Buffet organization and ideas for buffet snacks. Buffet at work: holiday in the office at home

Word " buffet "originates from the French fourchettewhich means vila.

A buffet is a type of event and organization of a table with small snacks, when each guest freely chooses dishes and drinks.

At such events, forks are mainly used as cutlery, hence its name.

Another main distinguishing feature of the buffet is the absence of chairs and tables with painted places.

The tradition of standing eating originated in France in the 19th century. Politicians sitting in Parliament have made it a habit to have a snack at 5 pm, standing near the table with a fork.

The Russian Empire adopted many traditions from France, including the tradition of a buffet table. The tradition has taken root, but has been transformed.

So we got a buffet table - cold snacks and drinks in a small amount of time.

All over the world, the buffet is called a buffet - buffet.

There are two very similar traditions in the world - the buffet (smorgasbord) and the buffet (buffet).

Both options include appetizers. At the same time, on the buffet table there are cold dishes, the so-called “finger snacks”, which can be taken with your hands or by a skewer, and on the buffet - cold and hot dishes.

The buffet table requires a small amount of time. Buffet is a more serious meal.

Be that as it may, both are a convenient format for organizing a meeting, an event when a large number of guests and a small amount of time and space are planned.


As a rule, receptions have gained love and popularity in corporate culture. This is a convenient way to spend time with colleagues over socializing, light snacks and drinks.

A buffet table can be organized at home. This is a beautiful and elegant version of the holiday, when the main goal of the event is communication, and not a hearty meal.

Is a buffet right for you?

– yes, if you are planning to have many guests and space is limited;

– yes, if you are limited in time;

– yes, if the main goal is communication or a thematic event and entertainment.

Currently, there are catering companies that organize turnkey receptions. But, you can organize a buffet table on your own, having thought everything through in advance, making a menu and a shopping list.

What do you need to organize a buffet table?

- tablecloth on the table, preferably long ("on the floor") or "skirt";

- plates for snacks - are grouped in piles of 6-10 pieces;

- glasses and glasses - use various methods of grouping and arranging - in rows, groups, "snake", "herringbone".

- forks - there is no role on which side of the plates or in what part of the table they will be located, the main thing is that it is convenient for guests to use them.

- paper napkins;

- skewers - they will be needed for serving snacks;

- portioned cups-cremanka, if you plan to serve snacks in them;

- serving dishes, trays, boards, multi-tiered coasters;

- spatulas, culinary tongs and other devices for layouts;

- a flower arrangement will look beautiful in the center of the table.

The basic rule of a fcrshet is that all the necessary appliances, napkins, dishes and drinks should be in a convenient way so that the guest can easily get them!

It is better to put low objects to the edge of the table (for example, glasses), tall ones closer to the center (for example, wine glasses on a high leg), the same rule applies to snacks.

Setting up a buffet table.

- Bottled drinks are placed to the edge of the table, labeled "out".

- Compotes, juices, fruit drinks - in jugs on plates.

- Snacks on serving plates are placed in a space free from cutlery.

Oval and square dishes are placed at an angle of 45 degrees.

First of all, those snacks are put on the table that do not lose their qualities and appearance from the effects of temperature.

Last of all, they put aspics, snacks under mayonnaise, butter and caviar.


The buffet table menu includes 10-15 cold appetizers, 1-3 hot drinks.

Calculate the time for preparing snacks - evaluate it objectively and take it with a margin! Despite the small size of snacks, they require painstaking work.

Options buffet snacks - the sea! You can connect your imagination and come up with incredibly tasty and original ideas, or you can use the classic options for a buffet table. Due to the variety of products used and the ways of serving snacks, the buffet table can look rich, tasty and beautiful!

Examples of buffet snacks.

The most common type of buffet cold appetizers - canape- mini sandwiches As a rule, they are served with a skewer.

Now there are special cutting forms for cutting bread and other ingredients for canapés. But you can get by with an ordinary knife or figured cuttings. The main thing is to show imagination and accuracy in execution!

