Mumbai cheesemaker, emcee and DJ tell you how to get the party started

How do you organise a party What kind of food should be there Do you make a music playlist in the Spotify era Do you have games A lot of these questions are going to be racing through our minds while we bring in the festive spirit this festive season with Christmas and New Year around the cornerIts that time of the year when there are always going to be a lot of parties hosted every other day While some of them are with family there are others with friends Some will be small some will be big Either way hosting a party is no easy task because everyone wants theirs to be the best If people dont know how to host parties Mumbais party trend setters say you dont need to fret There are many ways to turn your party into a hitSay cheeseWhile it is easy to order finger food there is a lot more that can be done with other kinds of dishes for people to dig into Mumbaibased Mausam Narang whose Eleftheria Cheese has won several accolades at the World Cheese Awards over the years says cheese can be quite a party snack Cheese boards have become really popular at parties in the last year For the uninitiated a cheese board is typically a board with different types of cheeses paired with different kinds of fruits that go well with each otherShe explains A wellrounded cheese board typically includes a variety of cheeses such as soft semisoft and hard They can be complemented with crackers bread and fresh fruits and fruit preserves alternatively A cheese board always needs a carrier for cheese like some good quality bread amp crackers Beyond that she says you can add condiments like mustards tapenade and honey that pair beautifully with a lot of cheeses Add texture and flavour with roasted nuts like almonds pistachios walnuts and dried apricots and figs A combination of flavours textures and accompaniments creates a balanced cheeseboard adds the citybased cheesemaker who started making different kinds of cheese in 2014As far as Mumbaikars go Narang says we love pairing our cheeses with indigenous local condiments preserves crackers and flatbreads She explains Clothbound cheddar pairs beautifully with sweet and sour mango chutney or preservesWhile it may sound like a challenge Narang says creating a cheese board doesnt have to be complicated or fancy You can choose your favourite cheeses such as soft semisoft or hard varieties Add a variety of crackers breadsticks and even Indian crackers like khakhra for texture The boards can also include some roasted nuts and seasonal fruits that are readily available in your pantry to pair with the cheeses Lastly pair everything with your favourite accompaniments such as chutney and fruit preserves expresses NarangAll fun and gamesFood is important when there is a party but there should also be games especially during Christmas and New Year Firstly it depends on the type of audience says Mira Roadbased emcee Arnold Lobo continuing If it is a big group then divide everybody accordingly Start with a warmup game that would be to guess the Christmas Carols People have to guess the song only with the help of the tuneKeeping it Christmasthemed with the cheer since everyone usually celebrates the festival in Mumbai Lobo says you can play dumb charades but instead of movies like it is popularly played you can do it differently People can guess Christmas related stuff like Santa Claus and Christmas tree sweets like kulkuls and coconut sweets It is a little difficult and not as easy as guessing a movie he adds In a similar fun game people can play Heads Up where one person sticks the card on their head and the other person has to guess the Christmasthemed wordsSince Secret Santa is really popular the 29yearold Mumbaikar who has been an emcee for five years now says people can give each other gifts after picking up chits At the same time they can also be told to get decorations for the Christmas tree and the crib together as family and friends They can also play a game of dressing up as Santa Claus Eventually once the points add up you can declare the winnerGroove to the musicWith the food and games sorted dont forget to cue the music Most people definitely have Spotify tuned in and if you can already make the playlist there then that just makes life easier However Mumbaikar Ranson Corda who has been a disc jockey DJ for more than 23 years now says you can do a lot more The applications like Spotify and YouTube music are the best platform for playlists for festivals like Christmas Even though 37yearold Corda says he isnt much of a Spotify user he uses YouTube music extensively because their auto playlist suggestions are more accurate than Spotify All you need to do is just search a Christmas song in YouTube Music like Jingle Bells Rock by Bobby Helm and all your next tracks would be related to Christmas It also gives you the opportunity to create a custom playlist by adding these tracks to your new playlistAdditionally Corda says if people are looking for specific genres they can get nonstop DJ mixes on YouTube which are almost hourlong sets which can get your party grooving What happens if you have bad internet For that he says you need to get a hold of your DJ or shop at music stores around you Gone are the good old days when we used to go to Planet M and Rhythm House and buy CDs These days you can download all these playlists online he concludes However having done it himself this writer believes you can always put songs in a pen drive and get the party started this festive season