Nothing to do with children but I just wondered if........

[Daffy]

Anyone has any suggestions for buffet food and snacks? I am hosting a party soon and wondered if anyone had any tasty quick recipes for buffet food and snacks.

Nigella's "how to eat" has lots of suggestions for crostini toppings, but basically just get a baguette - or even better a ficelle - slice into 2 cm thick rounds, dip in olive oil and bake in the oven for about 10 mins, then just top. You acn do the bread the day before and store in airtight containers. Goats cheese and roast pepper is especially good (use jars of ready roasted peppers)
Mini yorkshire puddings (you can buy them from waitrose and M&S I think) are great with a little bit of roast beef and a spot of horseradish - very easy but v. impressive.

Daffy, my favourite topic - food!
Is it for adults, children (if so what age) or mixed?

Hi Jasper..We meet again!

The buffet is for more adults than children. Decided a few weeks ago to have two parties on the same day. One for my pyjama escaping ds (his 2nd birthday party) and a house warming party!

It's more food for the adults (around 35 of them) at the evening party that I'm stuck on, but as it's the secong party of the day I won't have a lot of time to do fussy things-if you know what I mean.

All ideas welcome.

Do you want it to be all finger food with guests "grazing" all evening( no plates or cutlery) or are you happy to have plates and forks so it is more like a meal?
ALl cold/some hot?

Mmmmmmmm.......now then. More finger foods I think. Too much hassle to do a meal, unless you think otherwise? Hot and cold would be great.

Ok then, my suggestions are:

Lots of French bread and butter
big slabs of nice cheese (brie, mature cheddar, some blue of some kind)
Dishes of olives
Slices of salami, smoked salmon (but expensive) and pieces of lemon
Rice salad with peppers and mushrooms
Cold cous cous with roasted vegetables
A whole cooked chicken, let people slice pieces
tomato, fresh basil and mozzarella salad drizzled with olive oil
Bowls of nice crisps like kettle chips or something
Green salad

Plus lots of wine and paper plates so you don't have tons of washing up. Dunno if this is the kind of thing you're looking for?!!!

www, don't know why you are suggesting pe or damario for our meet - can't we just come to your house?!

Also what about a pasta salad- italianor a vegetarian one, a potato salad- with a spring onion topping, caesar salad topped with bacon and parmesan, coronation chicken or egg mayo. We had these at ds baptism for about the same amount of people. Plus lots of booze of course!

Slice a homebake ciabatta. Mix together sundried tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese and mayo, in about equal quantities. Spread it on the ciabatta, put the top back on, wrap in foil and bake for 30 mins. Enjoy!

But bossykate, I live in the sticks so all you Londoners would have to get passports

Daffy, if you like the idea of the things I suggested they could almost all be done in advance. Day before: cook 1/2 chickens, roast a load of veggies with rosemary, buy the stuff.

On the day make cous cous with vegetable stock (rather than water) add veg. Open packets of green leaves, add cucumber, green pepper and avocado. And open a load of packets. The only other thing you should have to do is slice some lemons (if you're doing smoked salmon) and make the tomato, basil and mozzarella salad since I wouldn't think it would keep (don't mix it too much or you get mush). You could also roast a pile of baby potatoes in their skins with olive oil and salt on the day. Wouldn't need much looking after and would be nice with a dish of (ready bought) garlic mayonnaise.

Chicken wings: Coat them in a mixture of honey, ginger, soy and five spice, or a combination of any or all...cook them for about half an hour or until they go all sticky and irrestable.

A really good nibble to serve with drinks is pumpernickle bread, spread it with cream cheese, cut into squares, then put a small slice of gherkin or red pepper on each.

How about meat balls. Make them small, then serve with pittas, salad and a sauce made of natural yoghurt with a bit of tabasco mixed in. Give the veggies falafel instead of meatballs. You make this by whizzing drained cooked chickpeas (can is easiest) with onion, any spices that come to hand and enought liquid to bind (or an egg). Make them the same size as the meatballs and fry as usual. You can make all of these in advance.

www - don't forget the yellow fever innoculations.

I cant remember the name but I once tasted a recipe which from what I recall consisted of:

• Buscuit dough (How ever much you need to cover the bottom of a cookie tray).
• Cream cheese
• Diced tomatos
• Black olives (if you want)
• Shredded cheese you can add any other ingredients you like.

Directions: spread buscuit dough (pizza thick) on a greased cookie sheet, bake till done. Cool off when done and then spread evenly a thick layer of cream cheese on top of buscuit dough. Top with ingredients above and any other choices. Cut into pizza slices or squares and enjoy. Sounds weir but it really taste good.

Another great thing is tiny meatballs coated with teriyaki or barbeque sauce. You can use toothpicks since their so small.

Also a good bean dip with tortilla chips for dipping. Make a casserolle with layers of refried beans, salsa, diced tomatos, olives, shredded cheeses, sourcream, onions etc, etc. You can even add diced peices of chicken. Dips go well with adults.

I have a nice potato salad - not the usual - boil baby potatoes in their skins (salt the water), drain, chop spring onions in and toss with olive oil or French dressing.

Slice a french loaf. Coat slices in olive oil and bake in the oven until brown. Top half with pesto and parmesan cheese and the other with sundried tomato paste and buffalo mozzarella. Sprinkle with fresh black pepper. (Do more loaves as necessary) Yum!

Cut pitta breads in quarters. Spread thickly with creme fraiche and then add a slice of smoked salmon and a slice of cucumber or green pepper. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mmmmmmmm yum....these ideas are fantastic. Particularly like the idea of the chicken wickedwaterwitch. Any more suggestions are welcome!

anyone got a good suggestion for people? read the veggie thread and you'll see what I mean.