As we enter the holiday season, people's thoughts turn to entertaining. For those of you for whom the thought of giving a party is about as attractive as a root canal, but you really want to do it right, I've written a course here at SuiteU that I encourage you to look at, "Cooking For A Crowd."
In this column, I thought I'd share my top 10 tips for entertaining. As a caterer, I've probably made far more mistakes than most. Have you ever inadvertently called out the fire department because it turned out there was no exhaust fan in the client's kitchen and you had to braise veal shanks for osso buco? Our local fire department is very understanding.
Here's some advice for your consideration:
- Make Lists- Whether I’m doing a dinner party for 8 or a cocktail party for 80, I make four lists for every party. First is a list of each dish to be served. Under each dish I note all of the ingredients needed, all of the cooking utensils that will be used, and what serving dishes and utensils are required. Second, I make a grocery list, which is compiled from the first list. Usually, I make two grocery lists – one for groceries for make-ahead dishes and one last minute grocery list. The third list is a detailed preparation plan for each dish and activity -- on which day can I make the sauce, etc. Finally, I make a separate preparation list for the final day – this will prevent the disaster of forgetting to serve a dish you prepared the day ahead!
- Buffet- If you’re having more than 12 people, do a buffet.
- Choosing Dishes- When choosing dishes, unless you know your crowd really well, assume someone will be: a) allergic at least to shellfish or nuts, b) be vegetarian, or c) be on a diet. Make sure you have one entrée dish that will meet these requirements, (vegetarian lasagna is good). Choose dishes that use seasonal food, provide a variety of colors when served, and utilize a variety of cooking techniques. A meal with four fried dishes would be deadly. Only plan on at the most two dishes that require a lot of last minute preparation - try to make dishes where most of the preparation can be done ahead of time. A surprising number of dishes can be frozen and just reheated.
- Dessert- Whether on a diet or not, people will expect dessert – it will not feel like a party without it. Dessert is usually the most complicated and expensive dish to prepare, so don’t feel guilty about buying a prepared dessert.
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