Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer
LEFT: Tiffani Samms (left) serves her mother Yvonne Lee salad from the lavish buffet at Acropolis Restaurant and Gaming Lounge in Barbican, St Andrew, during a Mother's Day brunch in May.
RIGHT: It's important that all the main food groups are available, especially lots of fruits and veggies.
Heather Little-White, Contributor
Whether you are having a Sunday evening barbecue or a family reunion, graduation, birthday or wedding celebration, you will have to find options for serving a meal to the comfort of your guests.
Serving buffet-style is a highly recommended way to go.
You will need to know how to set it up to with style and pizzazz to enhance the selected menu. While there is no one right or wrong answer, with a little organisation, using a buffet can allow you to serve a large number of people easily. As with any type of entertaining, the trick to hosting a successful buffet is to plan ahead, keep it simple and have a good time.
To accomplish the task of serving buffet-style, there are tips and tricks which will see you through. When planning, think of the comfort level of your guests, where you want to gather, and how many guests you will invite. It is critical for the host or hostess to be comfortable so that his or her guests will be relaxed and happy.
The style
1. Pick your theme. This is a very important part of your planning process, since everything else - from the food to the decorations - may be involved. Cocktails, appetising hors d'oeuvres and full-course dinner are choices that make memorable meals.
2.
The menu
1. Plan your menu at least two weeks ahead so you will have ample time to purchase groceries and other items which may be on sale.
2. Select menus that allow you to make food ahead of time.
3. To make sure you have enough for guests. To make sure you have enough food, prepare one extra portion of each dish for every six guests.
4. Plan exciting meals to titillate your guests.
Examples of exciting buffet meals include:
A selection of sandwiches.
Succulent chicken drumsticks.
Spicy potato wedges with melted mozzarella cheese.
A selection of quiches.
Selection of samosas and spring rolls.
Selection of vol au vents with various fillings.
Creamy coleslaw and potato salad.
Cheese and pickles.
Fresh tortilla wraps with various fillings.
(Sweet chilli chicken, Vegetable Caesar, tandoori, ham and creamy Brie)
Sausages coated in honey and mustard.
Chicken drumsticks marinated in hoisin sauce.
Herb-roasted potatoes.
Mushroom and tomato pasta.
Chicken, bacon and mozzarella tart.
Spicy meat balls in rich Italian tomato sauce.
Selection of fresh home-made dips.
Fresh, crisp tossed salad.
Honey-glazed sausages.
Cream of pumpkin soup.
Grilled portions of fresh salmon.
Whole poached fresh salmon with dill.
Chicken breast stuffed with baby carrots and string beans.
Served with a tarragon sauce.
Cantonese chicken.
Carved turkey breast served with sorrel sauce.
Thai chicken salad with green beans, tomatoes and red Thai chilli with a balsamic vinegar and virgin olive oil dressing.
Greek salad - ripe plum tomatoes, cucumber, feta, olives and virgin olive oil on a bed of fresh green leaves.
Potato - baby potatoes tossed with fresh dill and mayonnaise dressing.
Tricolour - mozzarella, avocado, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and pesto dressing.
Cantonese chicken
This is a very basic stir-fry recipe. Options to this recipe include adding a small amount of Chinese five spice or hoisin sauce.
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1lb whole chicken breasts
Thinly slice chicken and combine with above ingredients.
Approximately 3 cups mixed fresh vegetables thinly sliced for stir-fry (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, onion, mushrooms,
In small amount of additional cooking oil, stir-fry chicken 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Add vegetables and stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes. Add cooked chicken to pan.
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp chicken flavouring
3 cups cooked rice
Combine above ingredients and add to cooked vegetables and chicken. Heat until thickened. Serve over cooked rice.
Source: www.herald-journal.com
Food safety
Food safety is a concern with this type of party. Every single piece of food should be removed after it has been sitting out for two hours, one hour in really hot weather. If you also offer an assortment of snack foods like chips and dip, this should not be a problem. Pay attention to time and refrigerate as soon as is necessary.
Setting up buffet table
Think about the entire event.
Consider the strategic locations of tables at your buffet. A buffet table near the entrance may cause a bottleneck. Buffet table may be set against a wall or in the centre of the room. For only six or eight guests, the table is often placed with the long side against a wall. The arrangement of the tables will depend upon what is being served.
Consider how long it will take for your guests to move through the buffet line.
How many lines will you need - one table with two lines or several tables with different courses. More guests may require both sides to prevent traffic jams. In that case, set up a double-sided buffet line so that people can get to from both sides. If you do not have the space, ask people to go through in smaller numbers at a time.
Set a separate place for the drinks and desserts. This organisation might force people to go and set their plate of food down and then come back to get their drink and dessert, but it will prevent accidents by people trying to carry too much at once.
Setting the table
You will need to think of what you will serve for the meal. Will you need utensils? Will your guests hold a plate in their lap? Will you serve something that requires a knife and fork? Set the buffet table to make it as easy as possible for your guests to serve themselves.
Order: Arrange the buffet in order of how people eat their meals example salads, appetisers, sides, and then entrées. If it is a bring-your-own dish, organise it by main dishes - vegetables, salads and bread. Plates should be placed at the end of the table followed by the foods. Place a stack of dinner plates at the point where guests start and a basket of silverware and napkins at the end of the buffet.
Make it festive! Vary textures, colours, shapes, heights and placement of food. Be creative with decorations. Special holiday floral arrangements and centrepieces enliven the table and convey the joy and spirit of the event.
Serving made easy
Make serving easy and consider the ease of getting food from table to plate to mouth. It is customary to serve bite-size foods that can be eaten with a fork.
Carefully consider the utensils you are using to serve each dish. Use tongs, if necessary, to prevent spillage. It is best to use covered dishes, where possible, for hot meals.
Seating
Arrange for seating of the guests while they are eating. If food is set up on the dining room table indoors, move the chairs to the room where your guests will sit. For outdoors, set up folding chairs or lawn chairs. In true picnic-style, guests may want to spread something to sit on the ground to eat.
Trash it: Place trash receptacles nearby, but not next to the serving tables. If you are serving soft drinks in cans, designate which receptacle is for recycling the cans.
Letting guests serve themselves is easy and convenient for small or large groups, casual or formal occasions, especially if you have limited seating or serving space. Buffet-style service lets guests relax and have a fabulous party!
Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in Kingston. Send comments to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.