Canape options can be thought out in advance, or you can act intuitively, collecting a variety of ingredients on a skewer:

- white bread / black / crackers;

- sausage / ham / boiled pork / hunting sausages;

- cheeses / mini mozzarella;

- weak salt fish / herring / shrimp;

- cherry tomatoes / cucumber / radish / avocado / lettuce / greens;

- gherkins / pickled beets / mushrooms / mini onions / mini corn cobs canned, etc.

Do not limit your imagination, you can serve snacks not only on bread, use crackers, chips, cucumber slices!


Avocado appetizer served on crackers

Their big “brothers” can also support canapes on the buffet table - and bruschetta.

These traditional Italian appetizers on a slice of toasted bread are easy to make and have a great variety.


Crostini with grapes

Bruschetta is a small toast of grilled bread with various spreads and powders. The simplest version of bruschetta is toasted bread brushed with olive oil and grated with a clove of garlic.

For a change, you can put toppings on a bread slice - tomatoes, onions, basil, cheese (parmesan, mozzarella, feta), shrimp, ham or sausage.

For example, you can submit bruschetta with parma ham and figs.

Or make a vegetarian option - bruschetta with tomatoes and eggplant.

Another option for a buffet snack - .


Stuffed eggs

Here are examples of proven delicious combinations:

1. Cheese, yolk, garlic, mayonnaise

2. Caviar (without yolk)

3. Cheese, walnuts, garlic, mayonnaise

4. Cod liver, yolk

5. Pate with yolk

6. Avocado, crab meat, mayonnaise

7. Green peas, yolk, mayonnaise


Stuffed cherry tomatoes

Hot appetizers must meet the same basic requirements of the buffet table - convenience for guests when choosing them.

If you plan, let it be in small portioned cocottes.

If, let each one be equipped with a skewer or consider in advance the presence of a spatula or tongs, with which it will be convenient for the guest to serve himself.


You can prepare, open or other products from, which the guest can take with his hands.

When serving a buffet table, try to alternate snacks from meat, fish, vegetables. For example, you should not put two meat snacks next to each other.

Bottles with mineral water and juice are opened 5-10 minutes before inviting guests to the table, and only a part of the bottles are uncorked, and the rest are opened already in the process.

Bottles of spirits are uncorked in the kitchen, with the exception of champagne.

A bottle of champagne can be placed in an ice bucket and placed on the edge of the table. Start with it, as an aperitif, and start your event by raising your glasses!


For dessert, you can serve portioned bowls with desserts, mini-cakes, sweet canapes, fruit on skewers, and drinks - coffee, cognac and liqueurs.

Happy and delicious holidays!

Christina Belko

Hello! My name is Kristina. When I was a little girl, I loved to look at my mother's cookbooks and sculpted plasticine dishes for my dolls. Now I myself am a mother of two kids and love to pamper them with different goodies. Searching for interesting recipes and sharing culinary wisdom has become an exciting hobby for me. I draw inspiration from my family, books and walks around the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. For my family, I choose tasty and healthy food. When cooking, I use simple and affordable ingredients, often resorting to the help of a double boiler. I love Russian cuisine, I think it is part of our history and culture. Also, in our menu, dishes of national cuisines that have proven themselves all over the world often appear. The recipes that I offer you are loved by my family and friends. I hope you enjoy them as well! I will be happy to answer your questions, accept comments and suggestions! Leave your comments on the site or email me [email protected] and @kristinabelko on Instagram.

In modern society, solemn events are rarely celebrated at a large banquet table. To make leisure more active, and for guests to have the opportunity to dance and chat, it is now customary to arrange receptions. From this article you will learn what to cook on the buffet table and how to arrange it correctly.

