check out my ideas in ' I am getting married next weekend '. a couple of posts ago.
Good luck
bella430,
Jan 27, 5:58am
When I go to a catered function, I always go for the club sandwiches or egg sammies first! If you are drinking alcohol, such finger food is a great option.
bella430,
Jan 27, 5:59am
ansypansy. that is a great posting above. I am planning to save it.Thanks for that info.
ansypansy1,
Jan 27, 3:29pm
Go for it. 30 people is a breeze. I did my first catering job a week after I'd been employed as a caterer at a golf club. I was asked to do fingerfood for 150 people. I nearly died, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I knew nothing about short cuts. I was a good cook, that was it. The main things to consider are (especially at this time of the year) do you have enough refrigeration space. Do you have a satisfactory method of cooking everything. Where is the venue, do you need to take all the utensils you'll need. Do you have a friend to help serve, clean up afterwards.
The minimum charge for outside catering will prob be $10 pp. $300. You can do a lot for that, and the first thing to do is go and buy an icing bag and at least one nozzle. I seldom use other than the large one. Although no longer catering I still use mine frequently.
As you're not trying to 'make a profit' I'd buy in most of the base needs, sweet pastry cases, vol au vents, brandy snaps, meringue or meringue nests etc. (don't forget the food wholesalers are cheaper)
Things you can make in advance. Rum balls. uncooked fudge. Google recipes for uncooked cakes/cookies.
Store in icecream containers if you have them. They stack well.
Neenish tarts are a favourite, but fiddly. Make up the mixture, then PIPE into the cases, a lovely rosette that doesn't need icing, sprinkle shaved choc on top.
Club sandwiches are a pain the A**e to make, having to cut off all the crusts. Make sandwiches with three slices of bread per sammy. Use multi fillings, include lettuce, cress, rocket, it makes them look better. Cut across to form triangles, then cut again. Tiny triangles - done in a matter of minutes - look really good. Lay them on long narrow trays (from the $2 shop) and decorate with a few sprigs of parsley.
re making sandwiches,treat your bread with respect. Tell the checkout not to squeeze it. choose the squarest loaves you can find. Bread that's been squeezed makes ugly sammies. When laying out to fill, butterfly the slices that were together in the bag. Lay down in rows, fill one side, flip it's partner over. Look for bread that is sliced a lilttle thicker than the usual sandwich slice but not as thick as toast. Use cream cheese instead of marg on some.
Save washing up. Use plastic plates, put a fancy serviette on each one and re-stack. Have a separate rubbish bag to dispose ofplates, serviettes, food. Hopefully you wont need to use the food one! haha
Bread cases instead of vol au vents can be filled with cold fillings such as salmon mousse. Roll the bread to make it thinner, cut to shape, smear of marg, press into patty/muffin tins. Cook to brown slightly.(not too much).
Any other questions, ask me
good luck
staed_41,
Jan 27, 4:25pm
You could try topping with a bruscetta mix - olive oil, red onion, tomatoe, garlic and chopped fresh basil leaves
nfh1,
Jan 27, 4:57pm
ansy-pansy1 - thank you so much - I have saved your posts - I may just have a go.It is my husband's 60th and I am scared I may mess up!
30 feels like millions when you normally cook for two - what a wimp I am!
elliehen,
Jan 27, 5:03pm
Here's some ideas to mull over for 60th birthday cakes ;)
I've done a lot of catering in the past, and the main thing is planning.Start a month ahead if you can, make lists of possible dishes, then sit down and consider the practicalities of each item for the number of guests.That will eliminate quite a few dishes.If cost is an issue bear this in mind.
When you have decided on your final list (and have a couple of reserve ideas in case something crops up) triple-check that it provides a balanced selection of items including some vegetarian options.Then set aside a couple of hours and work out every detail - quantities of ingredients, utensils required (especially large mixing bowls, serving plates and storage containers), which items can be prepared ahead and kept chilled or frozen, are there any components that can be made in advance and chilled or frozen before being assembled, what else do you need to buy or hire e.g. napkins, serving spoons, tongs, fly covers, cling film etc.
