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It's not the end of the world cooking for a crowd!

By: Darcy Watkins

No one needs to be afraid of cooking for a crowd. Cooking for hundred people is not really different from cooking for one person. All you need to make it work is to be attentive to the hygiene and safety rules, and organize and prepare all you will need in advance.

Food and Hygiene Safety

First thing you need to learn before starting to cook for a crowd are the hazards of it. To avoid bacteria which could cause illnesses you will have to make sure all the food is cooked at the right temperature. Cold food must be properly cooled until the moment of serving. Wrong cooking or cooling procedures will allow bacteria to reproduce so quickly that food can get spoiled in minutes depending on the situation.

How can cooks be sure they are doing the right thing? The use of thermometers for temperature control is an indispensable step. If you are pre-cooking dishes to serve you will need to cool the food afterwards. Dividing it in small portions before placing it inside the fridge will help to make the temperature reach the appropriate level quicker and avoid bacteria to grow.

Portions - Rule of Ten

How many times you were on a banquet, and you had the feeling there was too much or not enough food? To have an incredible large dinner it's indispensable to figure out the right amount of food. And, some simple mathematics will give a good hand on it.

To figure out how much you will have to enlarge your recipe, the catering industry uses the Rule of Ten. It says that for ten adults you will need:

Four pounds of the chosen meat, Three pounds of potatoes for salad. One pound pasta for cold salads; Two to three pounds of pre-cooked prawns; Two pounds of shellfish; Two liters of soup or stew (for appetizers); Two liters of soup or stew (in case it's the main dish); Two pounds leave salad; Three cups of salad dressing; Twenty cocktails per hour; Four liters of punch;

If you know the guests enjoy cocktails a lot, make sure you have the proper amount of ice (ten pounds) and a good assortment of soft drinks. Watch the liquors as well! You will need a 750 ml bottle for each 16 cocktails.

Cooking Provisions

You may find it hard to encounter pans, pots and dishware to cook for a crowd. Disposable foil pans are an option, but you need to be aware that they can be quite fragile when holding hot or heavy food. To avoid getting into trouble your best shot is to rent professional equipment that will give you the peace of mind of having the proper tools what will certainly help you to concentrate exclusively on the food.

Make a dish list

When serving, make sure you have a list of everything you prepared. Score out what you have already served, and you will avoid to have by the end of the dinner not served dishes remaining inside your fridge.

Previous preparation and organized work are the keys for cooking for a crowd successfully having only to congratulate yourself for the impressive job you did.

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