OT: Need Help w/Party Cooking

I just gave a brunch for 60 three weeks ago.

A lot depends on what you're making.

Sterno will not cook foods, it will only keep foods warm.

Do all your slicing and dicing in advance. Platter everything that can
be plattered and refrigerate.

If you're doing tacos and burritos, it sounds like you've only got some
meat that needs to be hot.

Cook your meat Friday night. Refrigerate. Then about 45 minutes
before you want to serve, heat it up in covered pans in a 350 degree
oven, then place directly into sterno chafing dishes. While it's
reheating, stir things every 15 minutes or so. If you want to cook the
meat on Saturday, just do it right before you want to put it into the
sternos.

You can e me off group if you like.

Jennifer

nanner said:

Hi-

I know this is totally OT but maybe someone has experience cooking for a
crowd!

I am doing a Fiesta next weekend - lots of LC & non-LC food for about 25
adults and about 8 kids.

I am using the aluminum pan/chafing dishes/sternos set-up and doing all the
cooking myself. I am unsure of how to organize the cooking. The party is 3
on saturday so I can do some cooking saturday morning, maybe all of it BUT
then do I put it in the fridge and have to re-heat? Do I leave it all out
warm but covered? I was going to put the food out at 5 and I just don't know
how to do thins. The sternos only keep things warm that are alread warm,
right? Or will they heat up food that is cold from the fridge? From room
temp maybe?

If anyone can help me here I'd be thrilled.

I am basically having a Make-your-own type buffet. Everything you need for
tacos, burritios, salads etc

In article <[email hidden]>,

nanner said:

Hi-

I know this is totally OT but maybe someone has experience cooking for a
crowd!

I am doing a Fiesta next weekend - lots of LC & non-LC food for about 25
adults and about 8 kids.

I am using the aluminum pan/chafing dishes/sternos set-up and doing all the
cooking myself. I am unsure of how to organize the cooking. The party is 3
on saturday so I can do some cooking saturday morning, maybe all of it BUT
then do I put it in the fridge and have to re-heat? Do I leave it all out
warm but covered? I was going to put the food out at 5 and I just don't know
how to do thins. The sternos only keep things warm that are alread warm,
right? Or will they heat up food that is cold from the fridge? From room
temp maybe?

If anyone can help me here I'd be thrilled.

I am basically having a Make-your-own type buffet. Everything you need for
tacos, burritios, salads etc

Go over to rec.food.cooking and ask this question. :-)
While I have several ideas, that group would be a better place to ask
and there are a lot of helpful people over there!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

nanner said:

Hi-

I know this is totally OT but maybe someone has experience cooking for a
crowd!

I am doing a Fiesta next weekend - lots of LC & non-LC food for about 25
adults and about 8 kids.

I am using the aluminum pan/chafing dishes/sternos set-up and doing all
the
cooking myself. I am unsure of how to organize the cooking. The party is
3
on saturday so I can do some cooking saturday morning, maybe all of it
BUT
then do I put it in the fridge and have to re-heat? Do I leave it all out
warm but covered? I was going to put the food out at 5 and I just don't
know
how to do thins. The sternos only keep things warm that are alread warm,
right? Or will they heat up food that is cold from the fridge? From room
temp maybe?

If anyone can help me here I'd be thrilled.

I am basically having a Make-your-own type buffet. Everything you need
for
tacos, burritios, salads etc

Go over to rec.food.cooking and ask this question. :-)

I did

Quoted message said:

While I have several ideas, that group would be a better place to ask
and there are a lot of helpful people over there!

Thanks for keeping it secret - helps alot.

BTW - I put OT in the header - you didn't have to read it if you had a prob
w/me posting it here. MAtter of fact you can screen out the OT posts if you
want.

I have been reading this group long enough to know that alot of posters here
know ALOT about food & cooking and would be helpful to me.

