How do I handle a sit-down dinner? Which fork is used for what? How do I handle a buffet or hors d’oeuvres? How do I plan the actual food and make sure I have enough? It does not matter whether we are talking about a pizza party of a sit-down formal dinner for 15 person, the planning and preparation are the same!
Okay you do not have to feed a complete army, but you are nervous because you have to feed other persons besides your family and you. That is no scandal. On the contrary, it is difficult to prepare the right amount of food for a group of about 10, 15, or 20 people, unless you are born as a professional caterer or have his genes. Sometimes it is even difficult for the professionals to do it accurate. It drove me crazy when I realized that part of party planning in fact was food planning. All kinds of thought came into my head, like how do I know how much one person eats. Now that is hard, cause a woman eats less than a man (normally spoken), a 95 years old eats less than a 25 years old. Etc. You can really think yourself into a real mess. Now I tell you that planning the “meal” section of your party is easy. Even more easy than you imagine! Let me give you some tips about meal planning for adult parties first. We have three distinct party categories:
- Cocktail Party
- Sit-Down Dinner Party
- Buffet Style
The names of these three types of parties say already something about the type of food there is going to be served. I will dig a little deeper on each of the types of parties and show you how to create the perfect environment to make every guest feel at home.