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What’s in your ounce?

All good catering menus start with some sort of recipe. In those recipes are many ingredients measured in or by ounces. So, what’s in an ounce? It really depends on what is being measured. Most people do not realize that ounces can be used to measure dry ingredients like flour, sugar, pastas and rice but also wet or liquid ounces like milk, oils and sauces. Should the same measuring utensil be used for both dry and liquid ounces? The simple answer is NO! An ounce of flour is not necessarily an ounce in weight and the difference can impact any recipe being made.

Dry ounces are based on weight. One pound of anything weighs 16 ounces. So, if a recipe calls for one pound of flour, for example, use a scale to weigh the flour. And if you are weighing flour, what kind of flour is it? Each kind will yield a different amount based the type of flour, the humidity and how “packed” the measuring utensil is. Typical measuring utensils for dry ingredients are called measuring Cups.  King Arthur has a wonderful video on the proper way to measure flour in a measuring Cup.

And, just with flour, there are different types of flour (cake, rye, wheat, bread and all-purpose just to name a few) and each will weigh differently. Flour will also weigh differently in the summer and winter, and in dry versus damp climates. On average, flour should weigh about 4.5 ounces per cup.

Liquid ounces are based on volume like pints, quarts or gallons.  Measuring a liquid in a measuring cup used for dry ingredients will more than likely not measure an accurate amount of ingredient for your recipe.

To take out all the confusion, here is a chart that can guide you to what your ounce should be:

Dry Measure Chart

We were Wright There!

When asked to design an appetizer catering menu for Southwest Airlines, located at Love Field in Dallas, Texas to celebrate the Wright Amendment, we selected six new destination cities that Southwest can now fly nonstop. Researching those cities for what foods are popular, or what the area was known for, we selected the following catering menu for this grand, historic celebration. Taking some history of the city, transforming traditional foods from that city into appetizers, allowed us to create a very unique menu. And, since guests would be arriving in shifts over a 6-hour period, catered food stations allowed the appetizers to be fresh from start to finish.

Baltimore

Land of great corned beef and Corn Beef Row, we chose mini corned beef sandwiches and some great Cole slaw to celebrate this city.

Chicago

What’s more perfect than the Chicago Dog?  We created a mini version of this famous hot dog complete with all the toppers, a picture and directions to make them. As a side item to accompany those, potato salad seemed perfect.

Orlando

Since there is a strong Cuban presence there along with Florida producing over 70% of the United States’ citrus supply, we created mini Cuban sandwich triangles and offered some fabulous citrus fruit to complement this city.

Las Vegas

With it’s own Chinatown, which was developed nearly 20 years ago to preserve Asian heritage in Las Vegas which dates back to before Nevada was even a state, egg rolls and spring rolls seemed fitting to honor this city. We served those with some plum sauce and fresh fruit salad.

Los Angeles

Since Los Angeles was a Mexican territory until 1848 when it officially became a part of the United States we thought street tacos were the perfect fit for an appetizer.  BBQ beef and veggie street tacos and all the toppers were complimented with Mexican style rice.

Denver

And last but not least was the city of Denver. Because a trademark for the name “cheeseburger” was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado, we felt mini burgers were a must have on this appetizer menu. For those not eating beef, we also offered chicken sliders and then added a macaroni and cheese station to complete this city’s menu.

How to plan an office appetizer buffet catering

Last week we prepared an office appetizer buffet catering menu using their board room as a venue and appetizers for the menu. Using appetizers to create a meal offers a great change to the typical office box lunch or hot meal. When planning the menu, you will have to provide enough of the appetizers to replace an entrée, a couple of side items, salad and even dessert. The variety you can offer is much greater using hot and cold appetizers and you can even create a theme using foods from a similar cuisine. For example, and Italian Appetizer Buffet catering menu could include beef meatballs in marinara sauce, parmesan or pesto chicken strips, creamy artichoke dip, caprese skewers, fresh fruit, and an antipasto platter. Then for dessert Tiramisu would be perfect.  Have fun with the menu, just make sure you provide enough food and choices to replace a traditional lunch.

Beef Empanadas

A pastry filled with seasoned beef, pimento & bell peppers

Fajita Chicken Quesadillas
Fajita chicken and roasted red peppers smothered in cheddar cheese and sandwiched by flour tortillas, then tossed on the grill

Shrimp wrapped with Bacon and Fresh Jalapeno
Sweet and spicy marinated shrimp and fresh jalapeno slices wrapped in bacon

And a Fresh Fruit Tray
Fresh seasonal fruits surrounded by
Muenster, Gouda and Havarti cheeses served with assorted gourmet crackers
They also had a professional wait staff attendant there to assist the guests and refresh and replenish the food. Even though this was a small gathering, having it professionally catered makes it a special event. Know how many appetizers to plan for your party? Planning appetizers as a meal, before a meal, or passed? Not all menu items are suitable for passing and not all menu items are suitable for stations so let your caterer can help you with how much and what to serve so your party is a successful one.

Large or small, we cater it all!