Party Food Tips 🥳☀️🎉
Are you excited about your next pool party or cookout invitation?
Well, put the chicken salad on ice, and leave that picnic blanket folded neatly in the closet for a moment because we need to talk.
Picnics and outdoor gatherings may seem like a breeze, but there are some common mistakes that almost everyone makes when planning the perfect outdoor feast.
Today, we're going to spill the beans on these outdoor food blunders so that you can avoid them like a pro. So, grab a cold lemonade, kick back, and let's take a look at some of the top outdoor entertaining mistakes. It's time to improve your picnic skills, and make every outing a truly memorable experience!
Before we get started, I hope you enjoyed last week’s newsletter on “Summer Myths, Busted 💥”. If you missed it, you can use this link, Here.
Outdoor or summer buffet serving mistakes might lead to a slight disappointment, while others can cause food poisoning; so spend some time making sure your outdoor event is safe and enjoyable for everyone invited.
Ready? Let’s party 😎🎉
Leaving refrigerated food out too long!
Maybe you want to throw a picnic or event that your guests will never forget — but not because they went home in gastrointestinal distress. When you leave certain foods out of the fridge for too long, bacteria grow, which can lead to food poisoning. We're sure that you don't want to give your nearest and dearest stomach bugs, so make sure you don't leave food outside for too long — especially in warm weather.
According to the USDA, any food that requires refrigeration shouldn't be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. However, if the temperature is over 90 degrees, you shouldn't leave food out for more than 1 hour!
This doesn't mean that you can't pack or prepare foods that need refrigeration, but you should always use a cooler of some type.
A quality cooler filled with ice packs will keep food at 40 degrees or below. This is out of the "danger zone" at which bacteria grow fastest.
If you're planning a leisurely event, not only should you use a cooler to get refrigerated foods to your destination, but put them back in the cooler when you're not actively dishing them out.
So, remember:
Cold foods should be kept at 40 °F or colder.
Keep cold foods refrigerated until serving time.
If food is going to stay out on the buffet table longer than 2 hours, place plates of cold food on ice to retain the chill.
Make sure your outdoor event is memorable because of the food quality or the gorgeous location you picked, rather than because everyone went home and got sick for 24 hours straight.
Serving Hot Foods
Serving hot food is a challenge that can turn your outdoor feast into a lukewarm disappointment. We get it — the temptation to bring along piping hot dishes straight from the stove can be pretty enticing. Maybe your saag aloo is known throughout your neighborhood and beyond, or your pot pie is legendary, but packing hot food can oftentimes be more trouble than it's worth.
One of the main considerations is food safety. Bacteria love to party in the "danger zone" — that's the temperature range between 40 degrees and 140 degrees. According to the USDA, when food stays within this temperature range for an extended period, those pesky bacteria multiply like crazy, potentially causing foodborne illnesses that can put a damper on your picnic fun.
So, if you intend to bring hot food, you'll need to find a way to keep it at temperatures above 140 degrees, such as using chafing dishes. Be warned, hot food adds an extra step and a whole load of bulky equipment to your outdoor dining experience.
Remember, hot foods should be kept at an internal temperature of 140 °F or warmer.
Use a food thermometer to check. Serve or keep food hot in chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays.
Be aware that some warmers only hold food at 110 °F to 120 °F, so check the product label to make sure your warmer has the capability to hold foods at 140 °F or warmer. This is the temperature that’s required to keep bacteria at bay!
Eggs and egg dishes, such as quiches or soufflés, may be refrigerated for serving later but should be thoroughly reheated to 165 °F before serving.
To simplify, opt for foods best served chilled or at room temperature. Think salads, wraps, fresh fruits, cheeses and veggie dishes. These options not only eliminate safety concerns, but also lend themselves well to outdoor dining.
Plan a “bacteria-free buffet”
Entertaining is one of the mainstays of the summer — and helps commemorate milestone events throughout the year, too. With proper preparation, you can be creative and tempt your party guests with an array of fun platters while still keeping food safety in mind!
Size Matters:
If you’re planning a buffet at home and are not sure how quickly the food will be eaten, keep buffet serving portions small.
Prepare a number of small platters and dishes ahead of time, and replace the serving dishes with the fresh ones throughout the party.
Store cold back-up dishes in the refrigerator and keep hot dishes in the oven set at 200 °F to 250 °F prior to serving. This way, your late arriving guests can safely enjoy the same appetizing arrangements as the early arrivals.
Keep It Fresh:
Don’t add new food to an already filled serving dish.
Instead, replace nearly empty serving dishes with freshly filled ones.
Be aware that during the party, bacteria from people’s hands can contaminate the food. Plus, bacteria can multiply at room temperature.
Watch the Clock:
Remember the 2-Hour Rule: Discard any perishables left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, unless you’re keeping it hot or cold.
If the buffet is held in a place where the temperature is above 90 °F, the safe holding time is reduced to 1 hour.
Watch the clock with leftovers, too! Whether you’re sending “doggie bags” home with guests or are saving them for yourself, leftovers should be refrigerated as soon as guests arrive home and/or within 2 hours!
If you’d like to read more about safe buffet suggestions from the FDA, you can access this link, Here.
Some Summer “out of the box” serving suggestions
Seafood, cheese, and chocolate are some of the items that can quickly soil or melt in the sun. If you must serve these items on your party day, here are a few tips to keep them fresh if they’ll be on display.
For a raw seafood bar or sushi with raw fish present these dishes on ice in a cool and shaded area.
Charcuterie boards or spreads with cheese and deli meats are likely to “sweat” in the summer heat, so keep them near ice and out of the sun as well.
If your main dessert of the day is something chocolate, present your treat at the last second - preferably after the sun goes down - to avoid a melted mess. You can also put a faux cake on display and then pass out slices that are fresh from the kitchen.
Instead of presenting your dishes on a table, where they’ll be sitting for hours, try passing appetizers instead. That way, the items will be kept cool or hot for as long as possible, and then, you can bring them to your guests in batches.
In most locations, the summer season is hot and humid. Since your guests will already be breaking a sweat in the heat, the last thing they want, or need, is to have no other option but to nosh on a hot appetizer or entrée, like pizza or heavy hot entrees 🥵 Instead, use your dishes to keep guests cool. Try a cold cucumber soup or a gazpacho, or caprese skewers, fruit salad, and vegetable rolls. These make for refreshing, cooling, light options to keep your guests comfortable 😎
THE BOTTOM LINE
“If summer had one defining scent, it'd definitely be the smell of barbecue.” - Katie Lee
“Summer has a flavor like no other. Always fresh and simmered in sunshine.” - Oprah Winfrey
Hopefully we’ve covered the most important food safety items to keep in mind, and safe, during your outdoor summer dining occasions 😎☀️😎
One last tip….
When the Party Is Over:
After the clean-up, you might be tempted to pack up leftovers and send them home with your guests. If you do, remind your guests that the food should be eaten within three or four days. Throw out anything that may be questionable or left sitting out too long.
Just remember: When in doubt, throw it out!
In response to last week’s newsletter, we had a lot of summer myth conversations during your appointments last week. Check out these additional food myths debunked if you are interested, here.
Enjoy your Summer, and stay healthy 😎☀️😎
As always, to make an appointment with me use this link: HERE.
Or, you can always give me a call at (973) 210-3838
I want to hear from you! What outdoor or summer buffet serving mistakes have you regretted making in the past? Did you find this newsletter helpful?
Share your thoughts in the comments on our
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