Write out yourrecipes with the correct quantities (don't rely on using existing domestic-scale recipes and doing the sums on the spot - something always goes wrong!) and keep in a folder with your lists.
Next step is to put together a master-shopping list and a master-plan of action.Do a first draft and leave it for a day, come back to it and revise as necessary.If this is your first time doing mass catering there will be things that occur to you over the week that will need to be added.
Once you've got your lists and recipes done then you're set to go.Look over everything one last time just to make sure it's doable.You should probably eliminate one or two items at this stage.Don't be too ambitious; it's better to have a smaller selection of high quality well made items.
thank you davidt - I will have a go, make a plan and then decide what to do.I am bothered about not making enough and where to put it all and probably 1001 things I have not thought of yet!
ansypansy1,
Jan 27, 8:56pm
NFH1 You haven't told us what time of day this is for. Believe it or not, a dinner is easier to cater for with a buffet. I can give you heaps of help with that.
elliehen,
Jan 27, 9:01pm
Wow indeed!A good way to have your cake and eat it too - look to be genuine green veges on top of that one ;)
nfh1,
Jan 27, 9:29pm
It will be a Saturday evening - say drinks (lots) from 7.00 pm and food (if they are lucky) later - say 7.45 pm!All guests adults.
I am grateful for your help - thank you.
uli,
Jan 27, 9:47pm
Very good advice indeed! I wish you well!
elliehen,
Jan 27, 9:52pm
I'll be quietly listening in too.I like the buffet approach.
uli,
Jan 27, 9:53pm
Will you be nearby or even there ellie!
ansypansy1,
Jan 27, 10:22pm
Well, ignore all I've said. Beg borrow or steal three or four crockpots.
First, seafood chowder. This is so popular they will come back and back for more until it's finished. Start off with a basic roux sauce which you can google. Add some finely diced onion which has been sweated till soft. You can make this the day before and store in icecream container. Two containers max for 30 people. Season it to taste, Beforer adding salt, pour in half a bottle of oyster sauce. This is what makes mine taste so good. The next day, the day of the party, heat the sauce by whatever method suits you best and transfer to a crockpot. Then you can add as much or as little SURIMI from the fish or deli department. It's really only a filler, but the sauce covers it and it tastes good. It will have been frozen, so buy it late enough that you don't need to freeze it again. Cut into small cubes. Buy a couple of bags of MARINARA mix from the frozen section of S/M. This will give you all the variety of seafood you need, but you might like to add some cooked prawns. Last of all add my other secret ingredient. A cup or so of grated cheese. You might like to have a couple of garlic breads to eat with it. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------- -------
By now they will be almost satisfied, but you never know. SO. What could be easier than buying some diced chicken. Saute it in small lots. You'll need about $20 to $30 worth. Cook some vegeroni pasta as per instructions, add to the chicken, put in crockpot and pour over three jars of PATAKS butter chicken, or mango chicken. These are not too hot and spicy, in fact hardly at all. I shied away from them for years thinking they would be too hot for me, I'm a wimp. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------
Now you need something with beef. How about beef in black bean sauce. This is not too hot either, the sauce can be bought in the supermarket. Buy a couple of packs of stirfy beef, and cook in small batches. Put in the crockpot. Add some diced onion that has been sweated. Then add a large bag of stirfry veges. Pour the sauce over, and reheat. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ---------- If you want another dish, sweet and sour pork. Buy diced pork if you can get it, or dice it yourself. Cook in small batches, put in crockpot and add a couple of large jars of KANTONG sweet and sour sauce. You might like to add extra capsicum, or pineaapple. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------- -------
Make sure you have salads available. You can go mad with these, or just a mesculin mix. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------- -------
You'll find a lot of people wont eat dessert, don't worry about it. Have some small fruits and a cheeseboard. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------- During drinks, have some crackers and dips for them to eat. ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------------------------------- ------- If you're going to have supper, how about getting some pizzas delivered.
kallista,
Jan 31, 4:58pm
Go for it - I catered for 35 for my 50th and as long as you have lists and are prepared you could do it no probs.
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