Colorful Buffet Parties On A Budget
Parties are wonderful, but like everything else in this world, they cost money. How can you make a fabulous and bountiful buffet on a budget? Here are some thoughts on a tasty subject.
One way to control costs of a buffet party is to serve generous portions of vegetables, fruits and grains and consider the protein elements, such as meat and fish, as condiments. Use smaller serving utensils, and maybe only invite people with very small mouths. One California catering service recommends using silver-plated iced-tea spoons on a buffet table. They are the perfect size for sampling everything, and their long handles prevent them from losing their way in different sauces.
Consider some old restaurant tricks. One of them calls for serving the most expensive item, smoked salmon for example, at the very end of the table. In this manner, plates will fill with starches and vegetables first. Divide food into individual servings. Otherwise, one guest may get a portion meant for three people, and your poor, little, skinny cousin from Peoria may miss out on the protein all together. Portion control is effective and attractive when food is served in popovers, pastry shells, hollow vegetables and ramekins.
Ask your guests to bring some liquor, as that is an expensive component of any party. Have some on hand, but if your guests bring their own spirits, costs can be kept effectively down. Most people won’t mind contributing, and if someone does, maybe he or she shouldn’t have been on your guest list in the first place. Even if some people don’t, most will accommodate the request.
Go for a bountiful look on your buffet table. Set up baskets brimming with bread and crystal bowls cascading with clusters of grapes and naughty children. Food is always more enticing when it seems to burst and spill rather than just sitting there looking lost and forlorn on an enormous platter.
Remember to sample everything yourself and above all, have a good time.
Happy Buffet!
Related Reading:
http://forums.families.com/easy-party-ideas,t36833