How to Host a Food Tasting

A food tasting can be fun opportunity to get together with friends and sample a variety of different delicacies. With the exception of a few key differences, the steps taken to host a food tasting are fairly similar to those used in a more conventional dinner party. It's relatively easy to host a successful food tasting.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Index cards
• Invitations

1. Select a theme for your food tasting. A good theme can help you to organize your dishes and search for unique but relevant recipes. Host a food tasting that highlights the delicacies of a certain ethnicity or unify your dishes around common ingredients particular to the season. For instance, you can hold a Thai food tasting that includes satays, spring rolls, noodle dishes, curry dishes and spicy thai salads. Or if cranberries are in season, you can serve cranberry-infused cocktails, cranberry-baked brie, orange, cranberry and pecan salad, cranberry brown rice casserole, cranberry-orange pork tenderloin and apple-cranberry crisp.

2. Provide a selection of beverages to complement the foods your guests will be tasting. It's fairly common to coordinate wines with various dishes, but you may also be able to find beverages that utilize theme ingredients. For instance, if you're serving shrimp skewers marinated in cilantro and lime as well as jicama salad with cilantro and lime dressing, you can serve traditional margaritas made with lime.

3. Manage your cooking time by estimating how long it will take to prepare each dish. You don't want to be trapped in the kitchen when your guests begin to arrive. The day before your food tasting event, write out the directions and cooking times for each dish on individual index cards. Order the cards to help you coordinate your cooking schedules.

4. Stay out of the kitchen altogether by hiring a professional chef or caterer to prepare your food. This can relieve a lot of stress and give you more time to spend socializing with your guests.

5. Plate all your dishes in a creative, visually stimulating way. Make your dishes as appealing to the eyes as they are to the tongue. Break out your fine dishes and consult recipes for inspiration on how to garnish your dishes. For instance, you can do something simple, like drizzle a sauce over a dish in fine lines, or you can carve fruit and vegatable flowers and place them around the edge of the plate. Just make sure you choose a garnish that complements the flavors of the dish--you don't want to add carved orange blossoms to a dish of sauerkraut.

6. Serve a wide variety of small dishes and hors d'oeuvres instead of a full meal. Give your guests the opportunity to sample as many dishes as possible. This is especially important if you're planning to serve exotic or unfamiliar dishes, as you shouldn't expect every guest to love every single dish. This is also key if you have some vegans or vegetarians attending the party.

7. Finish the food tasting by offering a selection of desserts. Offer a variety of choices, including ice creams, baked goods or dishes made from fresh fruit. Offer your guests a glass of dessert wine, like a sauterne or a muscat, a sip of an after-dinner liquer, like Grand Marnier, or a cup of coffee or tea.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan your food tasting several weeks in advance and send out your invitations as early as possible. You'll want to give your guests plenty of time so they can adjust their schedules accordingly.
• Clear your guests' dirty dishes, but wait to clean them until after the party has ended. It's considered rude to abandon your guests to do the dishes.
• Make sure to check with your guests about any food allergies they may have. This is especially important if you plan to serve exotic or unfamiliar dishes at your food tasting. Some common food allergies are extremely dangerous, and a sudden asphyxiation can bring a festive food tasting to sudden, tragic end.
• Make sure you provide some vegan and vegetarian options for those who don't eat meat or animal products.