There are a few things that one needs to know about how to prepare a menu for a party – be it a small one or a much larger one. The catering service is often the one that has to take the decision and for that a little knowledge is required about the whole matter whereas the budget is an important factor to think about. The coordinator will usually ask to keep the cost at the minimum level and yet will also instruct that the food needs to be good and delicious.
After being decided on the amount of money the hosts are willing to spend on the food items and its preparation the menu can be selected. One also needs to know another type of detail and that is what type of guests will be assembled at this party? Will it be mainly children who would come or will there be older people as well as families or maybe just youngsters? The answer to this question is of course very important in order to decide what type of food is to be served at the party by the catering service.
Another important thing to know and understand is how many meals are to be served to the guests and for how many days if it is a long party. It is possible that there would be two meals that are going to be served and so preparation is to be made separately for the two meals and two kinds of menus are to be made for the occasion.
The large grocery list is to be made after the food is decided upon. Preparing food that is easy to clean up is a very good and profitable idea. Because this allows minimal time to clean up after the guests have finished eating. It becomes less toilsome and also allows the guests to have more fun and more time for enjoyment which keeps everybody happy and satisfied.
Decisions are to be taken as to how to prepare the menu at the amount that is required and about the equipments that are to be needed for the preparation of the food. These utensils might just come under the budget of preparing the food and so this needs to be thoroughly considered. Focus is to be given to unique recipes and yet those that are easy to prepare. This makes for a good party especially if it is a larger party or a wedding party at least. On the other hand, if the party is a small one then casual dinner is to be featured with easy to prepare food items. The items that can be made is advance and those that can be reheated are to be selected for such a small event.
Some popular recipes are: skewer and kabobs, that are very popular with guests and can be made in advance, Hors de oeuvres, which is easy and elegant, roost beef, turkey or rib-eye steak for smaller gatherings as these can cook while the guests arrive. The side dishes should be the ones that can at least be partially cooked in advance.
