strings of shells and puka beads.
THE GAMES
Hula Charades: In the Hawaiian hula, the hands always tell a story. In Hula Charades, they also give away clues. Participants not only need to dance to music while acting out clues but their teammates need to get the right answer before the music stops playing.
"Tiny Bubbles" acapella: Award a prize to the guest who does the best rendition of this Don Ho classic...while blowing bubbles through a wand (available at toy stores).
Musical Beach Towels: Like musical chairs except that guests need to spread out on a beach towel as soon as the music stops.
Coconut Juggle: Guests try their skill at juggling 3 coconuts. Whoever can keep them in the air the longest wins a prize.
Limbo: All you need for this is a long bamboo pole and some lively music. The pole is lowered each time everyone has successfully passed beneath it without touching it.
Hula Lesson: Is there a local dance studio in your community? If so, see if there is someone available who can provide some live entertainment as well as teach your guests a few moves.
