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Help! The school has asked me to prepare an appetizer to feed 30 (up to 50!) people at an International Dinner coming up next week, to raise funds.
What can I make in bulk, that's not too complicated? And easy enough to transport to the host's home?
Satay? Carrot cake? Popiah? How about fried noodle/beehoon -- and if not with the usual soya sauce/oyster sauce, to jazz it up with some other oriental spice or seasoning, like maybe Tom Yum, instead? Will that be Asian enough?
Just some of the more do-able (to me) things that came up, bouncing ideas off my husband. (My Significant Other does not cook, and thankfully, is usually less of a food critic than the other two mouths I have to feed everyday ;p). But I am more ready to toss out his other suggestions, like laksa, char kway teow, and rojak, because some ingredients just aren't so accessible here as back home.
Had already ruled out fishball soup (with or without noodles), because the parent who's hosting this first part of the dinner, has said soup is going to be tricky. There's only standing room in her home to accommodate the big group. Diners will be brought by a bus from one host's home to another, to enjoy different courses of the meal -- an interesting concept, don't you think?!
So, if it's you, what will you make? The other Asian dishes in the dinner are either Korean or Japanese food, which I wasn't thinking of anyway. I'll really appreciate your suggestions... thanks very much!
The dinner's on a schoolday, so hopefully it's something that I can prepare amidst the daily frenzy, like maybe able to marinade ahead, then cook with not too much fuss!
Afternote:
Go to "Alien" Pancake and our down-to-earth Asian appetizer, for the story of what I made eventually =).
Thursday, April 3, 2008
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17 comments:
Alamak,to feed 50 is a problem. How about a thai papaya or mango salad? Satay?
Try this blog for ideas: http://cuisineparadiseindex.blogspot.com/
In my case, I would do fried spring rolls/popiah. There are 2 ways. I would get a packet of popiah skin (usually 50 in a pack), maybe get the medium size one as it's easier to wrap and would make it a nice finger food. You can prepare the ingredients 1 or 2 days before, and if you don't mind a vegetarian one, you can try the recipe I posted previously. And you can can leave it in the fridge till you are ready to wrap the popiah. For 50 people, that would take care of it.
Alternatively if I were you and pregnant, I would make it even easier for myself. Buy a box of pre-made spring rolls (party pack with 30-50 spring rolls) and I am not sure if you have where you are and just fried it an hour before you need it.
Considering it a school day, make it easy. And in this kind of fundraising, everyone would be cooking something, so you just need to prepare enough for the headcount. No need to make a 100 psring rolls, just 50 would do.
The other way I would do is to do a big pot of fried noodles and use some simple ingredients like tau geh, cabbage, shredded carrots, a bit of chicken and sprinkle some sliced red capsicums, spring onions on top to dress it up. I say a 1kg pack of egg noodles would make quite a big pot of noodles.
Or you can make a stir fry or curry of some kind. To avoid the hassle of chopping up, perhaps you can consider getting chicken breasts, and make a quick curry of that with lots of potatoes. These cook another pot of rice and people can try a bit of rice with curry.
Or you can make fried rice. Pre-cooked the rice the night before and I would use the same ingredients I use for the fried noodles.
Keep it simple and fuss free.
Viv,
Thanks for your ideas! Will look the link up! Good thing the school didn't ask me to cook a main dish, but apparently no one else is providing any appetizer (?!).
Priscilla,
Thanks... I was thinking along the same lines -- cook a big pot of something not too complicated. And if it's either spring roll or popiah, because I don't have a deep-fryer, probably I'll choose the popiah, but I have to go check out the grocery stores to see if there is even popiah skin first! I remember your springroll recipe, thanks!
Maki rolls? Pomelo salad (i have a very easy recipe if you want - but only if you can get pomelos). Chicken curry with baguette. Kong bak pow? Just some suggestions.
Forget satay - you can get that in any american chinese restaurant tho it is not too authentic.
Popiah is a lot, a lot of work. so do it only if it is not too much of hassle for you considering number 3 is on the way.
hi bp, read your comment in my blog and here I am the wonderwoman to the rescue! Wuahahaha! As if!
Over here, a party is never complete without chicken wings, fried or grilled.. but I don't know if this qualify as Asian... well it would if you use Asian flavours like oyster sauce.. :) Anyway, you know how we are like, chicken wings can be found in almost every casual parties.
Satay is definitely Asian, plus you've done it before and it was a hit, so that would be something safe to stick to.
