I had been worried because of a group of guests-family coming from New York & the entertainment they are used to in my home. The truth is that after the terrible bout of the bacteria (staphyloccocus aureous) I feel older than my 60 years of age & extremely tired for anything, including my beloved cooking.

Yesterday they called me letting me know that besides then they invited an American couple that will stay at the Ponce Hilton but will share the activities with us. OH MY GOD! They casually mentioned that they will love to have a Fourth of July celebration at my patio. As I have no swimming pool, that puts extra pressure on me as a hostess.

I called dearest Seilita & José Luis & let them know of my predicament. Of course, they will come in my rescue, as always. Here is the MENU I planned, which I consider casual & not extremely difficult.

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CASUAL PARTY AT THE TERRAZA FOR THE 4TH OF JULY
Brandy Margarita*
Strawberry Margaritas*
Tray of assorted cheese with crackers
Tray of assorted fresh fruits
Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad*
Cabernet Savignon (Robert Mondavi's special Reserve)
Spice-Roasted Porterhouse Steak*
Asparagus and Mushroom Salad with Shaved Parmesan*
Creamy Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic*
Mango Frozen Yogurt and Raspberry Parfaits*
Coffee & Liqueurs
*recipe follows

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BRANDY MARGARITA
Makes one pitcher

The use of brandy is very popular for making top shelf Margaritas.

9 oz. Cuervo gold tequila
3 1/2 oz. Cointreau
3 oz. E&J VSOP Brandy
1 (6 oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate
3 cans of water (use limeade can)

Mix ingredients together, pour over ice. Can also be put in blender with ice to make frozen drinks.

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STRAWBERRY MARGARITAS

6 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate
2/3 limeade can tequila
1/3 limeade can triple sec
1 small carton frozen strawberries

Put all ingredients into blender container. Fill blender with ice and blend until smooth.

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TOMATO CUCUMBER FETA SALAD
This delicious low-fat salad goes well with summer barbequed food.

2 large cucumbers
2 large tomatoes (or 8 roma tomatoes)
12 oz. feta cheese
small bunch of green onions
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Peel cucumbers and chop into small chunks. Chop tomatoes into small chunks. Chop Feta cheese into small chunks. Slice green onion.

Mix above ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour vinegar over ingredients, sprinkle with basil and garlic salt.

Stir all ingredients, let sit for one hour, in refrigerator, then serve chilled.

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SPICE-ROASTED PORTERHOUSE STEAK
Source: Bon Appetit

All that these steaks need is about 30 minutes in a very hot oven: no browning, no sauce, no fuss. Improv: Try the same seasonings on two whole chickens, a pork roast, or three racks of lamb.

2-inch-thick porterhouse steaks
Olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Coriander-Herb Spice Rub (I will use my own special rub (click here) based on one of Mr. Raichlen's recipes- the one I have shared previously in this site)

Place two 2-inch-thick porterhouse steaks on a heavy rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides with a full-flavored olive oil, then rub 1 1/2 tablespoons of the Coriander-Herb Spice Rub into each side of each steak.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Roast steaks until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 125F for rare, about 25 minutes. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 10 minutes.

TO SERVE:
Cut the 2 whole pieces of meat (known as the loin and the fillet) from each steak, and slice. Give each guest a few slices of the loin and the fillet.

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ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOM SALAD WITH SHAVED PARMESAN
Servings: 6

1 pound medium to thick asparagus, trimmed
1/2 pound mushrooms, stems trimmed even with caps
4 medium radishes, halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bunch watercress, coarse stems discarded
a 1/4-pound piece Parmesan cheese at room temperature

With a sharp knife, cut asparagus diagonally into very thin slices and transfer to a large bowl. Halve large mushrooms. Slice mushrooms very thin and add with radishes to asparagus. Toss salad gently.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, mustard and salt. Add oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk until emulsified.

Drizzle dressing over asparagus salad and toss gently. Grind pepper over salad.

Spread watercress on a platter and top with asparagus salad. With a vegetable peeler, shave half to three-fourths of Parmesan into curls over salad, reserving remaining Parmesan for another use.

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CREAMY ROASTED NEW POTATOES WITH GARLIC
Servings: 10

12 new red potatoes cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Combine potatoes, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Place the cut side down.

Roast for one hour at 350 degrees. Remove and add heavy cream.

Mash the cream lightly into the potatoes and roasted garlic with a heavy fork or potato masher. The potatoes should be only slightly mashed and they will absorb the cream. Serve immediately.

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MANGO FROZEN YOGURT AND RASPBERRY PARFAITS
Source: Emeril Lagasse, 2004

2 (32-ounce) containers whole milk plain yogurt
2 cups chopped ripe mangoes (about 2 medium mangoes)
1 to 1 1/4 cups super fine sugar, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups freshly whipped cream
1 pint fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons raspberry-flavored liqueur (recommended: Framboise), optional
White chocolate shavings, for garnish

Place the yogurt in a large fine mesh strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth set over a large bowl. Refrigerate and let drain overnight. Discard the whey that has dropped into the bowl or reserve for another use.

In a blender, puree the mangos and 1 cup of the sugar. Taste and adjust sweetness, depending upon the ripeness of the fruit, adding more sugar as needed.

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt cheese, pureed mangoes, and vanilla. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Fold in the whipped cream. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to use.

In a bowl, toss the raspberries with the liqueur, if desired, and the sugar. Let this macerate for 15 minutes to 1 hour.

TO MAKE THE PARFAITS:
drizzle a spoonful of the macerated raspberry juice into the bottom of 4 footed parfait glasses. Alternately, place a scoop of the mango frozen mousse and a spoonful of the berries into the glasses, finishing with berries on top. Place in the freezer to get hard, 15 to 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.

To serve, top each parfait with white chocolate shavings.