Buffet rules

If you want your guests to remember your holiday for a long time, try to organize it correctly. Here are some simple tips to help you avoid common mistakes:

  • Before you arrange a buffet table, determine its location. Do not put it close to the wall so that guests can freely approach snacks from any direction. The center of the room should also be left free so that there is enough free space for dancing or competitions.
  • Remember that the buffet table should be higher than usual. Then it will be convenient for guests to take treats and drinks from it.
  • Dishes for the buffet table should be simple and light. They do not include cutlery.
  • Place clean dishes at different ends of the table so that guests do not crowd in anticipation of their turn. Place a table on wheels or a tray for used dishes nearby.
  • Snacks and drinks are arranged symmetrically from the middle of the countertop to the edges. Keep part of the table empty so that the party members can leave full plates on it and go dancing.
  • Be sure to think about how to arrange a buffet table. To do this, you can use fresh flowers, colorful balls and symbols of the holiday (angels, stars, candles, cakes, etc.).
  • The buffet table menu at work must be agreed with employees in order to take into account their interests. Usually snacks at the buffet table are served in the form of sandwiches, tarts, tartlets and canapes, and meat delicacies are served in the form of beautifully decorated cuts. Do not forget about fruit, which can be arranged beautifully in baskets or tiered plates.
  • Decorating dishes for a buffet table is a huge scope for creativity. At a children's party, snacks can take the form of funny animals, insects or birds. Also, fairy-tale characters, cartoon characters and children's books may appear on the table.

If you doubt your abilities, then contact an agency that specializes in holding such holidays. They will help you with the organization of the event, provide the services of waiters, cooks and toastmasters.

sandwich recipes

To prepare festive snacks, you will need a long loaf, baguette or ciabatta. Cut the bread into thin slices, drizzle them with olive oil and lightly dry them in the oven. When the base is ready, you can start preparing different fillings. Sandwich Recipes:


Snacks in tartlets

Small baskets of dough can be used as an independent dish or as an auxiliary - for example, to serve sauces in them. To cook delicious follow our instructions:

  • Combine cod liver (half a jar) with chopped dill, capers, finely chopped onion and grated cheese. Fill the rye flour tartlets with the filling and decorate them with herbs.
  • Cut lightly salted salmon into large slices, and cucumber into small cubes. Combine melted cheese with mayonnaise and chopped dill. Put the fish on the bottom of the finished tartlets, place the cucumber next to it, and put the cheese mass on top. Decorate with greens.
  • Grate egg whites, combine them with melted cheese, mayonnaise and chopped dill. Fill the tartlets with the resulting mass, and put red caviar on top.

Canape

Light and beautiful snacks on skewers will delight your guests not only with taste, but also with their appearance. Preparing holiday canapes is very simple:


Snacks on wooden skewers

To prepare this dish, you will need a long wooden skewer, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and a little imagination. An appetizer in the form of a mini-kebab is convenient to eat, and it looks quite impressive.

  • Cut the rye bread into slices and fry in the oven. Cut hunting sausages into cubes, sweet pepper and cheese into rectangles. Alternately chop the prepared foods onto skewers and serve them with a sauce of mayonnaise, tomato paste, chopped herbs and garlic.
  • Cut olives and cherry tomatoes in half. Thread half a tomato, mozzarella ball, herbs and olive onto a skewer. A snack in the form of mushrooms will appeal to kids and will be appropriate at a children's holiday.
  • Prick an olive wrapped with a slice of sausage, a cube of cheese, a circle of cucumber and radish on a skewer. Repeat the sequence of steps a few more times. Arrange skewers on a plate and garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Ham rolls with stuffing

This simple dish should certainly decorate your buffet table. The recipe for this appetizer is very simple:

Cold appetizers from fish

Not a single buffet table is complete without fish slices. You can read the recipe for such an appetizer below:


Assorted vegetables

Vegetable cutting from fresh vegetables will decorate any buffet table. Recipe:

  • Prepare a large flat dish. Wash vegetables thoroughly before cutting.
  • Put the lettuce leaves on the bottom of the plate.
  • Cut one tomato into thin circles, and then fold the slices diagonally.
  • Place radishes and cucumbers cut into rings next to it.
  • Cut medium-sized tomatoes into four parts (in the form of a flower) and place on the edges of the dish.
  • Decorate the composition with fresh herbs.

