Throwing The Perfect Summer Soiree

Planning to throw a party before summer ends?

Who better to show the way than celebrity event planner Colin Cowie?

On The Early Show Wednesday, he explained how to turn your next gathering into a spectacular seasonal soiree.

Cowie suggests keeping the soiree simple, modern, sexy, and young. He says there shouldn't be a lot of planning involved — less then a week.

Cowie just returned from Mykonos, Greece, where everything is white, so he wanted to stick with the white theme for the soiree he described, with blue and green accents.

THE LOOK:

Cowie uses white as the base color since it's simple, clean, and can be matched up with any accent colors. He selected the young and fun accent colors of aqua and lime green, to stick with modern and chic design. The dining table from Restoration Hardware is white and able to hold an umbrella. Six white wooden chairs with accent color pillows keep everything modern. The chairs, a sideboard table, and pillows are all from Restoration (www.restorationhardware.com).

TABLE SETTING:

Cowie prefers to use real china, not plastic. You can get great environmentally-friendly or biodegradable products at places such as Plumparty.com if you want to use disposable products. It's important to try to go green wherever possible. Much of the table will be set with Pottery Barn (www.potterybarn.com) dinnerware.

CENTERPIECE/HANGING DECOR:

Cowie suggests using azalea plants in white clay pots for the centerpieces. They're simple and clean. They're also easy to care for and it last a long time. And you don't need to cut flowers. Hang ferns inside the umbrella. Using plants is a cost-efficient way to decorate.

OTHER DECOR:

"Chill boxes": Fill a cooler up with chilled towels with orange blossom water. This enables guests to freshen up/clean up, particularly if you offer finger foods. You can also put sun tan lotion and bug repellent in the cooler. Be a good host and offer your guests options to keep them comfortable outdoors.

COCKTAILS:

The Wild Blueberry Martini: This is a simple cocktail that only requires vodka, stirrings mixer, a splash of sparkling water and lime juice. It's delicious and refreshing, and the perfect starter to a great evening.

PERI PERI PRAWNS:

We're not grilling burgers, but shrimp! Cowie created a great recipe himself.

GAZPACHO BAR:

This is a great way to impress your guests without necessarily putting in a lot of effort. Gazpacho can be store-bought. Perhaps have one regular tomato gazpacho and one spicy gazpacho, each is in a glass pitcher. The "fillings" (fresh lump crab meat, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, chopped yellow and green peppers, chopped onion, and chopped jalapeno) can each placed in a bowl on top of ice in a white tub. The idea is that guests select a filling to place at the bottom of a soup bowl, then you pour the gazpacho over it.

RECIPES:

Wild Blueberry Martini

2 parts Stirrings Wild Blueberry Mixer
1 part vodka
Splash of sparking water
Juice of 1/2 lime

In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 parts Wild Blueberry Martini Mixer, 1 part vodka and plenty of ice. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into a rimmed martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Cowie's Peri Peri Shrimp Marinade

This makes approximately 32-40 jumbo shrimp (under 15 per pound)

2 TBS crushed red chili flakes
8 cloves crushed garlic
1 whole jalapeno, seeded and chopped finely
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt

In pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chili flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chili flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped jalapeno and the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes until the garlic is golden in color. If the garlic burns, start again.

Remove from heat. Add the tomato paste and salt. Place all ingredients in a blender and add the lemon juice. Allow to cool before using as a marinade.

Take approximately 1/4 to 1/2 of the marinade and place it in a separate bowl. Pour remaining marinade over shrimp and marinade for a least one hour (3 hours is ideal). The longer you are able to marinade the more flavorful it will be.

Place three shrimp on two skewers, this will allow you to turn the shrimp easily on the grill. Place shrimp on the grill for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side over high heat. Drizzle remaining marinade over cooked shrimp for extra flavor.