[shroomgirl]

I've put staff on "popular items".....just sayin' it happens and if you are working from a budget standpoint having 6+ sates a person can be a PIA....especially for the person skewering the meat.

Cocktail parties I'm more apt to have stationary and passed, sates would be on the passed section or at a manned table.

[Gunnar]

OK, ignoring the rest of the buffet was too strong a point. However, just about anyone that has ever worked any buffet has seen the greedy little blackhearts that just cherry pick the choice items x 5. I swear I had a woman walk away with a whole cheesecake "cause she couldn't stay till the end" . Out the door she walked with a plate of food and a cheescake. I couldn't get to my chef fast enough. He caught up with the woman down the hall, I heard her yell some things and he came back empty handed. Seems she was well connected to the Board members of the country club


sorry for ranting/hijack...kind of a pet peeve

[bughut]

Originally Posted by PeteMcCracken

ALWAYS set up the buffet with the "expensive stuff" at the "end", start with bread, then starches/vegetables/salads, and finally, the proteins.

NEVER put the high food cost items at the beginning of the buffet line!

Excellent point.


Sorry Anna we seem to have veered off the main point.

As Pete mentions tho, Fill them up with plenty of breads and salads and keep the protiens towards the end. I works a treat

[Daval]

Thats a great idea about keeping proteins at the end. I'm definately going to use that one....

[marmalady]

Don't think I'd do schnitzel on a middle eastern menu. We used to do an Italian buffet spread, and the meat dish was a cold grilled rosemary/lemon/garlic chicken breast platter with a garlic lemon 'aioli'. You could easily adapt that to a mid-eastern spice palate. Easy to do, not awfully expensive,looks pretty, and can mostly be done the day before!

[shroomgirl]

either at the end or stand there and dole them out.....works too.

[petalsandcoco]

Absolutley, nothing wrong with salads arrayed on platters instead of large bowls at the beginning of the buffet.
Everyone loves salad.

Cucumber Chickpea salad
Fasolia khadra lil salata
Lemon garlic potato salad
Rice and vegetable salad
Brown lentil salad

[Nick.Shu]

In terms of portioning, skewered meats arent a bad idea. However, if time and labour are a factor, you can still use the diced meats sans skewers.

Can be utilised the same way as a wet dish, and of course, if you starch it up with carbs, they can also be very filling.

Just my call. However, $10 per head in my part of the world isnt particularly a high per pax.

[shroomgirl]

nope, unless the guest count is HUGE. Or it just makes sense at the time.....

[ED BUCHANAN]

What mushroom girl is emphasizeing is less hand labor. Another point with buffets is use 7 inch salad plates instead of 9 or 10 inch. You put less on them . People are strange, thay dont want others to see them go back so many times to the buffet in particular woman. Always rolls and bread display first, then salads, then a lot of starches, potato. rice, pasta, vege then protein and carver if any.

[macro01]

Actually, It's a biggest for my experience 90 to 100 guest.
I remember I served soup, meat like chicken, mixed vegetables,
fish, salad and fruit juice. At least within a budget, you can serve
also lamb because some guest are allergic in chicken or seafood.
I think five dishes are enough, it's just that you have to be creative.
Good luck!

[nichole]

Originally Posted by ED BUCHANAN

What mushroom girl is emphasizeing is less hand labor. Another point with buffets is use 7 inch salad plates instead of 9 or 10 inch. You put less on them . People are strange, thay dont want others to see them go back so many times to the buffet in particular woman. Always rolls and bread display first, then salads, then a lot of starches, potato. rice, pasta, vege then protein and carver if any.

Wow very pleasant idea. I love the Idea on this one. Instead of 7 use 9-10, Or maybe 12. Great post. Thank you.

[cateringitaly]

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