| |
Line 'em
up
The buffet is an almost foolproof feast idea
and one that works well with bulk quantities and theme presentations. Not only
does buying in bulk reduce your cost, but serving guests, for example, pieces
of chicken rather than a whole bird also lets you stretch your dinner dollar.
"Buffets are definitely the easiest
and they look great," says chef Lara Kierstead.
She suggests dressing the buffet table up with simple
decorations like a basket full of gourds for fall,
which has the added benefit of making the table
look fuller. Having a separate table for the food
also frees up the eating table, so there isn't a
lot of passing or reaching for the food.
Steinback
suggests a kabob bar, where the host can set up prepped items and the guests assemble
their own skewerful of goodies. This concept also works with other assembled foods,
such a fajitas and burritos. Bulk shrimp and scallops can be turned into a stir-fry
main course. She then recommends a potato bar or salad bar as your side-dish items.
Another way to work with bulk foods is to build around a one-pot
meal, Steinberg says. Make a soup, stew or chili dish. Serve bread or salad to
complement the main dish, and offer "grab foods" as appetizers -- chips and dip,
veggie trays, crackers and cheese or spinach dip.
8
tips for freezing
foods ahead |
| | Feasting for pennies
doesn't have to starve your guests or your wallet. Planning, flexibility and presentation
of the meal can make the difference. When preparing or cooking
items to be frozen, Steinback offers these tips: -
Cook
casseroles for slightly less time than the recipe directs. Cool quickly to stop
the cooking action, pack solidly and freeze. When you reheat it, the cooking is
done. -
Slightly undercook
vegetables, rice, spaghetti, and noodles to prevent sticky-soft foods. -
Don't freeze soups, stews or casseroles that
contain potatoes. This can cause a grainy texture. Instead, add the pre-cooked
potatoes when you serve the dish. -
Go
light with the seasonings because freezing tends to increase the intensity of
certain ingredients like pepper, cloves, onion and garlic. -
Give food room to breathe. Leave up to an inch
of air space at the top of the freezer containers to allow for expansion without
explosion. -
Label items
with name, quantity and date. -
Make
sure the freezer is at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. -
Spread
foods out into single or thin layers. Store soups and sauces in resealable plastic
storage bags. Press down and lay flat. -
Freeze
foods at their freshest. |