Fruit snacks

To decorate this dish, you will need molds for curly cutting. If they are not at hand, then use a knife. You can use any seasonal fruits that can decorate the buffet table. Fruit Canape Recipe:


Lavash snacks

Rolls stuffed with meat, cheese or fish have recently become very popular. This original hearty treat will decorate any buffet table. Read on for the appetizer recipe:

Conclusion

The ability to organize the right buffet will help you gain fame as a good hostess. So don't be afraid to experiment. Feel free to organize family celebrations in this style. Prepare canapes, sandwiches and tartlets according to various recipes. Festive dishes will please your guests, but will not keep them at the table for a long time. Therefore, they will remember the party thanks to fun contests, dances and entertainment.

Menu for a children's birthday party at home.

Many parents strive to make their baby's birthday unforgettable. That is why they look for interesting dishes and ways of decoration. The organization of a children's holiday is fundamentally different from an adult birthday. After all, there will be many children at the holiday who need to be entertained.

In general, the menu for celebrating a children's birthday differs from an adult's with a minimum content of harmful products. Therefore, it is better to season all mayonnaise salads with fresh yogurt, and smoked meats with boiled meat. In the summer, it is easiest to organize a sweet table with lots of fruit. It can be a variety of salads, cuts, pastries with berries and fruits.

List of sweet dishes:

  • Salad in watermelon
  • Pineapple baskets
  • Open cake with apricots and jelly
  • strawberry soufflé
  • Natural compotes
  • Ice cream with fruits

List of salads and main dishes:

  • Caesar salad"
  • Vegetable salads with boiled meat
  • Puree with baked meatballs
  • Sandwiches with red fish
  • Gefilte fish






In winter, there are not many fresh fruits and vegetables. Basically everything is imported and quite expensive. That is why in winter the basis of any table is potatoes and meat, as well as pickles.

Sweet options:

  • Milk jelly or soufflé
  • Cottage cheese casseroles or cheesecakes
  • Ice cream
  • Cakes with protein cream or condensed milk
  • Cupcakes with jam or jam

Main course and appetizer options:

  • Potatoes with mushrooms and baked meat
  • Chicken chops with cheese
  • Beet salad with beef
  • Cabbage salad with corn
  • Seafood salad








It is quite difficult to prepare meals for such small children. The thing is that many are allergic to citrus fruits and honey. Such children should not be given dishes from the common table. That is why adults and kids will have to cook separately.

Sample menu:

  • Mashed potatoes with chicken meatballs
  • Chicken chops stewed in sour cream
  • pumpkin puree
  • Liver pate
  • Curd soufflé
  • Baked apples with cottage cheese


What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 1 to 2 years old: ideas, menus, tips

What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 1 to 2 years old: ideas, menus, tips

At this age, babies can already eat food from the common table. But still, you should not put a lot of junk food on the table. Try to replace mayonnaise salads with some dressings. It can be butter or homemade yogurt, sour cream. The main task of parents is to make the holiday fun. Children of this age are very mobile, so if possible, use the services of animators. It is best to take a company of children to a children's entertainment complex, where they can jump on trampolines, run in labyrinths and participate in interesting competitions.

Sample menu:

  • Cartoon character cupcakes
  • cheesecake
  • Cupcakes with cream
  • Ice cream
  • Various cakes

Although at this age you can please the children with McDonald's french fries and delicious McFlury. In any case, the main task of parents is to make the holiday fun or moving. Kids this age love themed birthdays. That is, you can arrange a day with fixies. In this case, all the kids put on caps with fixies, on cups, balls and plates, there are also images of the corresponding theme. You can complement the holiday with peñata with sweets and surprises.



What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 3 to 6 years old: ideas, menus, tips

What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 3 to 6 years old: ideas, menus, tips

What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 3 to 6 years old: ideas, menus, tips

This is a rather difficult age, since the child has a certain circle of friends and hobbies. When organizing a holiday, you should pay attention to the preferences of the child. For boys, you can take the idea of ​​Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Minions, Madagascar. Girls will appreciate the theme of princesses or My Little Pony. Be sure to ask your child how to organize a holiday. Unlike younger children, schoolchildren can sit for a while. Accordingly, the holiday itself can be half in motion. The rest can be held at the table and be intellectual. It can be games for erudition or desires.

