I sometimes like to find topics for my blog in the Betty Crocker online community. There was a delightful post from a member named chicagosinger. In her post, she describes that she is pushing her cooking skills to the maximum by catering a dinner party for twenty people! Even seasoned cooks sweat entertaining when the crowd numbers in double digits.
Once upon a time, I unexpectedly catered a dinner party for 20 people—the most people I had ever cooked for at once. At the time I was co-owner of a hands-on cooking school. My clients chose a French classics menu that included: Gougeres (French Cheese Puffs), Salade des Moines (Green Salad with Citeaux Cheese Croutons), Soupe a l’Oignon Gratinee (French Onion Soup), Sole Meuniere (Sole Sauteed in Butter), Poussin Vallee d’Auge (Chicken with Calvados and Cream), Gratin Dauphinois (Potatoes Baked in Milk and Cream) and Soufflé au Chocolat (Chocolate Soufflé). At our cooking school, clients helped prepare the menu as instructors demonstrated technique and coached the preparation of the dishes. But this particular group had far more interest in their wine than cooking, and before long they did not have the wherewithal to handle knives or flame or even basic instructions. I was faced with cooking all the complex food by myself if I was going to pull off this event. So, I pulled it together despite sweating bullets, made a plan, and put my head down and cooked and cooked and cooked. Beyond all probabilities and with the help of our convection ovens, I got all the dishes out and even managed to make 20 individual soufflés. They feasted and I started the dishes, relishing the remainder of a bottle of Beaujolais that the hostess insisted I try. I ran the small implements and dishes from the first courses through the dishwasher. As the guests finally departed, I couldn’t muster enough energy to wash the cutting boards and pots and pans, so I piled them on the sink in the back room. When I came in the next day to finish cleaning up, I was surprised to see that the sink was torn from the wall and on the floor because of the weight! I think back to that fiasco and marvel at how I got through it. If I can do it, I know that you can too.
When it comes to cooking for a crowd successfully, there are some points to keep in mind:
• Work out your plan on paper. Literally, write down your plan. Start backwards by determining what time your entrée is to be served. Then, figure out when you need o complete all the different components of your meal. Remember that some foods hold better than others. Also, consider if your menu calls for last minute touches. For example, deep fried foods don’t hold particularly well, so they need to be cooked at the last minute. But, is that something you really want to be doing when you are minutes away from mealtime?
• Make lists. As you make your work plan, make lists to go with it. Lists should include a shopping list, supply list, and even timeline that includes every step in the process, from ironing tablecloths to chilling wine to serving dessert.
• Know what you need. For example, the amount of appetizers depends on whether or not a meal follows them. For appetizers that come before a meal, plan on 6 to 8 “bites” for each guest. For 20 guests, that would be 120 to 160 “bites” of a few different kinds of appetizers.
• For chicagosinger’s lettuce salad, a good rule of thumb is about ¼ head of iceberg or romaine lettuce per guest when served plated. Less is served when on a buffet—five to six heads of lettuce would make a generous salad for a group of 20. About 2.5 cups total of tomato, cucumber and radish would be a generous addition. Plan on about 2.5 cups of dressing for your group size.
• Entrees for chicagosinger’s event may include lasagna. About 14-16 cups, of equivalent to about two 9 inch by 9 inch pans would be enough lasagna on a buffet for a group of 20 (hopefully with leftovers for the cook and kitchen staff).
• Dinner rolls or garlic bread are great for making a buffet pop and look lavish. Plan for more than one roll per person. Three dozen would be generous.
• For desserts, consider slicing or scoring your desserts to control for portion size.
• Judging how much wine you need can be tricky. A serving of wine is approximately 5 ounces, which means that a bottle has about 5-6 servings in it. An average allowance is about half a bottle per guest; depending on the nature of your event, your guests might drink more (or less) conservatively.
• People eat with their eyes, especially at a buffet. Finding ways to create visual interest will make your buffet more memorable. Adding elements (for example, flowers and props related to your theme) helps visual appeal. Creating height and varying levels (using a sturdy box draped with cloth) makes food more interesting.
• Borrow or rent. As you make a list of equipment needed, consider tablecloths, wine glasses, etc. Decide if you will set each place (even if you have a buffet) or if plates, glasses and utensils will be stacked on a buffet. Setting the table allows the caterer more control over equipment (guests won’t take additional spoons or forks since they’ll have all they need in their place setting). Make lists of everything you’ll need, from serving utensils to stirrers for coffee to chafing dishes. Friends or party rental stores can be excellent resources for the equipment you might need.
• Things I always seem to forget: coffee, tea, water and ice. I am almost always scrambling for these in the eleventh hour.
• Get help for cleaning up. Recruit some friends or family. After the stress of cooking and preparing a catered meal, you’ll appreciate a couple extra pairs of hands. Just remember to avoid piling too much on the sink like I did!
What advice can you share for pulling off a seamless event?