Ths wk Gulf Shrimp, Leek, Fontina Risotto; Tndrln w Harvest Vegetables & Pears in Satsuma Cream Sauce more:
http://ping.fm/OT8lz
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
How to Make Guests Comfortable at Your Holiday Party
Often we don't think about what would make guests comfortable at our holiday parties.
If you go to a lot of parties you may be aware of what makes you comfortable and what parties you didn't feel particularly comfortable at, but many people only give a party once a year and aren't really in tune with things that make their guests either comfortable or not at a party. Today we offer tips for making your guests more comfortable at your holiday party this year.
Don't dim the lights too much
This holiday season we did two parties where the hosts dimmed the lights so low that you couldn't see the food or pretty much anything else. At one of these parties, even though guests asked the hostess to make at least part of the event area brighter, she did not want to. Thus, her older guests, who made up about half the guest list, did not enjoy themselves as the lounge-y effect the young hostess liked was not comfortable for them. So consider your guest list. At the other party we did recently where someone dimmed the lights, also about a half and half mix of young and older guests, the host listened to some of his guests who asked him to not dim the lights so much, and everyone had a wonderful time. Leave the lounge thing out of holiday gatherings!
Have someone pass trays of bites and beverages
Think this is a luxury? It isn't if you don't want food to be wasted. Unless you're hosting a football team that devours anything in sight, people like to stand or sit where they are and socialize, and they prefer to eat where they are rather than going to a buffet. Have the buffet too, but try passing trays of food too and you'll see.
And if you prefer to have a self-serve beverage station and don't want to pass trays of beverages--understandable as they can spill if you're not skilled at this--, have someone go around offering to refill people's glasses from wine bottles or from pitchers of beverages. Again, you'll see that people prefer that to going to or going back to the self-serve beverage station.
If you have space, consider renting cocktail tables
If you use nice tablecloths it won't seem like a nightclub and it's more comfortable for people to put their used plates and glasses. Or consider borrowing or moving into the event area small/occasional tables for this purpose--and you don't need tablecloths for occasional tables if you don't want to use them.
Have someone clean the room of used plates, glasses, and napkins throughout the party
For some this may seem a luxury, but it's not comfortable for guests if used plates, napkins, and glasses are lying all around with no one to pick them up until the end of the party. Where do they put their things--on top of the used ones already there?
We do a pass through, as it's known in the industry, every fifteen minutes; to us, waiting for every half hour means too much is piled up and the event room no longer looks nice, so again, people aren't as comfortable.
Enjoy.
Kristina
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com
If you go to a lot of parties you may be aware of what makes you comfortable and what parties you didn't feel particularly comfortable at, but many people only give a party once a year and aren't really in tune with things that make their guests either comfortable or not at a party. Today we offer tips for making your guests more comfortable at your holiday party this year.
Don't dim the lights too much
This holiday season we did two parties where the hosts dimmed the lights so low that you couldn't see the food or pretty much anything else. At one of these parties, even though guests asked the hostess to make at least part of the event area brighter, she did not want to. Thus, her older guests, who made up about half the guest list, did not enjoy themselves as the lounge-y effect the young hostess liked was not comfortable for them. So consider your guest list. At the other party we did recently where someone dimmed the lights, also about a half and half mix of young and older guests, the host listened to some of his guests who asked him to not dim the lights so much, and everyone had a wonderful time. Leave the lounge thing out of holiday gatherings!
Have someone pass trays of bites and beverages
Think this is a luxury? It isn't if you don't want food to be wasted. Unless you're hosting a football team that devours anything in sight, people like to stand or sit where they are and socialize, and they prefer to eat where they are rather than going to a buffet. Have the buffet too, but try passing trays of food too and you'll see.
And if you prefer to have a self-serve beverage station and don't want to pass trays of beverages--understandable as they can spill if you're not skilled at this--, have someone go around offering to refill people's glasses from wine bottles or from pitchers of beverages. Again, you'll see that people prefer that to going to or going back to the self-serve beverage station.
If you have space, consider renting cocktail tables
If you use nice tablecloths it won't seem like a nightclub and it's more comfortable for people to put their used plates and glasses. Or consider borrowing or moving into the event area small/occasional tables for this purpose--and you don't need tablecloths for occasional tables if you don't want to use them.
Have someone clean the room of used plates, glasses, and napkins throughout the party
For some this may seem a luxury, but it's not comfortable for guests if used plates, napkins, and glasses are lying all around with no one to pick them up until the end of the party. Where do they put their things--on top of the used ones already there?
We do a pass through, as it's known in the industry, every fifteen minutes; to us, waiting for every half hour means too much is piled up and the event room no longer looks nice, so again, people aren't as comfortable.
Enjoy.
Kristina
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Easiest Desserts for a Holiday Dessert Buffet
Today in our continuing blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," we offer ideas for the easiest desserts for a holiday dessert buffet.
There are two schools of thought here:
Most people will not want or have time to make a dessert, so we'll just recommend two high-quality lines of dessert mixes:
Or, even easier, make a fruit fool and serve in shot glasses, very trendy now: mix sweetened whipped cream with berries in a blender (taste and add more sugar if needed), then spoon the fool into small tumblers or even wine glasses and decorate each with fresh berries or chocolate bits
If you want to buy one or more desserts, our recommendations are:
Enjoy!
Kristina
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com
There are two schools of thought here:
- Buy a dessert that's completely made
- Buy a HIGH QUALITY mix and make a dessert
Most people will not want or have time to make a dessert, so we'll just recommend two high-quality lines of dessert mixes:
- Williams Sonoma
- Central Market (most of these are all natural)
Or, even easier, make a fruit fool and serve in shot glasses, very trendy now: mix sweetened whipped cream with berries in a blender (taste and add more sugar if needed), then spoon the fool into small tumblers or even wine glasses and decorate each with fresh berries or chocolate bits
If you want to buy one or more desserts, our recommendations are:
- Buy from a caterer
- Buy from a good restaurant you frequent and where you've eaten desserts, if they sell desserts (not all do)
- Buy from a high-quality pastry shop--but take our advice and don't buy for your party if you've never purchased a dessert from that pastry shop before. Instead, buy one ahead of time and taste test it so you and your guests won't be disappointed. You can always give away the extra dessert or save it for after your party.
- Buy from a specialty baker (ask for references)
- The easiest? Buy some of the wonderful panettones, pandoros, panfortes, liqueur regular and mini cakes, and so forth available at upscale supermarkets and some upscale department stores (like Neiman Marcus and Bloomie's). If you want to be sure of the best quality, buy the more expensive ones--like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.
- Fresh raspberries, cranberries, or crab apples
- Fresh herb sprigs
- Edible flowers
Enjoy!
Kristina
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
4 holiday parties Cuisinart Coffee Plus 12-cup Coffeemaker lets u make coffee & tea or another hot bev @ same time:
http://ping.fm/gKY4M
http://ping.fm/gKY4M
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