Fandango Catering and Events Offers Three Easy Food Setup Ideas for Parties

Today we offer three ideas for creating easy food setups for your home parties.

We're not referring to the actual table setup (i.e., tablecloth, plates, napkins, etc.) here, but to easy ways to get food served for an informal party for friends, family, neighbors, or any casual group.

The main thing is not to try to do too much if you don't have a lot of experience. It's better to have fewer but nicer foods than many that aren't that great. In Spain they say "Quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta," which, loosely translated, means, "Whomever takes on too much ends up not doing any of it well."

Relax! All you have to do is map out a plan like the ones below and your guests will be happy and impressed.

Less is more--Buy a big bowl of the best seasonal fruit you can afford, such as luscious strawberries or other berries. Next to it put a bowl of sour cream mixed with a little brown sugar for a dipper. Make the bowl of fruit BIG and like a centerpiece, in a clear glass or trifle dish or platter or even a glass punchbowl--something that catches the eye. Next to it put out a tray with two or three cheeses and then on the other side put out a BIG bowl of cleaned shrimp cooked in a spicy shrimp boil (make or buy) and offer a couple of sauces, such as creamy pesto (add cream to pesto) or remoulade, a cocktail sauce, and an alioli. If you're kitchen challenged buy everything from a good caterer or restaurant or a high-quality emporium like Whole Foods. Voilá! Your food looks and tastes great and wasn't a ton of work.

Choose skewers, crostini, or tartlets--People like these a lot. For example, you can do skewers of all-chicken, all-beef, and all grilled veggies, or three different types of crostini. We recently added at a client's suggestion a selection of pa amb tomaquet (Catalan tomato-rubbed) crostini that feature heirloom tomato only, heirloom tomato with jamón serrano, and heirloom tomato with jamón serrano and Munster cheese. We generally mix finger foods up on the buffet table with a display of skewers, crostini, and tartlets, for example, to keep people coming back to sample more and to keep them moving and entertained (it works).

Choose three foods--Seriously, with only three REALLY GOOD foods you can have an amazing party. Besides the ideas above, try sandwiches, a salad, and a dessert. Or a salad or starter, a soup or one-dish entree, and dessert. Or three desserts. Or a trio of cold salads. Or a trio of fresh cooked seafood with a couple of sauces. Make, buy, or have catered, as your time and budget allows.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales and Operations/Event Manager
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
info@fandango-catering.com
www.fandango-catering.com