Menu:

  • fruit pizza
  • Yogurt ice cream
  • Dessert with fruits and jelly
  • Cakes without baking
  • Homemade sweets
  • cupcakes
  • B-B-Q
  • Grilled vegetables
  • vegetable salads


What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 7 to 11 years old: ideas, menus, tips

What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 7 to 11 years old: ideas, menus, tips

What to cook for a children's birthday for boys and girls from 7 to 11 years old: ideas, menus, tips

The buffet table implies a huge variety of food and a large amount of it. In this case, most often children are not given chairs. Usually a buffet table is combined with active games and competitions. Therefore, dishes should be as varied and interesting as possible.

Sample menu:

  • Homemade candies on sticks
  • cupcakes
  • cakes
  • Zephyr
  • Lemonade
  • Smoothies
  • Variety of drinks
  • cheesecake






Most often, a sweet table is organized for children. It can be a variety of lemonades and drinks. In addition, sweets are welcome. It can be a homemade cake or jelly. Homemade sweets would also be appropriate.

Menu:

  • fruit jelly
  • Thor without baking
  • cupcakes
  • fruit skewers
  • fruit salads








If you plan to entertain children for a long time, then they should be thoroughly fed. For these purposes, a hot dish is suitable. It could be potatoes with a meat dish. It all depends on the time of year. Older children will appreciate the barbecue. If the birthday is in winter, then cook a roast.

Roast in pots

Ingredients for 8 people:

  • 2 kg potatoes
  • 1 kg meat
  • 0.5 kg mushrooms
  • 100 g cheese
  • 150 ml sour cream
  • Spices
  • Bouillon
  • 3 onions

Recipe:

  • Cut the meat into strips and fry them in a hot pan
  • Enter the onion and fry a little more
  • Add mushrooms and simmer for 3 minutes
  • Divide the meat mixture among the pots and place the potatoes on top.
  • Pour in the broth and place in the oven for 40 minutes
  • Remove from oven, add salt, spices, sour cream and sprinkle with cheese
  • Keep in the oven for another 5-7 minutes


Children's hot dish for children's birthday: ideas, recipes

Children's hot dish for children's birthday: ideas, recipes

It is best to prepare salads that are dressed with oil. Ideally, if it is a mix of vegetables and meat.

Salad "Summer"

Ingredients:

  • 2 tomatoes
  • 3 cucumbers
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 1 pickled onion
  • 100 g boiled chicken meat
  • 100 g hard cheese
  • Mustard
  • Butter

Recipe:

  • Cut the vegetables into pieces and place them in a large bowl.
  • Chicken fillet and cheese cut into cubes
  • Mix mustard with oil and salt
  • Dress the salad with the mixture and add the greens


Children's salads for a children's birthday: ideas, recipes

Children's salads for a children's birthday: ideas, recipes

Children's salads for a children's birthday: ideas, recipes

An ideal option for snacks is dishes in tartlets or in pita bread. Canape sandwiches are also suitable.

Snacks in lavash

Ingredients:

  • Grated carrot
  • Canned fish
  • Yogurt
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 lavash
  • Greenery

Recipe:

  • Crush the sardines in the oil with a fork and add the greens
  • Spread the pita bread on the table and lay out the fish puree
  • Cover with another sheet of pita bread and top with grated carrots, eggs and yogurt
  • Roll everything up and leave for 2 hours in the refrigerator
  • Cut into thin slices


Children's snacks for a children's birthday: ideas, recipes

Children's snacks for a children's birthday: ideas, recipes

Children's snacks for a children's birthday: ideas, recipes

Children's pizza: ideas, recipes

It is best to prepare a children's pizza with fruit. The basis can be purchased shortcrust pastry. For more information on how to make pizza for children, see the video.

