Ideas for Vampire Dinner Party
October 10, 2012 10:31 AM   Subscribe

Ideas for a vampire-themed dinner party

I'm planning a vampire-themed dinner party with some friends around Halloween, and would love all your ideas for menu, music, decorations, etc. I will be covering the food costs for 8ish people, so something at least semi-budget friendly would be ideal. So far, I'm thinking: red wine, something with lots of garlic, maybe a dessert involving blood oranges? But I'd love specific recipe ideas plus other 'atmosphere' ideas.

Note: This party won't be related to a specific book/movie, so menu items specific to True Blood, Twilight, etc. aren't as helpful (and that's most of what I've found online). Think more old-school Dracula in terms of the intended style.
posted by rainbowbrite to Food & Drink (30 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
Is the theme "things that will repel vampires" or "things that vampires would eat if they ate food"?

Or is it more of a vampirey ambiance kind of situation? For the latter you could do a Romanian menu with lots of tzuika.
posted by elizardbits at 10:37 AM on October 10, 2012


I'd think you'd want absolutely no garlic at a vampire party unless you want to kill your guests.
posted by empath at 10:37 AM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Vampire Vineyards

it's quite a reasonable wine.
posted by The Whelk at 10:40 AM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


Best answer: This one would require some cost and some prep, but it would be a lot of fun.

Take a high-res picture of your living room (or wherever people will be hanging) in a mirror and photoshop yourself out of it. Print it out poster-size, frame it, and stick it behind glass.

You now have a "mirror" that won't show people's reflections.
posted by phunniemee at 10:41 AM on October 10, 2012 [15 favorites]


You can do something red with sodium alginate to make blood drops for mixed drinks. Perhaps blood orange juice.
posted by empath at 10:42 AM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Grilled chicken hearts are quite delicious and you can be all "we're eating their hearts bleh bleh!" about it.
posted by The Whelk at 10:42 AM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: To clarify: the theme is 'vampire-related,' so could involve both vampire-repelling foods and vampire-attracting foods.
posted by rainbowbrite at 10:43 AM on October 10, 2012


Ooh, red velvet cake trumps blood oranges as dessert!
posted by likeso at 10:43 AM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


also maybe something like these cupcakes?
posted by elizardbits at 10:44 AM on October 10, 2012


No no no -- what you want are these cupcakes for the dessert - jelly-filled cupcakes with white frosting and two "punctures" in the top that dribble out "blood".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:44 AM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


I think we can agree that having ALL these cakes is the very best idea and that any leftover cake should go to me.
posted by elizardbits at 10:46 AM on October 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


No no no--what you want are these cupcakes simply because they glow in the dark.
posted by phunniemee at 10:46 AM on October 10, 2012


Best answer: I once was at a party where they served Swiss-style cheese fondue made with red wine. It looks like nothing on earth. Bonus point: it also tastes so.
posted by Namlit at 10:47 AM on October 10, 2012 [3 favorites]


Yes, all the cakes, and any leftovers to elizardbits. I currently have no self-control re bloody cakes.
posted by likeso at 10:48 AM on October 10, 2012


Mixed red cocktails served in hospital blood bags? I wonder if medical supply places sell the empties.
posted by elizardbits at 10:49 AM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


I feel like you might want food associated with hunting, venison, pheasant, squab, etc.
posted by The Whelk at 10:53 AM on October 10, 2012


Best answer: How about shish kebob = food on wooden stakes?
posted by likeso at 10:54 AM on October 10, 2012 [5 favorites]


Best answer: Whatever you do, your playlist should include "Bloodletting" by Concrete Blonde. And "Closer" by Kings of Leon.
posted by xyzzy at 10:54 AM on October 10, 2012


And Rippin Kittin by Miss Kittin.
posted by empath at 11:00 AM on October 10, 2012


Killer by the Plain White T's has a verse that is all "If I were a vampire, walking the night..."

why not do your meal in phases? Maybe appetizers are patently vampire killer-ish (loads of garlic, things served on mirrored plates, crosses on EVERYTHING, etc), and then the main meal can be extra vampirey with blood drips and the whole thing.

Can you make a borscht or tomato soup with added food colouring to make it blood red?
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 11:04 AM on October 10, 2012


Maybe start off with some Bloody Brains shooters?
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 11:10 AM on October 10, 2012


Best answer: You could make vodka ice cubes shaped like vampire teeth and serve them in a Bloody Mary.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:16 AM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Rachael Ray has a Ghoulash for Halloween. No idea how good it is, but I was searching for recipes with virgin olive oil to go with your Dracula theme (because he always went after the young maidens).

You can make "blood" cocktails in these test tubes (the size I linked to holds ~2 oz, a typical shot glass would be 1.5 oz).

Or just try these Blood in the water cocktails (scroll down).

More cake! Bloody brain cake (eww, but yummy).

And I'd include "People are Strange" in any vampire playlist, because it worked so well in Lost Boys.
posted by misha at 11:30 AM on October 10, 2012


You can flip through this cookbook for ideas: Love at First Bite!
posted by firei at 11:41 AM on October 10, 2012


Invitations!

Vampires can't enter a place without an invitation for some reason.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:12 PM on October 10, 2012 [5 favorites]


and for decor just Dorm Room Goth the hell out of it. Lace! Black gauze! All of this very far away from the required candles. Skulls!
posted by The Whelk at 12:15 PM on October 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


and for decor just Dorm Room Goth the hell out of it. Lace! Black gauze! All of this very far away from the required candles. Skulls!...

...plastic fake shit taped to the fan...
posted by Namlit at 1:29 PM on October 10, 2012


A bloody steak is a great menu item for any occasion.
posted by paperzach at 3:23 AM on October 11, 2012


In a search for red candies, I just stumbled upon these liquid candy blood bags that seem like a perfect fit.
posted by subject_verb_remainder at 1:32 PM on October 11, 2012


Best answer: Re: firei's suggestion, here is a dinner party based on that book. I personally like "steak through the heart."
posted by eralclare at 1:06 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]


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