The buffet is a great alternative to a dinner party. Usually buffets or buffets are organized at receptions and presentations, but why not arrange a home celebration in a similar format? The buffet does not imply seating at the table - the dishes are displayed at the same time, and the guests serve themselves. Try it - this kind of dinner will surely please both the guests and the hostess.
Instructions
Step 1
Place the main table along the wall. Cover it with a long tablecloth with a buffet skirt (a folded cloth covering the table legs). Several upside-down cardboard boxes can be placed on top of the tablecloth - they will create different levels for arranging dishes. Line them with pieces of fabric to match the tablecloth.
Step 2
Place another smaller one next to the buffet table. It is designed for used dishes and glasses. Think of cozy seating areas for guests - they should be able to sit on a sofa or chair, lean against a wall, or place a glass on a shelf. Don't expect your invitees to stand in the center of the room throughout the evening.
Step 3
The basis of the buffet table is made up of dishes that can be eaten without a knife, or, even more convenient, taken with your hands, without the risk of getting dirty or getting burned. Therefore, exclude from the menu traditional salads in vases, meat cooked in a piece, whole baked poultry or fish. Not a very good idea for a home buffet - sushi. Many are simply embarrassed to eat them with their hands, and it is quite difficult to control chopsticks by weight. Plus, soy sauce will drip onto the floor and clothing of guests.
Step 4
The best snacks for the buffet table are small canapé sandwiches and tartlets - dough baskets that can be filled with pate, salads or caviar. Canned and fresh vegetables cut into narrow slices look very elegant. All sandwiches and vegetables are supplied with plastic skewers or toothpicks - so it is convenient to take them with your hands.
Step 5
Place snacks on large flat plates or trays. Combine different types of canapes and tartlets on the same plate so that guests can take whatever they want without moving around the table. Place tongs next to each dish.
Step 6
Hot meals are served in special closed containers or on bain-marie (they can be rented from any catering company). The best buffet version of hot is all kinds of mini-kebabs on skewers. Prepare a platter by skewering fish, shrimp, chicken, or beef on wooden skewers. You can also cook vegetarian kebabs from mushrooms and vegetables. Place gravy boats next to the containers. For a side dish, you can steam mini vegetables and serve them whole. Mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice are not suitable for buffet side dishes.
Step 7
Place stacks of clean plates between dishes and trays. Place the cutlery on linen napkins nearby. Do not forget about paper napkins - they are necessary in a buffet table. Group the glasses for drinks near the bottles.
Step 8
Serve alcoholic drinks in open bottles, juices and fruit drinks in jugs. A homemade alcoholic drink will very much decorate the buffet table. In the cold season, prepare mulled wine, and in the summer - sangria or a punch with fruit. Sangria can be placed on the table in a large glass vase, and mulled wine can be served in a beautiful metal saucepan set on a small hotplate that maintains the temperature of the drink. Place a pouring ladle next to it and place a row of heavy-walled glass goblets with handles.
Step 9
During the buffet table, make sure that there is always enough clean dishes, and that dirty plates are not on all free surfaces. If the snack platter is more than 2/3 empty, remove it, replenish the snack supply and put it back on the table.