VIDEO: Children's pizza

A great salad serving idea is tartlets. They can be fruit or vegetable with meat.

Tartlets with meat

Ingredients:

  • 10 tartlets
  • 300 g chicken boiled meat
  • jar of corn
  • 3 cucumbers
  • Yogurt

Recipe:

  • Boil the breast until soft and cut into cubes
  • Wash and peel cucumbers, cut into cubes
  • Mix chicken with vegetables and corn, season everything with yogurt
  • Put the salad in tartlets and garnish with herbs


Birthday Tartlets for Children: Ideas, Recipes

Sweet tartlets

Ingredients:

  • 10 shortcrust pastry tartlets
  • Whipped cream
  • 300 g seedless grapes
  • Handful of strawberries
  • 3 peaches

Recipe:

  • Cut the peaches into cubes, and disassemble the grapes into berries
  • Mix peaches, strawberries and grapes
  • Fill tartlets with assorted fruit and garnish with whipped cream


Birthday Tartlets for Children: Ideas, Recipes

You can cook both fruit and meat canapes.

Canape with shrimps

Ingredients:

  • Handful of large peeled shrimp
  • 0.5 kg cherry tomatoes
  • 200 g cheese
  • skewers
  • Sour cream

Recipe:

  • Cut the tomatoes into two halves
  • Cheese cut into thick slices
  • Brush each tomato half with yogurt
  • Place cheese and shrimp on top of one half
  • Cover with the second half and secure with a skewer










In terms of composition, sandwiches can be the most common. You'll have to mess with the delivery. It is best if you make decorations in the form of birds or hedgehogs. Below are interesting options for sandwiches for the children's table.



It is best to initially choose the concept of the holiday and stick to it. Often used purchased children's glasses, plates with images of cartoon characters. This will help save time on decorating dishes. If you are preparing salads, do not be too lazy to put them into tartlets or decorate them so that the children are interested and have fun. Below are interesting design options for children's dishes.





To make a children's holiday unforgettable, do not be lazy, spend some time organizing fun. Invite animators or prepare some competitions.

VIDEO: Children's birthday at home

A children's buffet is a great option for catering at a children's event. Unlike a banquet, where all children need to be calmed down and seated at the table, a buffet table is a more free format. At the buffet table, treats are served on a separate table, which can be approached from any direction. Guests independently choose what they would like to try, put it on a plate or take it with their hands, moving around and communicating with other guests. The duration of the buffet is two to three hours, which is optimal for a children's audience. During this time, small guests will not have time to get tired and start acting up. Another important advantage of a buffet table is a lower price compared to a banquet due to the lack of a large number of waiters and the need to order expensive hot dishes.

Children's buffet: convenient and beautiful

The format of the buffet will allow the little picky to choose the delicacy that they like without long and tedious persuasion from adults. And what kind of persuasion are we talking about if the children's table buffet is decorated brightly, festively and beautifully - children will definitely want to try curly sandwiches, rainbow canapes and funny dishes in the form of recognizable cartoon characters or animals. Usually young guests really like unusual and beautiful buffet food.

It is appropriate to order a children's buffet for a birthday, matinee, Children's Day, New Year, any thematic and other holidays. It will allow children to have a satisfying, healthy and tasty snack during the event. The specialists of the company "Ministry" will take care of creating a children's buffet for your holiday. Whether you want to organize a buffet for a children's birthday at home or a fun holiday in nature - we will deliver the necessary equipment and buffet dishes anywhere. Our specialists will set the tables, take care of serving the little guests and cleaning dirty dishes.

Children's menu: buffet

Our managers will help you create the optimal menu, taking into account all your wishes. We have ready-made options for the children's menu, it is also possible to compose your own set of dishes at will. For a buffet table for a child's birthday and other children's parties, we offer the following ideas:

  • light snacks - bright canapes, beautiful tartlets, children's portioned salads in cups, rolls, sliced ​​​​cheeses and fruits,
  • hearty dishes - cutlets on a stick, mini-burgers, mini-pizza, sandwiches, hot snacks,
  • pastries - small pies, sausages in dough with a mischievous design, buns, children's pancakes,
  • sweet table - muffins, cakes, donuts, personalized cookies, glazed apples, handmade sweets, macaroons, custom-made birthday cake,
  • drinks - juices, carbonated water, fruit drinks, milkshakes.

