Savvy Entertaining

One of my favorite things about entertaining is the presentation portion – getting to make things look pretty. There is something so fun about deciding what serving pieces to use, what looks good where and then having the whole thing come together just before the doorbell rings.

When you are planning to entertain, think about serving the food buffet style. This method of serving does two wonderful things, it keeps the host from being so tied to the food and the kitchen and it creates a casual atmosphere where guests feel more at ease and are much more likely to mingle. I think it is fantastic when we entertain and the guests are all just hanging out and chatting. Bringing people together is the whole point of entertaining!

Another thing I love about buffet entertaining is that it allows the host to get the buffet set up in advance. You can even decide what serving pieces to use, where you are going to place them and what food goes in each dish. Once you get the buffet set exactly like you want it, write what food it will be serving on sticky notes and place  on each dish. That way, when you are plating up the food, it is easy to know where every thing goes. It also makes it possible for someone else to help you because all they have to do is read the notes on each serving piece and return the filled dish to its original place in the buffet.

Whether you are doing a single or double-sided buffet, make sure all food is within easy reaching distance. You don’t want someone dragging their sleeve or shirt-tail through a dish of red sauce.

Most importantly, have fun with it! You are the artist and the buffet is your canvas. Get creative and let your personal style shine through.

Next week I’ll share three tips for creating some “Wow!” factor with your buffet.