Photo by Luisa Brimble on Unsplash
When this happens, there’s a lot of work involved, but you largely know what you have to do and who you have to cater to. That’s not always a luxury we have, however. For example, it might be that you’ve been asked to prepare food for an “unsure event.” In other words, you’re not sure of the exact amount of people arriving, who they might be (if guests might be bringing a plus one or not), or even how you’ll be eating. Are you going to sit down for a full dinner, or enjoy party foods in the garden during a warm day?
Of course, it’s good to ask for clarification first and foremost, but sometimes that’s not readily available. You’re free to decline cooking of course, but if you want to contribute without such plans, there are a few backups you can implement. Here’s how:
Recommend bring-your-own-plates
Perhaps taking a backseater to the event catering is good in this capacity, as long as you agree with the hosts. You might recommend that people bring their own food or plates, as everyone who has something to offer will no doubt be able to make a decent platter when combined.
That being said, it’s also important to make sure you can trust those bringing certain food. After all, you can’t always trust those you don’t know to bring correctly cooked or stored meats, and the last thing you want is to get sick because someone hasn’t been detail-oriented enough. So, bringing snacks or different additions like punches and wines can be a nice alternative.
Use foods that allow for easy leftovers
If you’re not certain how much you need to cook, it’s always best to have more than you require and then store that food for later use, or even bring some home. For example, learning how to make manicotti can be wonderful, because not only are the ingredients delicious and the final meal easy to cut and portion, but you can easily place this in the fridge or even freeze it after use, especially if you have a great deal left. That way, you have limited wastage, but no one goes hungry either.
Bring a few provisions for certain dietary types
Not everyone can or will eat everything. Some people might be on a given diet, others might have allergies, and some may not even like the taste of an otherwise beautiful dish. Now, you can’t convince people to try things they dislike, and in some cases, doing so could put their health in jeopardy. That’s why it’s important to be mindful if you’re not sure who will be in attendance.
For example, avoiding any nut-based or shellfish dishes can be a good place to start, and making sure you don’t cook with wine or beer (even if the alcohol is cooked off), can help you avoid causing harm to an alcoholic in recovery. You can’t account for every allergy in the world of course, which is why it’s smart to clearly list the ingredients you’ve used with a small label on the front of your dish, so that guests know not to eat certain considerations.
Bring a cooler
Now, you can’t always know what the refrigeration expectations of the place you’re heading to will be. It might be that outdoor freezers and fridges are in perfect use, or perhaps your friend is hosting a party and just expects the food to be laid on the table all day – which isn’t always great for food hygiene, to say the least.
Bringing a cooler allows you to store dishes for most of the day without them raising above the temperature where bacteria like to grow. On hot and sunny days, this can be even more important. You can arrange storage with the host of the party of course, but at the very least you’ll have a backup to store and protect your dishes until it’s time to serve.
With this advice, you’re certain to cook well fo that unsure event. While it can be a little tiresome to try and figure everything out in advance, stick to these four principles and you’ll be well on your way to catering celebration once more.