We are also ready to implement any of your ideas regarding the design of the children's buffet table. If you need a children's buffet, order it very quickly by filling out an application on our website. Just indicate your wishes regarding the menu, the date and place of the celebration, the number of guests and wait for a call from our specialist. He will help you place an order, offer to visit a tasting of the children's buffet menu, introduce you to our services, and answer all your questions.

Table "a la buffet table" ... New Year's ideas for a festive table

If your house at the time of the New Year's Eve turns into a "assembly point" for a large number of friends who, as a rule, knowing your hospitality, will bring their other friends with them and inform you about this the day before the holiday, then the best solution for your new year's party will be table "a la buffet"- it is covered for receptions with a large number of guests.

Initially, the reception a la buffet was invented in France. This method of organizing a ceremonial table has a number of advantages. A buffet table is a way of receiving guests, which eliminates the need to purchase additional pieces of furniture, since the main purpose of the reception is communication, not a feast.

In most cases, the buffet table is associated with the need to organize the reception of guests in a short time. The name itself can literally be translated from French as “on a fork”, which characterizes the whole process of eating.

The advantage of a buffet table is that the number of guests is not related to the amount of furniture in the house. An additional plus for the hostess is that she does not need to worry about the serving of dishes, the degree of their warmth and the filling of guests' plates.

Guests move freely around the room, gather according to interest groups, communicate freely, choosing those snacks on the table that are more to their taste. Snacks should be quite diverse: variety is the key to a good buffet!

Several useful recipes

Buffets always offer up to three options for dishes. For example, side dishes: boiled potatoes with parsley, dill and onion, vegetables, rice with saffron; meat and fish dishes: kebabs, red fish steaks, chicken breast in sauce. And as for salads, tartlets, puff sandwiches and canapes - they can be prepared innumerable.

Don't forget the cheese platter. Cheese- high-calorie and very tasty product. And now there are so many types of cheese for sale that you can easily lay out several plates of hard and soft varieties. And to top it off, cater to your vegetarian guests. Cheese is cut into pieces of 25-40 gr. Varieties are not too close to each other in a clockwise direction, for example: first savory blue cheese, then soft Camembert-type cheese with a penicillin crust, then hard, mild and sliced ​​​​spicy. The classic addition to cheese is grapes. Pear and melon slices are combined with cheese.

Even the hostess should not forget about pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, corn cobs, mushrooms, bell peppers, cauliflower, as well as spicy salted olives and herring.

Appetizers, several types of sliced ​​bread, salads are placed closer to the edge. The second tier in the depth is sweet dishes, pastries, fruits. Each dish with food should have an appropriate device with which you can put a portion on your plate.

Buffet serving depends, among other things, on the position of the table: if you can approach it from all sides, then you need to serve the buffet table in a circle.

Spices are traditional - salt and pepper. If sauces are required for dishes, they are placed next to the corresponding dishes.

Soft drinks when serving are poured into glasses or served in jugs. Alcoholic drinks are placed in open bottles in groups at different ends of the table, next to the glasses. For used dishes, an additional, small table is placed next to the main table, on which guests will put the empty dishes.

There are no restrictions for the buffet menu. The only requirement concerns the convenience of the dishes. For the most part, these are a variety of snacks that are easy to put on a plate and eat.

Since the same devices are used for table setting as for a regular feast, the dishes can be varied. The only requirement is that the dishes for the buffet should be served already cut and divided into portions - they should be in such a form that it is most convenient for guests to put them on an individual plate and treat themselves, as they say, "on the go." If it is a fish, then in the form of a fillet, if it is chicken pieces, then without bones.

