All you need is a vegetable sharpener. For this you need only a vegetable sharpener.
If you have to organize and plan a party (in the best case a wedding) you will soon realize that the catering of the guests swallows up a considerable part of the estimated costs. Here are some Tips for calculation of costs and Quantities and the corresponding rules of thumb for the buffet. While I cannot make any guarantees for the numbers. But the guarantee is given that I use these quantity calculations for over 10 years for my own family celebrations, and thus have never inherited failures. The same applies to the calculation of drinks.
If I just from "estimated costs" wrote, then from the consideration that it is very expedient to determine beforehand exactly how much money is available for each item at most. And I am of the opinion that a decent buffet does not necessarily have to cost a lot of money. The calculation for the beverage requirement you find here.
For the special it does not always need a lot of effort . First of all, it is good to know what you need. The key figures for a usual, evening buffet are 700 g of food per adult person. Per child calculate 400 g. This calculation is abundantly calculated. If you calculate with the numbers below, then you will mostly come over this minimum requirement of 700 g/person for the buffet and would then have another security that it is really enough.
If the party starts early, nowadays it is more and more common to serve antipasti (Mediterranean appetizer, finger food, baguette with Mediterranean sauce) before the buffet. spread) to pass. Also, it is very convenient to have smaller pieces of cake (cake tray, easy to bake yourself) ready and coffee. For guests who have traveled a long way, a small snack at the beginning of the celebration, especially if the main course is still a little long in coming, is very pleasant. If there is cake or antipasti left over, this can be served again for the dessert buffet next to the dessert.
My quantity calculations are of course only guidelines, for which I can not give any guarantee. You also have to decide whether you want to organize a buffet that will be used up to a large extent (my suggestion here) or whether you want to offer a buffet that will be replenished again and again until the end of the event, as is usual in professional gastronomy. But the latter option is certainly not the most reasonable one.
It is required per adult person:
- 40 g antipasti (Mediterranean appetizer) or cake, if the evening starts early
- 0.2 liters of starter soup
- 180 – 250 g* meat/hot, hot food meat/poultry in a rechaud [I calculate with 180 g, but I have a hearty homemade goulash soup with me, catering companies usually calculate with 200-250 g meat/hot, which is however very plentiful.]
- 130 g side dishes for the hot meal (rosemary potatoes, spaetzle, beans, potato salad, etc.).)
- 50 g various cold plates with cheese/fish/sausage (*if less hot, then more cold plates)
- 50 g green salads (an iceberg lettuce with 400 g is rich for 8-10 people, z.B. Iceberg lettuce with dressing)
- 20 g/50 g delicatessen salads (beef salad, cheese salad, egg salad, etc.).) 50 g per person for 180 g meat/warm
- 70 g bread and rolls
- 15 g butter
- 150 g dessert, z.B. Cold dish/red fruit jelly and separately vanilla sauce
At a gastronomy fair. The decoration (colors) and subtle, neutral music make the buffet perfect, but this and especially the music should be well chosen and prepared.
If you still have some time until the planned celebration, then you can quietly look around once on gastronomy fairs in the area. And also at wedding fairs you get interesting ideas for the design of a celebration, for table decorations and in general completely new views on these things.
A tip I got there is that for a set table or even a designed buffet it is important that plates, bowls, cutlery, etc. are. must be absolutely exactly aligned. When the look is right, even the simplest place setting looks classy and dignified. But as soon as something is crooked or lying, the shine is gone.
Rule of thumb for the costs
It is not easy to give the costs for a buffet in figures. According to my research, catering companies charge at least 20 to 30 euros per person. In big cities the price will be higher. If you organize it yourself, it will be correspondingly cheaper, but the cost of the food as listed above remains. But you can really reduce your expenses considerably and for those who really don’t have much money at their disposal, I have some suggestions for a particularly inexpensive hospitality that doesn’t look poor at all.
Tips for the day
- A catering company is of course the first tip. One is carefree, pays for it however more than with own organization.
- Butchers also offer catering or platter service, as do fish stores, sometimes bakeries, the innkeeper next door. If you organize something yourself here, you save money. But never order a lump sum per person , but the plates individually (big price differences!).
- One or the other dish can also be cooked or prepared by ourselves. Or you can ask friends to bring a salad. This already saves a lot of money.
- Find one or two helpers among your acquaintances (for a fee) to set up the buffet, do minor preparations, pour drinks, etc. This investment is worthwhile!
If you create a frugal buffet with the above tips, then you should, if you can, buy a few special treats in cans or jars in the supermarket to go with it. A properly filled bowl with caviar makes a good impression. Also you can always leave some canned food in the backhand, in case food should be scarce somehow.
Finally, I would like to give the tip that, as is well known, the eye eats with the food. The decoration of the buffet does not have to degenerate into gigantism or remind of a tropical hotel vacation, but a minimum and a decorative theming of the displays is a must. Have fun!