Self-catering a Bar Mitzvah

amother

↑ Brown ↓

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 8:33 am

Thanks Raisin for your suggestions. What sort of quiche would you recommend for an appetizer?

Those that say roast is easier, do you mean a meat roll cut in slices?

We will be doing a meaty, sit-down plated meal for 100 people bez'h.

amother

↑ Pewter

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 8:37 am

amother wrote:

Brisket. Refrigerate overnight. Slice very thin. Pour defatted gravy over brisket and freeze.

Chana Miriam S

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 8:39 am

I'm a caterer. I did my sons bar mitzvah for 500 just as I was starting my career. What you can do depends on what you have access to. You have to be organized and understand portioning as well as multiplying recipes.

You need to be calm and organized. Of course it's different to plan for fifty than 500 ppl.

Labour is expensive. If you can get volunteers and direct them, even better.

Write Down every single detail you need to know. Then plan from there. And if you don't have enough fridge space or freezer space, forget it.

Also plan on being too exhausted to really enjoy the simcha. That was true for me both the first time with no experience and the second with a lot of big functions under my belt.

amother

↑ Brown ↓

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 10:45 am

andrea levy wrote:

Thanks amother.

Andrea, when you say you were too exhausted to enjoy the simcha, was that with waiters setting up and serving? Did you cook on the day or in advance?

amother

Scarlet

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 1:48 pm

FYI - plating the food (vs family style or buffet) requires a lot more food and results in a lot more waste. If you plate you need enough for one per person (plus extra because some pieces may not look nice enough to plate, etc). If you platter, you can easily get away with less than one per person, especially if there is a lot of food, because people don't take everything. (For example if you serve chicken and a roast, many people won't serve themselves both, but if plated they are all given both. Same if there are multiple side dishes.) For appetizers as well, if you are serving fish, or eggs and liver, - this are items that not all people eat, but if plated their portion just goes in the garbage.
If you are nervous about not having enough, make enough for one per person even though you are platering, and expect to enjoy all the leftovers for a while.

amother

↑ Brown ↓

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 2:01 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks for responding. You are right.

amother

↑ Brown

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 2:36 pm

Squishy wrote:

Tranquility and Peace had a thread about this with recipes, pictures, and wonderful dessert ideas. Perhaps you can locate it.

Thanks Squishy. I've been looking for it endlessly but haven't managed to locate it.

↑ 33055

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 2:54 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks Squishy. I've been looking for it endlessly but haven't managed to locate it.

PM her, she is really nice.

I gave her the recipe for schnitzel which I believed she used. It came from a Rebbetzen who whose food we both know is excellent. It freezes well and was simple to prepare.

She also had an interesting idea with tefillin brownies that was simple and looked special. I made a tray for a friend.

amother

↑ Silver

Sun, Jul 30 2017, 3:04 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks amother.

Andrea, when you say you were too exhausted to enjoy the simcha, was that with waiters setting up and serving? Did you cook on the day or in advance?

If you have excellent and capable help, you should be ok.

I would not leave a single bit of cooking or prepping till the day of. Do it all the day before or earlier and freeze. Waiters can put together salads and cut fruit up. (Check and cut up salad the day before) Don't do ANY recipes that need last minute attention from you.