ELEGANT AFFAIRS Shares Summer Splash Recipes

Embrace the summer season and host an elevated backyard pool party for friends and loved ones. Celebrity caterer Andrea Correale of Elegant Affairs has come up with delicious food and drink specialties that are sure to impress all attendees while they get their splash on.

Elegant Affairs produces over 800 events per year, with Andrea Correale as the creative backbone to the company. She has been producing custom designed, award-winning New York catered events for more than 20 years. She has catered events for A-list celebrities including Brooke Shields, Mariah Carey, Kevin Spacey, Russel Simmons, Jimmy Fallon, and Liam Neeson to name a few.

Andrea Correale is sharing some of her tantalizing summertime recipes with our readers that include Chilled Cucumber & Honeydew Shooters, Lump Crab Salad, Watermelon Feta Cups, and Boozy Orange-Mango Pop-Tails.

CHILLED CUCUMBER & HONEYDEW SHOOTERS

Ingredients:

1 Honeydew melon, roughly chopped

2 Medium-sized cucumbers (skin removed) roughly chopped

1 small Vidalia onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Olive oil

Chilled water

Salt

¼ lb. Pancetta

Preparation:

-Add olive oil to a small pan and sauté onions until translucent (not caramelized) and set aside to cool.

-Place pancetta on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

-Bake at 400 degrees until crispy, remove from oven and sit aside to cool. Once cool break into small bits for garnish.

-Add the chopped honeydew melon, cucumbers, salt and sautéed onion to a blender and blend until smooth. Add chilled water until the consistency is smooth and sippable.

-Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Pour into individual shot glasses and garnish with pancetta bits. Serve chilled.

LUMP CRAB SALAD

Ingredients:

16 oz. lump crab meat

8 tbsp. chopped red onion

4 tbsp. fresh lime juice (from 4 limes)

4 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1 mango diced

1 cup diced pineapple

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 package micro greens (optional)

Preparation:

-Combine 4 tbsp. chopped red onion, ¼ tsp salt, diced tomato, pineapple and mango - gently toss

-In a medium bowl, combine 4 tbsp. onion, lime juice, cilantro, tomato, olive oil, salt to taste. Add crab meat and gently toss.

-Refrigerate until ready to serve.

-Plate a single serving of crab salad topped with diced tomato, pineapple and mango salsa and serve immediately

PRO TIP: To plate as shown, empty the contents of a tomato paste can (put into Ziploc for later use), then use a can opener to remove both the top and bottom of the can. Wash and dry before use. Place empty can on plate, spoon in crab mixture filing 2/3rds of the way pressing down slightly, top with tomato, mango, pineapple salad and remove can. Top with micro greens if desired.

WATERMELON FETA CUPS

Ingredients:

1 Large watermelon cut into 2 inch cubes

16 oz. feta cheese crumbled

1 Jar aged balsamic vinegar

Tools:

1 1/8 Round Plain Pastry Cutter

1 1/2 Round Plain Pastry Cutter

1 Mellon Baller

Preparation:

-Cut watermelon into 2 inch cubes.

-Use 1 1/2 Round Plain Pastry Cutter to cut cubes into cylinders.

-Use 1 1/8 Round Plain Pasty Cutter, place in middle of each cylinder, press down until the top of the cutter touches the watermelon (leaving 3/8-inch base at bottom), twist and pull out - The watermelon center should come out with the cutter leaving a 3/8 rimmed watermelon cup. If the center does not come out use the melon baller to remove the remaining watermelon center.

-Fill with crumbled feta cheese.

-Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

BOOZY ORANGE-MANGO POP-TAILS

Ingredients:

3 cups mango

4 tablespoons orange juice

8 oz. flat orange sparkling water

3 tablespoons honey

1 Bottle of champagne

Preparation:

-Open one can of Orange Sparkling Water, pour between two cups until it no longer bubbles.

-Puree mango slices, orange juice, orange sparkling water and honey in a blender.

-Add 4 tablespoons of popsicle mixture, gently tapping mold on the counter to make sure to get rid of all air bubbles.

-Insert the popsicle sticks, and freeze overnight or a minimum of 6 hours.

-Remove popsicles from molds and place in serving glass of your choice.

-Pour four ounces of your favorite champagne over each popsicle and serve immediately.

For more information on Andrea Correale and Elegant Affairs, visit: http://elegantaffairscaterers.com/andrea-correale/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs

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