Quoted message said:

--

Quoted message said:

Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack
Nicholson

It will keep already warm things warm. When Larry and I got married I
did the reception with the teriyaki chicken wings and sweet and sour
meatballs. I cooked them and put them in big pans and refrigerated over
night. In the late morning I put foil on top and sealed it tightly and
stuffed them in the oven at 325 for a couple of hours. So do your taco
meat a refrig then put in baking dish and cover and heat through. I
make a killer salsa with equal parts of salsa, sour cream, and Hidden
Valley ranch dressing. Rubbermaid makes a new real cool lazy susan.
Three big comaprtments and a middle for sauce. Do your green onions,
lettuce, shred your cheese, olives, tomatoes the night before. You'll
only have to do the burger the next day. Do you do the taco dip
thing??? Take a round edged tray and layer the tray with refried beans,
sour cream painted on that, salsa, then strongly taco seasoned burger,
shredded cheese, olives, onion and chopped tomatoes and let people dip
chips into it. YUM!!!!!!! Another good one is 1 can Campbells tomato
soup 1 C salsa 1/2 C milk 1 C shredded cheese and 8 chopped up large
flour tortillas(into 2 inch squares) and a pound of fried burger. Mix
together, put in baking dish bake until bubbly and cover the top with
cheddar, let melt and serve. It is like an enchilada casserole!
Laureen

nanner said:

Hi-

I know this is totally OT but maybe someone has experience cooking for a
crowd!

I am doing a Fiesta next weekend - lots of LC & non-LC food for about 25
adults and about 8 kids.

I am using the aluminum pan/chafing dishes/sternos set-up and doing all the
cooking myself. I am unsure of how to organize the cooking. The party is 3
on saturday so I can do some cooking saturday morning, maybe all of it BUT
then do I put it in the fridge and have to re-heat? Do I leave it all out
warm but covered? I was going to put the food out at 5 and I just don't know
how to do thins. The sternos only keep things warm that are alread warm,
right? Or will they heat up food that is cold from the fridge? From room
temp maybe?

If anyone can help me here I'd be thrilled.

I am basically having a Make-your-own type buffet. Everything you need for
tacos, burritios, salads etc

In article <[email hidden]>,

nanner said:

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

nanner said:

Hi-

I know this is totally OT but maybe someone has experience cooking for a
crowd!

I am doing a Fiesta next weekend - lots of LC & non-LC food for about 25
adults and about 8 kids.

I am using the aluminum pan/chafing dishes/sternos set-up and doing all
the
cooking myself. I am unsure of how to organize the cooking. The party is
3
on saturday so I can do some cooking saturday morning, maybe all of it
BUT
then do I put it in the fridge and have to re-heat? Do I leave it all out
warm but covered? I was going to put the food out at 5 and I just don't
know
how to do thins. The sternos only keep things warm that are alread warm,
right? Or will they heat up food that is cold from the fridge? From room
temp maybe?

If anyone can help me here I'd be thrilled.

I am basically having a Make-your-own type buffet. Everything you need
for
tacos, burritios, salads etc

Go over to rec.food.cooking and ask this question. :-)

I did

Quoted message said:

While I have several ideas, that group would be a better place to ask
and there are a lot of helpful people over there!

Thanks for keeping it secret - helps alot.

BTW - I put OT in the header - you didn't have to read it if you had a prob
w/me posting it here. MAtter of fact you can screen out the OT posts if you
want.

I have been reading this group long enough to know that alot of posters here
know ALOT about food & cooking and would be helpful to me.

<Sigh> You TOTALLY mis-understood me!!!
I had NO objections to you posting it here, I just thought that it was
more likely that you'd get more help over there!

Goofball! :-P

I'd make the main entrees taco salad and Tamale pie.....

Easy to make them in bulk.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

Yes, you'll have to store anything you PREcook in the fridge...then nuke
it to GET it hot, then bring the HOT food to the warming utensils. They
will KEEP it hot but wont GET it hot. Same with the thermos---it will
KEEP liquid whatever temp it was when you put in in there---but cant
heat or cool, by itself.

Good luck--sounds delicious.

LassChance

Start LC~5-16-05
202-195-165
(i only weigh on Sunday)