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Chef's
Corner
Recipes, menus,
advice
Trends in
Catering
What's hot,
what's not!
Hosting a
Party
Where & when?
What's
Happening
Upcoming Events &
Announcements
Contact
Us
Proud members
of:
International Caterers
Association
Q & A
If
you have a question about catering or event
planning, email it to: info@thomascaterers.com
Q: How do
you calculate the
correctlinen size to fit
specific
tables?
A: There's a simple
trick to estimating the correct size linen you
need to fully cover your table to the floor.
Simply measure from the floor to the edge of
your table. Times that number by two and add the
width of your table (Height x 2 + Width = Linen
Size). The average table height
is 30". Tall cocktail tables average
42".
For example, to figure what size linen
you need for a 5ft round,
take the height
of the table (30" x 2 =60") plus width of
table
(5ft x 12" = 60"). 60" plus
60" = 120". Since the table is a round
table, you would need a 120" Round linen to
cover the entire table.
For an 8ft rectangular
table, to figure the width, take the height (30"
x 2 = 60") plus width (30") =
90".
Then take the length (8ft x
12" = 96") and add the height (30"x 2 = 60") =
156. So, to fully cover an 8ft table you would
need a
90" x 156" linen.
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Crossing the
Finish
Line... |
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by
Jennifer McKinney-Seet, CSEP
When
planning a party, the biggest concern is always
wondering if you will have enough food and
beverages. Below are a few guidelines you can
use to help estimate your need to insure you
make it to the end of the event.
 When estimating
your needs, take into consideration factors
such as the length of your event and time
of day (before, during or after heavy meal
times), the type of food you'll be serving
(picnic foods, hors d'ouevres, full dinner,
desserts only, etc), the demographics of your
crowd (male, female, ages, ethnics groups,
dietary restrictions, etc.), other activities
planned for the evening and the weather. If your
outside and it's really hot, people tend to
eat less and drink more water or light
beverages. When it's cold out, people prefer hot
foods and warm drinks such as coffee or red
wine.
 Always round up on
your estimates and plan to serve more then
the recommended portion size of items you
think will be most popular (such as shrimp). The
following guidelines are per person, per
hour.
Drinks:
 Plan on 3 drinks
per person for the first hour and 2 per hour
after that. When selecting your
drinks, just as with the food, consider the
demographics of your crowd. Men tend
to prefer beer and hard liquor and woman
tend to prefer wine and fruity mixed drinks.
There are also those guests who are under 21 or
who prefer non-alcoholic drinks or will switch
to non-alcoholic drinks after the first
hour. When estimating non-alcoholic
beverage quantities; 1 gallon = 24 5-oz
servings. A 2ltr bottle of soda = 8, 8-oz
servings. Always offer a variety of
non-alcoholic drinks including sugar free (diet)
and regular. Estimate 3-4 drinks (6-8oz) per
person, per hour, if only non-alcoholic drinks
are served.
 Hors
D'oeuvres
The
Main Meal
-
Poultry,
meat or fish - 6 ounces when you have one main
dish, 8 ounces when you offer two or more main
courses.
-
Rice,
grains - 1.5 ounces as a side dish, 2 ounces in
a main dish  such as
risotto. -
Potatoes
- 5 ounces
-
Vegetables
- 4 ounces
-
Beans
- 2 ozs as a side dish
-
Pasta
- 2 ounces for a side dish, 3 ounces for a first
course, 4 ounces for a main dish. A pound will
feed 4-6 people.
-
Green
Salad - one handful per person (One head
of lettuce will feed about 5
people)
Desserts
-
1
slice cake, tart or pastry
-
4
ounces creamy dessert such as pudding or
mousse
-
5
ounces ice cream
-
When
serving two or more desserts, reduce each
serving by a little less than
half.
Sources:
http://entertaining.about.com/cs/recipesandmenus/a/foodquantity.htm
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/quantity.htm
http://www.adventurous-cooking.com/features/food-and-beverage-cocktail-party.html
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Chef's
Corner
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Recipe of the
Month
At Thomas Caterers of Distinction,
we make all our food
from scratch. We are proud to share
some of our
time honored recipes with our
friends.
Cream Cheese
Brownies
Cream Cheese
Filling:
1/2 lb Cream Cheese
2/3 cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Flour
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla
1. Mix cream cheese and sugar until
soft.
2. Add egg, flour, salt, and vanilla.
Set aside.
Brownie:
3/4 Cup Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Baking Powder
3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1. Mix sugar, eggs, and butter in
mixer. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Pour 1/2 the brownie batter
in a greased 9x13 pan.
3. Spread the cream cheese mix evenly
over the first layer of
brownie mix.
4. Dot the remaining brownie mix over
the cream cheese mix and swirl over the two
mixtures with a knife.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25
minutes. |
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Hosting a
Party |
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Choice
Days to Host a Party or
Gathering
| Indy 500 Race Party |
May 27 |
| Memorial
Day |
May
28 |
| Flag
Day |
June
14 |
| Father's Day |
June 17 |
| United States Grand Prix |
June 17 |
| Misummer Festival (Summer Solstice) |
June
21 |
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Where to Host a Party -
Hot Spot Feature
Indiana
Repertory Theatre
140
W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN
46204
(317) 635-5277
www.indianarep.com
The
IRT is a historical landmark in downtown
Indianapolis with ornate architecture and decor
that offers guests a unique atmosphere to
make any event extra special. They have five
areas available for rental.
 Grand Lobby -
Capacity 600
Main
Stage Theater - Capacity 600
Cabaret
Room - Capacity 100
Upper
Stage Lobby - Capacity 100
Upper
Stage Theater - Capacity 300
For
information, visit their website at www.indianarep.com.
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| What's
Happening |
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Indy
Jazz Fest
Military Park
601 W. New York
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Tickets: 940-6189
www.indyjazzfest.net
United States Grand
Prix
Indianapolis Motor Speedway - 1pm
http://www.usgpindy.com/
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Contact
Us
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Thomas Caterers of
Distinction
4440 North
Keystone Ave
Indianapolis,
Indiana 46205
Phone:
317-542-8333
Fax:
317-545-0683
Email: Info@thomascaterers.com
About
Us
We are a full service off-premise
catering and event management company
specializing in award winning gourmet cuisine
for over 23 years. We custom tailor each event
to fit the client's personality and style,
making each occasion a unique
experience.
Our highly qualified staff is certified
and trained to assist each client with every
detail of planning their event, from creative
menu designs and elegant décor to entertainment,
tenting, power and travel needs, you can relax
knowing that our Certified Special Event
Professionals will handle every detail with care
to allow you to be a guest at your own
event.
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