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PARTY FOOD STARTS WITH...
Appetizers
A selection of small bites of food served to  stimulate the appetite. Also called hors d'oeuvres or
canapés
they are often eaten without silverware (finger food). Appetizers are not considered a course unless served at the table before the soup or
salad, but they can be served on a buffet or luncheon menu. Even a light drink (aperitif) is considered an appetizer.
Soup
Keep the rest of the meal in mind when
choosing a soup. It can be hot or cold and thick or thin. Keep it simply flavored.
Serve soup as an appetizer in an espresso or demitasse cup. Soups can also be the main entree for a lunch menu.
Favorite choices are leek and potato, gazpacho, seafood bisque and
consommé.
Salad
Can be served instead of soup or before or after  the soup or even after the main
course and before desert, almost like a palate cleanser. Salads are perfect on a at brunch, lunch or dinner party menu, and make an interesting
appetizer course when served on small plates. Like the soup the salad can also be served as the main course depending on the occasion and time of day.
Good choices are Roasted
Beet Salad or Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Orange Vinaigrette
Main Course or Entree
The main course or entree is the  most featured or the central dish of the evening. Usually
it is the most filling and the most
complex dish on the menu. The main ingredient is generally meat, fish, poultry, vegetable or pasta.
Every course
leads up to the main course and if well-planned can function as sort of a "gastronomic climax" if you will.
Dessert
The meal ends on a sweet note. Either hot or  cold, sometimes accompanied by a suitable
dessert wine.
A heavy
meal should be topped with a light airy dessert. A most delicious and easy dessert is
fine chocolates and fruit
perhaps served with a liqueur such as amaretto or Kahlua. Also consider an
all desserts buffet menu
Sorbet
Usually made from fruit juice and having a soft, icy consistency, sorbets are customarily served as a palate cleanser
between courses. They also make a light and refreshing dessert. Sorbet is an elegant and surprising touch for your
guests. You can make it at home but also look for it in your grocer's freezer case
under ices, frappes or
granitas. Sorbets never contain milk so don't purchase sherbet as it will be too dense and too sweet.
Spirits
The meal can begin and end with  appropriate
wines, cocktails
or liqueurs. These are not considered courses in and of themselves. See Chef Menus
alcohol guide for more information.
Coffee
Freshly brewed, flavored, decaf or regular. Also offer tea with lemon and honey and if you are able, cappuccino and
espresso.
Party
Food Recipes
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Setting
Up a Perfect Buffet Table
TIP
Party time is the time to splurge
on quality ingredients Food
courses
are generally served in a
set order beginning perhaps with an appetizer and ending with dessert. A full course dinner
can consist of three, five, eight or twelve courses---and in an extreme form---twenty-one
courses!
GATHER YOUR RECIPES
for your party dishes and list the
ingredients per recipe. Then combine amounts of like ingredients to form
one grocery shopping list
Party
Food Recipes
AVOID
SERVING
the same types of food (pasta salad and
lasagna) and using the same cooking methods (fried everything).
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