Hors d’oeuvre Hints
It is very common to have a party and serve nothing but Hors d’oeuvres. Guests are given small plates, and no utensils. Everything is eaten with fingers and toothpicks. Here are some thoughts on this kind of party.
Amount of food: As a rule, prepare 8 hors d’oeuvres per person. If the party will last over two hours, add another six per person. Also buy extra napkins! Guests are eating lighter these days and will often stop eating after the first or second pass by the food table. Because of this, you can start the party with a full array of food, then after the first couple of hours, remove the most perishable items, leaving only those that hold best.
Keeping food safe: Experts recommend that food not stay out on a serving table longer than two hours. Some that could stay out for a longer party might be a cheese and cracker tray or a vegetable platter.
Serve hot foods in a crockpot that you keep plugged in, or on an electric warmer tray. You can also put out only small amounts of the hot items at a time and replenish frequently. The downside of this is that you are always in the kitchen!
Serve cold foods on beds of ice. Get large bowls and fill them with ice. Nestle smaller bowls with dips and spreads in the ice.
Pre-prep: If you want to set up your serving table before your guests arrive, take ice and place it into large ziploc bags and lay them on top of your cold items. This keeps them cold enough while on the table. Remove the bags just before serving. This is very helpful if you are doing an elaborate table arrangement and need to start putting food out very early.