One of the core ingredients of an exceptional party is food. Party food doesn’t have to be too elaborate; it just needs to be palatable to all the senses and perhaps doesn’t take too much time to assemble, especially if you’re a one-person team doing all the preparations.
Party platters are one of the common foods that are served at events. A party platter comprises one or several types of food and some dips creatively arranged on a wooden board or on disposable food trays.
The presentation of party platters can be as minimal and practical as they come or as embellished as you can think of, depending on the theme of your party. But before you go ahead and start assembling your party platter, it’s essential to make sure you practice safe food handling so you don’t end up finishing the shindig inside an ambulance.
To get you started, here’s how to make the perfect party platter.
- Finalize Your Guest List
Before you get started, it’s essential to take note of the people who’ll be attending. Knowing who’ll be there can be used to base the types of food you can serve. Information you can glean from your guest list is their food preferences. These preferences can be due to diet restrictions, religious beliefs, and allergies.
If you feel uncertain if an ingredient you want to use is harmful, it’s best to reach out to that particular person to clarify. It’s better safe than sorry.
- Don’t Skimp On Quality
In any type of blow-out, your ingredients will be the most impactful element of your party platter. It’s always the best way to impress your guests, so make sure you get the highest quality deli meats, like the ones you get from Deli Smallgoods, cheese, and the freshest fruits and bread. High quality doesn’t mean automatically choosing the most expensive bread like french baguette loaf. A trip to your local farmer’s market for artisanal sourdough crisps or organically grown berries may already do the trick.
- Keep Everything Bite-sized
The fun thing with a party platter is that you can socialize while you nibble on some fruit or enjoy a crostini. Make sure all the pieces take just a couple of bites to eat so people don’t feel awkward. Keeping the portions small will also encourage your guests to sample more than a couple of the food offerings on display.
- Make The Spread Visually Appealing
A colorful food platter is a feast for the eyes, too. People eat first with their eyes, as they say, so making your spread visually appealing is a perfect way to elevate the food.
Food styling doesn’t have to be too elaborate. To make your spread visually appealing, you can try to follow these tips:
- Making It Colorful: A vibrant party platter is one way to make your guests salivate. Play around with colors using edible flowers, jars of fruit jam, some berries, or even some nuts and seeds sprinkled purposefully around significant components of your platter.
- Start With The Centerpiece: Plating can be tricky. So, to help you build your platter, it’s always best to start with the centerpiece. Your centerpiece can be a jar of fruit jam, a wheel of cheese, or a bowl of dip. Use your centerpiece to build on how you’ll position the rest of the elements you’ll be using.
- Design From The Top Left: Plating your food this way means following the natural eye movement of most people who read using the English alphabet. Styling this way is like giving your guests a food tour where they can quickly sample the food with their eyes before they take the first bite.
- Separate Colors: It’s best to separate food with the same color so your guests don’t have to second guess what they’re eating. Putting together the same-colored pieces will ultimately confuse your guests. For instance, if you’re serving two types of cheese, it’s best not to place them next to each other.
- Odd Numbers Look Better: Styling by odd numbers makes it interesting, while styling in even numbers creates symmetry. Grouping the elements of your platter in odd numbers forces the eyes to move around, creating more visual impact. Igniting the senses before a feast is the best way to make your food appetizing.
Let’s Get This Party Started
A memorable get-together is often filled with sumptuous food, good music, great company, and probably a little bit of competition by playing simple games, like charades or exploding kittens. The road to hosting a party that everyone will continue to talk about after a few months entails preparation and the commitment to have fun while exploring the different undiscovered skills and talents you possess.