Ya, popiah is alot of work, agreeing with SAHM. Fried meehoon easier if you want a big pot of something...
Popiah can be served on its own in a Popiah party, whereby you prepare and arrange all the ingredients, and people just stack it up themselves onto the skins.. They will also taste fresher when you eat right after you make. I had such a party before.. very fun. But for you to prepare alone, quite cumbersome lor and it might be soggy after a while since you have to pre-wrap it.
Erm.. frozen springrolls and samosas? No need to have a deep fryer.. just a wok will do..
Well.. I know you will come up with something delicious.. :)
Easiest would be fried mee hoon or noodle, I think. Not too much ingredients needed and easy to store and transport. But then again, it is the lazy me talking!
Hi bp,
see that you have a fresh new look in blog, nice!
Hmm... I'm not too good about suggesting, I think I'll be lost if asked to make one for 50 people!! Salad is not a bad idea though...
Keep us update on your produce!
Wow new looks! Nice.
Try Fried Wontons. You can marinade your fillings few days b4, wrap it and fry it. Put it into a big tupperware for easy transportation. Fried wontons was a popular appetizer with the westerners while I was working in OZ.
For your consideration. =)Cheers!
New layout! Goody!
Easy way out, fishballs in tomyam sauce! Not a very good idea, huh?
Good luck!
Forgot to add =P.
You may wan to prepare Sweet & Sour sauce as dips for your fried wontons. It work wonders on the westerners' palate. =)
SAHM,
Your pomelo salad must be yum... but I've only seen pomelo around CNY time. Didn't think of Kong Bak Pow, thanks for bringing that up... )... have to go see if the buns are available here. I don't mind some myself... heehee!
Jomel,
"Lynda Carter", you're my heroine *hugs*!;p Thanks, have made a note and now I remember how quickly pre-made popiah gets soggy... so maybe not, and KIV that for a separate build-your-own popiah party like yours!
Tot's Mom,
Thanks, but aw, don't say "lazy" (again). A big part of me is inclined to do the fried noodle/beehoon. Except gotto fry a few woks, so I may ask the husband to lend me a muscle or two to toss the noodles!
Stardust,
Thanks! The blue is a bit stark, no? But it's from a ready design, and I haven't got round to seeing how to change colours. So leaving it like that for now.
Salad sounds good, that's the other thing I'm toying with now, if not the fried noodle/beehoon.
Jade,
Thanks! I used a free Blogger Skin design, so minimal effort involved. Can't wait to see the new look you're working on for your site! =)
Your wontons with the sweet-n-sour sauce must be delicious! Americans also seem to like crab rangoon... deepfried wonton with imitation crabmeat and cream cheese -- served as starters in the Chinese restaurants here, but suaku me didn't know there was such a thing before.
Gargies,
Thanks, trying out the 3-column design for the first time!
Now you make me feel like having fishballs in Tom Yum soup! =)
Been wanting to hop over and thank you for the kopi and donuts, soli a bit late.....
Something Asian?? Hmm make bubur cha cha lar easy put everything in pot, hehe thrown in sweet potato, yam, taro, then banana, put brown sugar and coconut milk, then ok oledi lor. No nid so much work. Hubby can help chop stuff, no skill required.
Since i so late liao kam here, i bling u char siew pow for tomolo b'fast.
Kopi Soh,
*Tum-chia me eat some of the charsiew bao now, and keep the rest for tomorrow!
Thanks for your Bubur Chacha recipe! I hope you're doing well! Miss you and your Kopitiam! Come back when you can, OK?
Definitely nothing soupy!
Think finger-food would be quite good... spring rolls, fried chicken drumettes, or fried beehonon (cold also tasty)
Nomadic Mom,
Thanks... and thanks for the reminder too that beehoon cold also tasty!
What a nice and warm blogging world! Now, I know, if I run out of idea of what to cook for guests, just post it on - I could have a dozen of inspirations!
I am hosting a cell group at home. Quite run out of idea what to cook for 10 of us :)
Yesterday, I tried a no-bake cheese cake. I think it's a little soft because I put in less gelatin, I guess. Rachel suggested, "Tell your friends that you are making cheese jelly, then, they won't think you are lousy!"
So, cheese jelly tonight after the bible study :)But not suggesting that you make cheese jelly too!
But, I do think all the ideas here are great! Try one at a time! Yay
Yan,
Yay to the wonderful blogging world!
Yay to your cheese jelly... it must be v yum and all wiped up! ;p
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