Party-Basics
I remember the first cookbook I received (Betty Crocker of course!) when I was twelve years old. I still have that cookbook and turn to it on occasion. Not for the recipes though... I consult with Betty (or my mom when that fails) for answers to questions about party-basics and how to be a good hostess. Here are the answers to some of the questions I've had over the years. It amazes me that party-basics never go out of style and the questions seldom change! How Much Food Should I Serve? Appetizers If you're hosting a dinner party, count on 4 to 5 appetizers per person before dinner. For a cocktail party, figure 4 to 5 appetizers per person per hour. If your group is small (8 - 10 people), 3 different appetizers is appropriate. If you have 8 - 10 guests, serve 4 or 5 different kinds. If you have more than 10 up to about 40, serve 6 to 8 different appetizers.
Fruit and Vegetables - Serve 1/2 to 2/3 cup per person.
Meat, Poultry, Fish Boneless - 4 to 6 oz, uncooked Bone-In - 6 to 8 oz, uncooked Pasta, Rice, Grains Main dish - 1 cup per person Side dish - 1/2 cup per person Salad Tossed - 1 to 1 1/2 cups per person Vegetable/Fruit - 1/2 cup per person Sauces, Dips, Dressings - 3 Tablespoons per serving Soups - 3/4 to 1 cup per person
How Much Alcohol Should I Buy? The rule says to have more alcohol on hand than you need. There is nothing worse than having a cocktail or dinner party and the bar runs dry. I'm not talking about a college dorm party (if the beer runs out at one of these parties, the party is definately over.) I'm just talking about your normal grown-up party. 3 drinks per person should be plenty. If you are serving mixed drinks, a fifth of liquor pours 16 jiggers - meaning you can get... 16 Martinis per bottle of gin 16 Daiquiries per bottle of rum 16 Manhattans per bottle of whisky And if your highballs contain 1 jigger each of liquor, you'll get 16 drinks per bottle. If you are having a cocktail party, you should serve more than 1 kind of drink, but you don't have to stock a whole bar. If you have 1 red and 1 white wine, 1 different cocktail, and whiskey and soda for the highballers, you'll be setting up a very nice bar. You can also set up a bar with one kind of mixed drink which you can premake in large pitchers to make it easier. Add 1 red and 1 white wine and maybe 1 kind of beer and you'll be good to go. For those who don't drink, have sodas, including gingerale, juice, and water on hand. You'll also need a lot of ice. Depending on how many people you have over, you can either fill the bathtub with ice or fill a large bucket or two. You only need to use 2 different kinds of glasses - 1 for mixed drinks and 1 for wine.
Wine Parings These are the very basic suggestions but don't feel you have to stick with this list. I personally like what I like and don't stick with what the experts say (some of the time)! Beef Hamburgers - Cabernet or Zinfandel Roast - Cabernet or Shiraz Stew - Cabernet or Merlot Chili - Cabernet
Chicken Grilled or Roasted - Chardonnay Barbequed - Shiraz, Cabernet, or Zinfandel
Pork Ham - Shiraz or Riesling Chops - Merlot or Shiraz Barbecued Ribs - Zinfandel Sausage - Cabernet or Zinfandel
Turkey - Pinot Noir
Fish / Shellfish Crab, Shrimp, and Lobster - Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc Mild Fish (like halibut) - Sauvignon Blanc Strong Fish (like tuna or swordfish) - Chardonnay Strong Fish (like salmon) - Chardonnay or Pinot Noir
Lamb - Cabernet
Pizza - Merlot or Zinfandel Pasta Alfredo - Chardonnay Lasagna - Merlot, Zinfandel, or Chianti Pesto - Sauvignon Blanc Tomato w/ meat sauce - Chianti or Zinfandel
Ethnic Chinese - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Gewurztraminer Indian - Gewurztraminer or Sauvignon Blanc Mexican - Zinfandel Thai - Sauvignon Blanc
Cheese Blue Cheese - Port Brie - Chardonnay or Champagne Cheddar Cheese - Cabernet or Zinfandel Feta or Goat Cheese - Sauvignon Blanc
Salads - Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc
Desserts - Chanpagne or Riesling
Chocolate - Cabernet or Port
Substitutions 3-quart casserole = 13 x 9-inch rectangular pan 2-quart casserole = 9-inch square pan 1 1/2 quart casserole = 8-inch square pan 1-quart casserole = 9-inch pie pan 12-cup bundt cake pan = 10 x 4-inch tube pan 9 x 5-inch loaf pan = 9-inch square pan 9-inch round pan = 8-inch square pan 9-inch springfoam pan = 9-inch square pan
Invitation Sizes These standard sizes of invitations and their envelopes comes from Boston College. A-2) 4 3/16" x 5 1/2" with an envelope sized 4 3/8" x 5 3/4" A-6) 4 5/8" x 6 3/16" with an envelope sized 4 3/4" x 6 1/2" A-7) 5" x 6 7/8" with an envelope sized 5 1/4" x 7 1/4" A-8) 5 1/4" x 7 3/4" with an envelope sized 5 1/2" x 8 1/8" A-10) 5 3/4" x 9 1/8" with an envelope sized 6" x 9 1/2"
Tablecloth Size Chart
The information for the tablecloth sizes comes from Linens n Things website. Return from Party-Basics to Home
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