Andrea M. Olguin
Parties. Most of us love parties. We have fun attending them. We would even like to entertain on occasion. But the thought of entertaining may be so daunting that perhaps you haven’t entertained in years, or at all. Whether you work and can’t squeeze in the time it takes to plan a party or you are shy about your talents and abilities, The Carefree Gourmet, the complete party planner, is for you. It includes everything from how to address the invitation to a schedule to keep you on track; the menu, recipes, even some relaxing ideas to help you enjoy your party too! You can take it with you to the market, the bakery, the cleaners, anywhere you need to go so you don’t forget something or have to rewrite lists.
This edition of The Carefree Gourmet Presents Dazzeling Desserts, Bountiful Brunch, Tea Anytime, Brazillian Bar-B-Que, Casual Cajun and the Classy Cocktail, is centered around six entertaining events that lend themselves to relaxing, splurging on yourself, focusing on the simple pleasures in life - delectable, mouth-watering temptations and the company of family and good friends. These parties can be held in the late morning, mid-afternoon, or evening. You can have an open house, entertain on a sunny porch, in the spring, outside with lots of flowers and family, or you can create an elegant evening by the fireplace, with champagne to sip as you nibble fresh strawberries dipped in whipped cream or warm melted dark chocolate.
These buffets are wonderful, in that many of the dishes can be prepared either weeks or days ahead of time, then frozen/defrosted or stored in airtight containers. Most items can be purchased from the neighborhood store. Set up and clean up are a breeze and these menu items make a wonderful presentation by themselves, so table decoration is a snap.
Buffets lend themselves to inviting more people than you could invite to a sit down party. It allows you to circulate amongst your guests freely and not spend so much time in the kitchen. So open this book and start on your next party, no special occasion required; just having delightful friends is enough to celebrate!
Mrs. Olguin holds a Bachelors degree in Graphic Design and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She studied food preparation through UCLA’s extension program and catered for a small catering company and Bristol Farms. She continues to host parties for her own family and friends while juggling a career, volunteer commitments, family, friends and pets. She began the concept for this book in 1996 after friends and family regularly tapped into her catering experience and requested easy and fun entertaining ideas. Mrs. Olguin resides in Southern California with her husband Rod and Siberian huskies Neeko and Sedona. She can be reached at aolguin@carefreegourmet.com .
Ms. Kietzman’s passions lie in cooking, photography and travel. As a child, her family lived in several South American countries. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. She is an award winning amateur photographer and the focus of her photography is documentary style & nature. Her photographs have been admired by many. As a result of this book venture, food photography has been added to her résumé. She learned the art of entertaining from her mother and her family’s involvement in hosting and entertaining both informal family gatherings as well as international dignitaries. She can be reached at pkietzman@carefreegourmet.com.
Greetings!
The Menus
Dazzling Dessert
Bountiful Brunch Tea Anytime
Brazilian Bar-B-Que
Cajun Casual
Classy Cocktail
Getting Started
What Is Your Budget?
The Guest List
The Invitation
Setting The Table & The Mood
Decor, Ambiance & Music
Complete List of Essential Kitchen Tools and Supplies
Complete List of Essential Serving Pieces
The Recipes
The Dessert Buffet
The Brunch Buffet
The Tea Buffet
The Bar-B-Que Buffet
The Cajun Buffet
The Cocktail Buffet
House Preparation and Clean Up
Helpful Hints
Index
The menu should be a flavorful mixture of colors and textures. Vibrancy in color, interest in texture, and wonderful aromas should entice your guests to sample many delicacies on your buffet. So that you don’t spend too much time in the kitchen, the six menus include a mixture of homemade and freshly made purchased treats. If one of your guests has a delicious family recipe that they would like to share, you may choose to have them bring the prepared item. Just be sure you have the equipment to support the item (like a fondue pot for a dipping sauce), or ask your guest to provide all needed utensils. Variety is always a welcome addition to any buffet and may allow you to remove a similar item from your menu (one less to make or buy!). Also try to ensure the item isn’t something that requires multiple utensils for serving, as your guests will be handling both their beverage and their plate.
The goal of any menu is to offer an array of choices, appealing to many and offering a variety of tastes and textures. Different levels of sweetness, richness and yes, calories for the figure conscience. If you have friends with special dietary requirements be sure to provide them something on the menu that meets their needs. Note: Be aware of food allergies, especially to items such as nuts. Don’t grind nuts so finely that they are unrecognizable. It may help to identify dishes with a pretty note card.
These menus were planned with the intention of using the same kitchen utensils and serving pieces. And the recipes can be swapped between menus so that you may host another party of the same type but with a different variety of offerings. If you have a favorite recipe that is adored, by all means, add it to the menu, or substitute out a menu item. Just remember to add the ingredients to the shopping list and the “when to” to the time line. The grocery list is immediately following the recipes. Check your pantry for items you may already have and check them off your list if you don’t need to purchase them. Some words of advice. Get into the habit of dating your spices and other baking ingredients once you open them, to take away the guessing game of knowing if the product is still good. Unless you cook and bake a great deal, buy in small quantities. One last bit of advice, baking is a science, be sure to measure accurately!
We hope these menu’s inspire you to have a few friends over and enjoy their company!
