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What’s your favorite salsa? Is it a lime-corn salsa, a spicy habañero salsa, or a sweet and tangy mango salsa? Mouth watering yet? Get creative with your cooking, and enter your best-concocted salsa recipe into a contest with your neighbors.

Two weeks before the party, send out invitations. Let your neighbors know they are to bring their best salsa recipe and some for everyone to sample. Decide whether you want to serve a full meal or just appetizers to go with the chips and salsa. Then be sure to let your guests know what to expect.

On the day of the party, set out enough bowls for all of the competing salsas. Place a score sheet and a pen by each bowl of salsa. Have plenty of tortilla chips for tasting the salsas and plenty of drinks for cleansing palates.

Helpful hint: Each score sheet could include the salsa’s name, and space for comments about appearance, flavor, and originality. Have participants give each salsa a score from 1 to 5 for each category, 1 being the best. Note: You cannot vote for your own salsa!

After everyone has tasted the salsas, tally the votes and award something to the winner. You might also give a token of appreciation to every participant; a nice kitchen utensil, cookbook, a bag of jalapeños or red peppers, or a jar of gourmet salsa would all work well.

Instant Intentions

If you plan to serve a meal at the party, have your guests gather before you eat to say a blessing over the meal. Lead them in a simple prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to be together and for the food you are about to eat. End the prayer on a light note, saying, “…and give us the courage to try all this salsa!”  

-          From the book, Field Guide to Neighborhood Outreach by Group Publishing, 2007.