Now that summer is here, it’s time to start planning those holiday and BBQ parties. Choosing the right foods to prepare sometimes is an easy choice, but how much do you order?
That’s what every Chef has to do when they are faced with a large party. Whether it be eight people for private dinner parties or a larger buffet type function.

Since I'm  no longer a guest Chef at Hotel Jeffery, I've had some time on my hands. I’ve started doing some cooking classes, consulting & catering. I also enjoy doing Romantic Dinners For Two as well as Private Dinner Parties here in Coulterville, Sonora and in the San Joaquin County.

First you have to look at your menu; it could be two entrees, salad, soup, appetizer and dessert for 12 people. Now, that’s a lot of food for people to consume if your portion size is large. Normally when it comes to salads, the ounce size ranges from 3 to 5 ounces. Let’s do some math; if you have 12 people and your going to do a 4 oz salad, multiply 4 x 12 and divide by 16 (16ounces to a pound). You’ll need a minimum of 3 pounds of salad.

Lets take a whole Tri-Tip, keeping in mind the meat will loose some of its weight when you cook it. How much? It depends, but lets say you have a 6 pound Tri-tip and you cook it med-rare (around 120-125’), you’ll probable loose around a pound. So, you end up with 5 pounds and you give everyone 8 ounces of meat, you’ll be 1 lb short.

Let’s look at how we came up with that. What you did was go into a store and by a chunk of meat thinking, "that’ll be enough."  Take 8 ounces and multiply by 12 people and divide by 16, that comes out to 6 pounds of meat. If you caught yourself doing this before you plated you could give them 6 or 7 ounces then you would have enough.

Remember the more items you have the fewer ounces your guests will consume, unless they just gorge on one item. On the other hand leftovers are great also, but if you are on a tight budget this simple planning will come in handy.

You could always have the restaurant come to you with your very own personal Chef. My company “Catered To Your Taste” does exactly that.
You tell me how many people you want to have over for a dinner party, I give you a list of food choices and you can kick back with your guests and not be in the kitchen. You don’t even have to clean up.

Meanwhile here’s a wonderful dessert idea: “Stuffed Baked Apples”

Take  4 slices each of Cinnamon bread (w/raisins ok) ½” cubed;
½ cup raisins; 1 cup apple cider (save half); ¼ honey; 2 tbl butter; ½ tsp cinnamon; 2 large baking apples cored and halved; ¼ cup chopped pecans; whip-cream optional.
Pre-heat oven to 350’ and spray a 9” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place bread and raisins in a med bowl. Heat together ½ cup of cider, honey, butter, and cinnamon until butter is melted. Pour over the bread and let stand for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Place apples cut side up in baking dish and top with the bread mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Pour remaining cider onto the bottom of the dish and bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
Serve with whipped cream- Enjoy!

For information on planning or having a “Private Dinner Party” contact me at (209) 852-2728 or chefbillmitchell@yahoo.com

Thanx, Chef Bill!

For More Recipes By Bill Mitchell
The Chef's Corner Archives