Volovans - snack bars (baskets) from purchased puff pastry

Tartlets

Tartlets are small cups made from dough prepared according to a specific recipe, which are filled with various fillings - meat, fish, mushroom, vegetable. In some recipes, stuffed tartlets are filled with sauce and then left in the oven for a short time to thicken the sauce. For tartlets, shortbread dough with the addition of an egg or yolk is optimal.

Tartlets with caviar. Delicious, beautiful, fast.

The recipe for an unsurpassed evening dessert - glamorous tartlets made from caviar, rice, avocado and cream cheese.

Products :

Rice - better milk or rice for sushi
Ripe avocado
Salmon caviar
Cream cheese

Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice

Cooking :

Boil rice, cool it. Peel the avocado, remove the pit, mash the flesh with a fork, season with salt, pepper, add a little lemon juice to keep the color.

With wet hands form balls of rice, press them down. On top, in the next layer, lay out the avocado mass, then a layer of cheese mass, so that the dish looks like puff cakes. Put the red caviar in the last layer.

If possible, the layers should be equal in volume. The size can be any. Small cakes can be eaten like canapés, large ones can be eaten with a knife and fork. You can decorate with greenery.

In principle, dough baskets can be stuffed with any salads. The only requirement is that salads should not be too liquid so that the dough does not get wet. For this reason, vegetable salads that give juice are not put in tartlets.

  • You can make a salad of boiled shrimp, green peas and fresh cucumber with mayonnaise dressing. Top the salad with grated cheese and garnish with sprigs of parsley or dill.
  • Another option is fresh pineapple salad with smoked chicken fillet, seedless grapes and grated cheese. As a dressing, you can use not only mayonnaise, but also sweet yogurt. Depending on the sauce chosen, the taste of the salad will be different.

Canape

Of the snacks, canapes are the easiest to prepare and the most effective. They are prepared in the same way: a long loaf or black bread is peeled and cut lengthwise into strips approximately 5-6 mm thick, then the bread is cut into small pieces (pieces can be round, square, rectangular, triangular, etc.) . Then each slice of bread is smeared with a thin layer of butter or mayonnaise (with the exception of canapés prepared with fatty foods), a lettuce leaf is placed, garnished and decorated to taste.

Canape with bacon and tomatoes

biscuits - 1 piece
bacon - 20 gr.
tomato - 1 pc.
sauce to taste
green onion

Cooking method:

For the filling: cut the bacon and tomato into small pieces, mix with the sauce.
Cut the pancake into three pieces. Put the filling in the center of one of the parts, gather the edges and secure with green onions. The canape is ready.

Lavash roll

A thin layer of pita bread is smeared with mayonnaise, string cheese and Korean carrots are laid out on top of it on one edge. The roll is wrapped tightly and cut across into portioned rolls of the desired size. The filling can be varied - rolls with smoked fish and fresh cucumbers or with ham and mushrooms are no less tasty.

You will need:
Avocado
Tomato
Fresh cucumbers
Bell pepper
Lavash or thin pancakes
Curd cream or cheese
lettuce leaves
Salt spices

Salmon roll

For its preparation, wide thin layers of salmon are needed, which are folded cone-shaped and laid out on a dish with a wide part upwards. Inside each cone is placed a small piece of butter and a slice of lemon. To make it easier to cut the butter, it must first be cooled in the freezer.

Avocado mousse with caviar

1 avocado
- 1 egg /* chicken, a couple of quails can be boiled hard boiled */
- 1 tbsp. l. sour cream
- dill
- salt, pepper to taste, I added decently both of them, avocado somehow absorbs all the spices very much
- caviar

Grind avocado and egg in a blender. Mix, add sour cream, salt, pepper and finely chopped dill, grind until smooth.

Dry the slices of bread until golden brown in a frying pan without oil. On bread - mousse, caviar on top.

Trout rolls

It's generally very simple.
Lightly salted fish, pepper curd cheese, serve on slices of cucumber. You can use cream cheese instead of cottage cheese, and you can also add a little blue cheese to the filling, and sprinkle with lemon before serving. In general, room for imagination.
Simple, but very, very tasty.

Curd mousse with red fish and caviar