About
Dan Scheffki Expertise Have been in the food industry over 10 years now. Currently I work for a banquet / catering facility near Chicago. I specialize in entrees, salads and have some baking knowledge as well. If interested in "quantity cooking" and portioning for medium to large events I am well versed in that area also. Favorite menu styles I like and know; Italian, Western and German cuisines. Have done everything from line / short order cooking for bar / restaurants (including being in charge of inventory / ordering) and currently (last 2 years) am a cook for a large catering / banquet hall in the south suburbs of Chicago preparing all types of cuisine from "Family Style" banquets to Hawaiian Luau Luncheons.
Expert:
Dan Scheffki Date: 1/15/2001 Subject: portioning problems
Question I currently work for a design firm in the Chicago Loop, and I am responsible for all our catered events, from internal meetings to client meetings to company-wide meetings and lunches. I have had no formal training in catering, although with some experience in fine dining and the restaurant business in general, I have had some success. My largest concern comes not with preparing a workable menu, but with ordering it in the correct amounts. I often go by the portioning set by the restaurant from which I order. But far too often, I end up with lots of homeless leftovers. What should I do? Is there a magical formula that caterers hide deep in their pockets? Can I sneak a peek?
Answer Christa;
A LOT of things go into "portioning" for events with a number of people attending. It's hard to help specifically unless I know more what the menu's you are dealing with consist of and the number of people helps too....If you'd like to e-mail me privately with some more detailed info, I'd be more than happy to cut loose some catering "secrets" for you on portioning.
My E-mail is LocalLive1@aol.com If you send me some specifics I'm sure I'll be able to help you out...although I will tell you that as long as food cost is o.k., you may not want to alter what you are doing much as it is ALWAYS better to have excess food than not enough!
