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Australian Caterers

Top Tips for your Next Dinner Party

Planning ahead is a great idea; however you can only do so much. Don’t be a slave to the kitchen when entertaining guests, as it is you they have come to visit. Here is an easy guide to basic preparation in the kitchen to help you stay in control and avoid any last minute panic.

As most of us know, working to a time line especially in an environment that we are not professionally trained can be a little unnerving. This is normal given that time can easily get away if one part of our preparation is slowing us up. Here is a basic checklist that may help you understand how to make your next dinner party more organised.

Planning your menu:

If you have never catered for your friends and family, create a menu with your capabilities. See how this went and expand your menu ideas from here. Professional Caterers may have access to more cooking equipment. Work with the equipment you own.

Determine any tasks that may take an extended period of time. If you work well with lists, create a list for each different part of your menu. This will always give you a running worksheet of jobs to be completed.

Shop for your menu:

It can be difficult to shop for larger numbers especially if you don’t know how much people will eat. In time the more you cook and experiment, the easier this will become. A basic guide is to portion your quantities, and buy additional goods as required. If you have any weaknesses with making sauces, shop accordingly so you can start again if required.

Once you have purchased your ingredients, you can start any preparation.

Preparing:

Preparation in the kitchen is just as important as cooking your meal. This does take time, so don’t be afraid to start early. Work with ingredients that won’t spoil first. Make any salad dressings, marinades and cut up any fruits and vegetables required.

Once you have your preparation completed, cooking will be more controlled. This will allow you more time to concentrate on what you are cooking. Portioning your ingredients is very important, to ensure when you are plating up there will be enough for everyone. Products like meat, prawns and fish can be cleaned, sliced and prepared earlier in the day to save you time once guests arrive.

Storage & Refrigeration:

Do ensure to keep your products stored suitably. Keep any raw meat products at the bottom of your fridge and always cover. This will avoid any cross contamination to cheese, eggs or items stored. If your fridge will be full compared to normal, turn your fridge up to accommodate.

A temperature of 5°C or colder is considered safe by Australian Food Standards

Enjoy cooking for your friends and family, they will appreciate your efforts and enjoy having a night off!

About the Author

Australian Caterers has FREE Business listing across Australia for all Wedding and Function related companies, so check out the our website if you are planning a function or event.

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