Keep Ellen Cooking!
Support New Pages!

Cook Talk

outdoor brunch wedding reception
Lisa 03/24/17	Buying and cooking for daughter's brunch wedding reception for 100. There are no ovens onsite, only small kitchen and fridge, so we need food that can stay at room temp. please advise on quantity. 11 am to 1 pm (pretty short reception - no dance floor). Food will be setup inside of a small home (air conditioned), but eaten outside under the shade of trees. Popcorn and trail mix bar (using your recommendations for bulk for 100) - while last photos taken Huge fruit tray (using your recommended lbs for 100) 48 croissants with jam/butter 60 assorted mini muffins 24 assorted pastries 1-2 loaves of zucchini and/or banana bread sliced into half slice size 7- 9" quiche lorraine - cut into 8 slices ea. (56 svg) 4 -9" quiche spinach mushroom- cut into 8 slices ea (32 svg) 6- 9" quiche 3-cheese- cut into 8 slices ea (48 svg) lemonade, water, iced tea (it is outdoor in late May in Texas - too hot for coffee) - perhaps I should do orange juice? Non-alcoholic family. Thanks!
ellen 03/27/17	Lisa, this can be perfectly lovely, and would benefit from several tweaks- you will want to plan for folks who are gluten free or low carb, there are lots of them at brunch. Cut quiches in 6 not eight, and have at least 60 pieces of quiche lorraine- 10 pies; others are right amount Consider having 2 sauces- 3 quarts each of salsa and mushroom- use a crock pot for the hot one 1-2 loaves of zucchini and/or banana bread sliced into half slice size- this will cut about 16 pieces per loaf, have 6 loaves, 2 pounds butter, 2 pounds cream cheese 48 croissants with jam/butter- get mini croissants and have 8 dozen 60 assorted mini muffins-OK 24 assorted pastries- skip, or have 8 dozen mini one tray of gluten free muffins or pastries Get edible flowers to sprinkle across the trays for color and surprise Consider making deviled eggs, good recipe on this site, or at least egg salad I strongly suggest adding: one electric roaster with about 14 pounds of link sausage, or smoked sausage in 2 inch pieces, with about a gallon of sauce For color and verve without a stove, add 4 1/2 gallons of gazpacho- the recipe on this site is easy and excellent gazpacho lemonade, 4-5 gallons water, suggest 2 carafes, with one maybe mint and cucumber plus one citrus iced tea, have 2 flavors, one unsweetened, 4 regular, 2 unsweetened (it is outdoor in late May in Texas - too hot for coffee) - Some folks will want it! Please have at least the 12 cup drip pot and enough for 50 cups!
Lisa 04/03/17	Thank you so much for your suggestions on quantities and other additions! For sauces, I assume you mean to go onto the quiche? And the sauce for smoked sauce - like a bbq sauce? I actually got a suggestion from a caterer I use the 3-4" frozen tart shells (not mini ones - Dutch-Ann-Frozen-Tart-Shells from Walmart) to prebake now, freeze, then thaw, then set at room temp on the day of ... preventing having to cut up quiches on the day of and prettier presentation. How many do you think I should make per quiche flavor? For "carafe" ... what size is that in gallons? I have smallish "carafes" for pouring/serving water but like a quart size! Thanks!
ellen 04/06/17	About 60 Lorraine, 30 each of the others, Yes on the sauces. Expect about 3 gallons each water flavor. The carafes thyat hold a couple gallons with a spigot are a option- not too expensive at Ross.