It has always been said about food that first it is eaten by the eyes and then passes through our mouths. Nowhere is this idea better illustrated than on a large buffet table. Use your best bowls of crystal and finest runners of lace to adorn ordinary chafing dishes and mounds of ice, which work well for chilled shrimp. While things should be enticing, they should not be mysterious. If you are serving something a bit uncommon, label it so your guests will not think that odd people or things are doubling as appetizers on your table. Use a computer script to create labels in the form of place cards and situate them in front of the various dishes served on the buffet table.
Think about balancing complex foods with simple ones. A rich beef bourguignon, for example, goes well with a plain green salad. Think about new and different ways to display the food. Get creative with containers. Fruit salad could look very interesting when served in a hollowed-out watermelon and a pumpkin can be used as a vehicle for vegetables. Seashells make lovely containers for sauces. Be color conscious as well. Contrast dark food on light platters and pale foods on brightly colored platters.
You always want to serve more food than you need. (Think horn-of-plenty and hungry neighbors.) A caterer’s rule of thumb estimates a quarter pound of meat, fish or poultry per person (or three-quarters bone-in), a quarter pound of vegetables and about one-third pound rice, potatoes or pasta per person. Remember to pre-slice your meats and casseroles because most of your guests will not be former jugglers from Cirque de Soliel. Remember to wait a little bit before carving roasts, as they need to settle a bit after they first come out of the oven.
Remember to sample a bit of everything yourself. After all, it’s your party and you can eat if you want to.
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