Preparing meals infused with cannabis is one of the best ways to enjoy the herb and introduce it to others. Now, with marijuana legalization gaining traction across the country, everyone from gourmet chefs to food bloggers has been hopping on the trend of cooking with cannabis. Some foodies even take their enthusiasm to the next level and throw cannabis dinner parties, serving dishes that revolve exclusively around this unorthodox ingredient.
More than just the kick of the high, weed also delivers unique flavors that can take a recipe further. Some cannabis cultivars have earthy tones, while others are sweeter to the taste with hints of chocolate or fruit. Whichever flavor suits your palate, one thing’s for sure: dining with weed is one hell of an experience.
If you’re planning to get your friends together for a weed-elightful dinner party, here are some menu ideas to help inform your next pot delivery and get-together plans.
Pasta has always been a dinner staple, but you can give this classic dish a unique twist by incorporating weed. There are lots of ways to serve cannabis-infused pasta, primarily through cannabis oil. If you’re a big fan of seafood and chilies, you may want to try this cannabis-infused pasta that’s peppered with spices and clams. To retain the flavor and potency of cannabis, make sure to serve the dish at room temperature.
To prepare this dish, you need a chili mixture of Cubanelle and shishito peppers, poblano chilis, chives, garlic cloves, dried capers, and shallots. Your pasta needs to be mezze rigatoni or pipe rigate, which would be doused in crème fraîche, white wine, fresh lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, clam juice, and a tablespoon of cannabutter. Add the mixed clams together with black peppercorns and coriander, mustard, and fennel seeds. Then, top it off with mint and parsley leaves as well as wasabi caviar for garnish. Sprinkle salt and pepper to your taste.
Deviled eggs are famous for being an all-around finger food, but you can build on this party classic with a tinge of horseradish and weed. For this dish, you first need to boil six large eggs with baking soda in a medium-sized pot. After that, cut the eggs in half (lengthwise) and scoop the yolks. For the yolk mix, whisk together mayonnaise, one and a half teaspoons of cannabis oil, mustard, black pepper, and anchovy to deliver hints of saltiness. Adjust the measurements to your taste.
Once the deviled eggs have been prepared, sprinkle some parsley and paprika. Top it all off with dollops of horseradish for that spicy kick.
If you want to amp up the “green” in your dinner party, you can check out this gourmet salad with a cannabis twist. To prepare this dish, you need to mix watermelon (cut into 2×4 inch rectangles) with a few pinches of peppercorn and salt. In a separate saucepan, boil balsamic vinegar, pomegranate juice, and a quarter gram of cannabis product for your weed-infused pomegranate reduction.
When serving, place the watermelon rectangles and add a few dollops of the pomegranate reduction. Mix in cucumber, feta cheese, pistachios, and pink peppercorn (finely crushed). Top the salad off with the infused pomegranate reduction.
Pot brownies are a common cannabis starter dish, but you can still heighten the flavor of this classic fudge brownie by infusing the sweetness of caramel. To make the caramel, cook sugar with three tablespoons of water and swirl around until dark, amber-colored liquid forms. Drizzle ¾ cups of heavy cream along with unsalted butter and sea salt. Refrigerate until thick.
To bake your brownies, melt 14 tablespoons of butter along with 2 tablespoons of cannabutter in a medium bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Add chopped chocolate, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder, then stir until smooth. After heating the bowl, whisk in eggs and flour. Lightly butter your baking pan, scrape your batter, and bake for 40 minutes. Once baked, cut the brownies in half and spread caramel onto the top of one rectangle before topping it off with another rectangle.
Before you start heading to the grocery and preheating your oven, you need to keep in mind a few things about weed infusions. First, you must remember that cannabis is best incorporated moderately to avoid overpotency or pungent flavors. Typically, cannabis products with a THC component of at least 10 to 15 milligrams would suffice to get that mild high and a hint of flavor without lulling everyone to sleep.
Second, you need to be sure that the strains you use complement the food being prepared. For example, pungent strains like Sour Diesel are best for hearty dishes like stews but not light desserts such as pastries. If you’re not sure about the strains that go best with your dish, you can consult a trusted dispensary to help you out.
Lastly, you must understand that weed dinner parties thrive in a warm and comfortable atmosphere. An environment that’s conducive to the senses elevates one’s culinary experience, especially if it involves the psychoactive effects of weed. To add to that, some guests may be newcomers to cannabis and would need a safe and comfortable environment when consuming the herb. Perhaps you can invest in low, ambient lighting, light up some candles, and play relaxing music that would make your guests feel calm.
Who knows, maybe you’ll convert new cannabis enthusiasts after throwing a sensational party filled with scrumptious, mouth-watering dishes fit for the modern 420 lifestyle.
