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+-- Thread: Cheese advice - Misc. Catering Advice (/showthread.php?tid=137576)
Cheese advice - Misc. Catering Advice - Gourmet_Mom - 07-01-2012
I need to know how much cheese to get for a reception. I figured 3 to 4 cheeses, but I don't know how much. This is intended a brief meet and greet for our new preacher after church at 11:00 am. So I figure the food will be more a prelude for their lunch. Meaning, I don't expect them to linger.
The plan is cheese and crackers, fruit, punch and ice water. I'm counting on people only snacking while waiting to meet the family...brief. I'm looking at about125 people. How much cheese should I get? Fruit advice wouldn't hurt. I'm guessing the person I'm assigning that to ask.
Strawberries, blueberries, cantelope, watermelon, peaches, and plums are in season, and citrus and pineapple are reasonable choices now.
I'm more looking at overall pounds of food here. I have an idea, but i'm too new at this to be confident at these numbers. I always overkill. Thanks!
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - Old Bay - 07-02-2012
I'm waiting for Cheesemonger, but she taught me--get 8 oz Telaggio and one pound figs.--Figs should be in season in your area-trust, trust,
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - Old Bay - 07-02-2012
I would also suggest 8 oz Gorgonzola dulce and a pound of seedless red grapes.
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - Gourmet_Mom - 07-02-2012
Per person...not! 8 ounces cheese and one pound fruit per how many? Allison, I'm hoping you can help me. I was hoping you would see this. LOL! I almost titled the thread...HELP! CHEESEMONGER! LOL! But I wasn't sure you'd see it. Thanks, Bill!
HELP! Note, this is a struggling church budget. If you give me pounds, I think can budget the cheeses. That's what I'm needing.
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - Gourmet_Mom - 07-02-2012
BTW, if anybody has a better idea for a meet and greet like this, I'd love to hear it.
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - Old Bay - 07-02-2012
Get a pound of each--tellagio is very expensive, but very rich--the gorganzola is very rich--it will feed a lot of people--Jean? Denise? CHEESEMONGER!!--I'm over my head in quantity for 125 Christians for brief snacks!
The pairings are perfect. 
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - Gourmet_Mom - 07-02-2012
Funny...I was thinking a pound of each. That would be four pounds of cheese? Ifigured twice that fruit? Half for crackers?
Help....clueless!
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - pjcooks - 07-02-2012
I'd go with 1.25 oz of cheese and 2 oz of fruit per person. That boils down to a person taking a few cubes of cheese and a piece or two of cut fruit, with some taking none and some taking more. If lunch follows immediately, go for 1 oz and 1.75 oz of each.
Unless you know they like to nibble
Hope this helps.
PJ
Also, a sleeve of crackers (such as Pepperidge Farms quartet) feeds about 8-10.
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - cjs - 07-02-2012
Sorry I wasn't on last night to offer any suggestions, Daphne. But I agree with PJ AND I would offer, please don't assume folks will keep in the back of their minds that lunch will be served!! When hungry people see snackies, they just pig out. Have someone with the platters at all times - that does slow them down a bit. Also, have the person standing guard tell those who grab a lot to very politely say, "Don't ruin your appetite for the wonderful lunch coming up."
Believe me, the cheese and crackers will disappear!
Came back to suggest some plating ideas, but looked at the clock and it's 6:30 a.m. here, so too late for you back there. Good Luck!
Re: Help! Cheese advice! - iBcookin - 07-02-2012
And, may I suggest, use small plates. As Jean says, they will pig out, even though logically, you would think it should only be a couple of bites per person. Also, I have learned when doing something like that, to slice cantalope, watermelon and honeydews into slices, then cut into smaller wedges leaving the rind on the pieces. They will only take one or two slices of melon, as opposed to loading up on 6 or seven cubes of fruit. Fruit sliced this way can make a pretty presentation and fill platters for relatively inexpensive. Personally, I think plums will be difficult to do, I just don't have a lot of success picking freestone ones, but strawberries would be lovely.
If you are going with the expensive cheeses, something that they are unfamiliar with, or may not care for (not everyone is a fan of gorgonzola), I wouldn't think you would need as much. If you were going with the standard sharp, swiss, jack, etc., then I wouldn't think that the 4# would be anywhere near enough.
Just my two cents.