The Menu by Charrisse Min Alliegro Food - now we're talking! From plebeian pigs in blankets to decadent Beluga caviar, the menu for your special event can be as creative as you desire. Whereas the food clearly takes center stage at some events (a 12-person Board of Directors dinner, for example) while it's just a minor detail at another (lunch during a full-day training meeting), any menu requires planning and consideration. As with all aspects of your special event, the menu must also be selected with your guests in mind. If you are entertaining a group of cardiologists, for example, you might rethink that cholesterol-laden menu beginning with foie gras and ending with pecan pie tartlets. Similarly, it would probably be just as much of a faux pas to serve quiche Lorraine or tuna sashimi to Midwestern oil barons as it would be to offer hefty veal chops to a contingent of fashion magazine editors. Remember, the best menu is nothing but words on a page without the proper staff to prepare and serve it. Certain items - soufflé, for example - can be the pièce de resistance at an intimate party but virtually impossible to execute for a thousands of conventioneers. Exquisitely garnished plates and those tall, "constructed" desserts require an army of workers in the kitchen, so your caterer will not only need to hire extra prep staff but also require additional space for the staff to turn out those plates. Now, here are some specific considerations when planning a menu. Hors d'oeuvres A typical evening party begins with time allotted for drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Your guests will probably be standing most of the time and engaged in conversation, so it's important that the food is easy to eat and carry. For that reason, most caterers that specialize in corporate affairs abide by the "one bite" hors d'oeuvre standard, and they will dissuade you from serving anything squirts and drips (sorry, no soup dumplings). If you are considering including a few exotic selections in the menu, by all means do so but balance them with some more recognizable options. This way, your less adventurous guests can skip the salmon roe beggars purses in favor of the cheddar cheese puffs filled with country ham. You might want to select ten "butlered" or passed hors d'oeuvres and a few stationary displays such as a vegetable, cheese and dip crudit‚ table for a basic cocktail party. A more elaborate cocktail party might include some live action stations as well, where chefs prepare pasta, carve meats or roll sushi to order. If the hors d'oeuvres are being served as a prelude to a dinner, however, it is best to limit them to five to seven types, with only one or two stationary displays so as not to detract from the entrée. If you are hell-bent on serving expensive jumbo shrimp but don't have a sky-high budget, then have the wait staff pass them to the guests rather than construct a big seafood display. You can control quantities much better by passing items, whereas a display needs to be constantly replenished in order to look inviting. Of course, if your boss is a shrimp fanatic and you have the funds, then go to town! Why not turn it into a full raw bar resplendent with blue point oysters, top neck clams, cocktail crab claws and a live shucker? You can serve lemon wedges and horseradish and cocktail sauce out of shells and decorate the station with lobster crates, buoys and nets. Dinner In the last article in this series, we touched on the decision whether to serve a sit-down meal versus a buffet or station dinner. The menu for each format can be as traditional or as imaginative as you desire. The important factor is to serve food that the guests will like, and that leads to one of the major quandaries faced by event planners - when selecting a sit-down dinner entrée, how do you please everyone? The most gracious solution is to take the guests' orders after they are seated, just as if they were at a restaurant. You might offer a choice of two or three entrées: a meat, a fish and a pasta. This solution, though, is the most expensive because the caterer must over- order each choice, since he/she cannot predict exactly how many of each the guests will select. A second option is to offer a mixed plate, i.e., a variation of the old "surf and turf." Mixed grill platters, i.e., baby lamp chops accompanied by a swordfish medallion, or Chilean sea bass partnered with beef tenderloin, are always a big hit. And finally, there is always the option of serving just a single, universally appealing (or at least minimally offensive) entrée such as roast chicken with morels and a white wine sauce, with a backup choice of fettucine primavera or risotto. Recent Trends For those of you eager to offer cutting-edge cuisine, why not trying the following: - miniature food, from a trio of jewel-like "amuse bouches" served before the first course to dessert samplers of exquisite, tiny pastries - Caribbean influences, such as jerk chicken, plantains and conch fritters - nostalgic favorites, including "designer" meat loaf with truffle oil scented mashed potatoes and champagne molded gelatin (yes, Jello!) desserts. Hungry? I hope so! Happy brainstorming (and taste-testing!) back to ideas