Serving Dishes Re: SC - Re: The Perfect Feast

[Sue Clemenger]

HOLY COW! Where on earth do you _store_ all of that! Wow...if I had that
much, I wouldn't have any room left over for my fabric! <g>
- --Maire

Huette von Ahrens wrote:
> 
> --- Jenne Heise <jenne at tulgey.browser.net> wrote:
> > > Food presented in appropriate dishes (neither too
> > big nor too small)
> > > _with a serving utensil_!
> >
> > *smile* You should have seen the excitement we went
> > through in my shire
> > when I pointed out that the brand new site we were
> > using for our winter
> > event did not have serving dishes available. Now we
> > own some dishware but
> > the glass bowls we found (to serve soup in-- we
> > didn't have 16 large
> > wooden bowls and around here they are rare and
> > expensive at yard sales--
> > the large ones that is) broke in transit, so almost
> > all our serving gear
> > is molded (semi-transparent) plastic. (We have lots
> > of small wooden bowls
> > for sauces and such, and we have large
> > silver-colored alumnium
> > turkey-sized platters.)
> >
> > How do other groups manage a serving dish inventory?
> > What about pitchers
> > for drinks?
> 
> If you have a 99 Cents Only Store or an equivalent in
> your area, this is a great book to a groups serving
> dish/tray inventory.  Currently this store is stocking
> 12" round silver-like trays, 15"x12" rectangular
> silver-like trays and oval silver-like trays.  Each is
> 99 cents.  When they first stocked these, about 10
> years ago, I invested $60 and bought 60 trays.  They
> only had the round at that time.  These have been a
> huge help, because when I cook for 300, half can been
> in use, while the others are waiting to be used or
> being washed for re-use.
> 
> I also own 30 of those wood-laminate salad bowls [the
> ones with the 2" square pieces of wood laminated into
> bowls], which I picked up at a going-out-of-business
> sale for 25 cents each.  I used to have matching
> smaller bowls for sauces, but someone I loaned my
> stuff to has managed to loose the smaller bowls and
> hasn't replaced them yet.
> 
> I also bought 30 plastic cut-glass-like bowls also
> from the 99 Cents Only store. And 30 plastic platters
> in the shape of fish.
> 
> I also have 30 brass egg cups from CostPlus, which
> were about $1.50 each, which I use as salt bowls.
> 
> With each new banquet, I buy something more for my
> collection.  I don't hesitate to loan these out to
> neighboring groups so they don't have to expend sums
> for their serving dishs.
> 
> As for serving utensils, I have 30 metal ladles, 90
> large serving spoons, and 30 serving forks, all from
> the 99 cents only store.  They are not the finest
> quality, but they do the job and if they disappear,
> break, are accidently thrown away or are stolen, I
> don't cry or blink an eye.  I just buy a couple more,
> since they are so cheap.
> 
> While I usually try to avoid glass because of the
> breakage problems, I haven't been able to with my
> pitchers/carafes.  I have been haunting all the local
> thrift stores for wine carafes, that usually sell for
> 25 cents a piece. [I am up to 50 so far].  I have also
> purchased as many Armintale pitchers as I can find and
> can afford [I am up to 8 so far]. I have purchased
> from Smart & Final their disposable plastic pitchers,
> which are very plain, very usable and sometimes
> re-usable if you want to.  But buying them tends to be
> more expensive.
> 
> The really expensive, more period looking items are
> reserved for using at the head table; the real silver
> platters, the real crystal bowls, the hand-blown
> carafe in the shape of a dolphin, etc.
> 
> My philosophy about collecting all this personally is
> that I don't want to have to depend on a site for very
> much.  Mostly just ovens, refrigerators, countertops,
> and tables and chairs.  My very first banquet was at a
> church hall which had lots of serving stuff, but the
> day before the banquet, we were informed that they
> didn't allow outsiders to use their stuff.  Which left
> me with a problem.  Fortunately, I am a member of a
> well-stocked church that I have been attending of
> since I was a baby, and I was able to borrow
> everything I needed, including tables.  It was a
> hassle transporting everything, but I managed.  Since
> then, I have been collecting and not ever depending on
> the site to provide everything I need.  If the site is
> well-stocked, great!  If it isn't, I have it all
> covered.
> 
> Huette
> 
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