How to Plan a Menu for a Magic Show

While a magic show is great entertainment, dinner and a magic show provides more entertainment, as well as a touch of class. Dinner theater has a history of association with magic, plus the intimate atmosphere encourages up-close magic, such as card tricks.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Plan a theme. Themes are by no means necessary, but they can assist you in deciding what your menu is going to be. Asian food implies egg rolls and stir-fry, while an Italian-themed meal suggests serving minestrone soup and a meat or pasta dish. Follow your tastes and stay within the boundaries of that theme, at least for your first attempt.
2. Decide what to serve before the meal. Many restaurants have some sort of appetizer on the menu to hold their guests' interest before the main course is served. While dinner rolls are an acceptable choice, you may be able to come up with fare that is more inspiring. For the ambitious, a salad bar makes a great appetizer, although it should be closed down before the magic show begins.
3. Plan a balanced meal. Don't skew your menu towards one particular food group. Make sure your main course includes meat, starch or both, and include a vegetable side. Note that some recipes may include more than one of these categories, lasagna and fajitas being good examples. Recipes.com is a great resource for finding great menu choices for your magic show (see Resources below).
4. Observe basic cooking guidelines. Make sure you wash your hands before preparing the meal, keep your cooking area clean, and make sure that boiling water is not at risk of getting spilled. Read a cookbook or investigate online for a complete set of cooking guidelines, such as those that can be found at The Reluctant Gourmet (see Resources below).
5. Confirm that all your ingredients are available beforehand. If you have water chestnut stuffing on the menu, make sure you have water chestnuts available, or at least know of a decent substitute. Not following this step can cause extreme frustration to the amateur chef. Take out your ingredients, line them up and make sure you have enough of each ingredient to make the recipe.

Tips & Warnings

• Know your limits at cooking. If macaroni and cheese is the extent of your cooking skills, don't plan to make braised beef. Work with what you have, and make sure that you can follow the steps listed in the recipe before you attempt it.

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