The Formal Buffet: Lenox bone china; Gorham flatware and silverplated serving accessories; Lenox crystal stemware; your best linens and a dynamic floral arrangement.

A casual buffet supper: Buffets work wonderfully for both large and small gatherings, and they can be as casual or elegant as you desire. It is as easy as ordering dinner from your favorite ethnic restaurant and transferring the food from its flimsy carry-out cartons to your favorite china serving dishes. You’ll have as much fun enjoying egg rolls as you would pate on your good dishes—and you’ll have an excuse to use them!
A few more helpful hints for the host and hostess:
A telephone and great takeout can be your best ally. You get no medals for picking cherries and tying yourself to the stove for hours to bake a pie. Besides, not everyone enjoys baking or excels at it, and it’s just as fun to serve your favorite pie from a good local baker.
Ask your favorite restaurant to prepare an entree you love. Some restaurants will prepare food in your serving pieces. If not, you can transfer it to your own china when it’s delivered.
Buy pre-washed salad and embellish. Toss in a few toasted pine nuts, olives tomatoes,
and feta cheese cubes to add flavor and zest.
(Our basic salad dressing recipe is included, along with a variety of special ingredients you can substitute to personalize it.)
Avoid menus that will leave you stranded in the kitchen while your guests enjoy themselves. All too soon, your friends will have gone home and all you’ll have to look forward to is an enormous pile of dirty dishes. A three-course meal including a salad, main course, and dessert is appropriate for all but the most formal gatherings.
Make the first course simple but spectacular. Choose a dish that is visual as well as delicious and that balances color; temperature, texture, and taste. Great examples are a salad of baby greens with grilled prawns and yellow bell peppers or store-bought ravioli with a tasty tomato sauce and a garnish of fresh basil.
Choose a foolproof menu. Avoid souffles and other dishes that will ruin if you’re 15 minutes off schedule because your guests are enjoying themselves over cocktails or someone is late. Savory stews, soups, and summer casseroles are wonderful because they can be prepared (at least in part) ahead of time, you can serve them easily, and you can sit at the table to dine with your guests.


THE ART OF THE PRESENTATION:

CHOOSING YOUR CHINA AND CREATING A UNIQUELY PERSONALIZED TABLE

Just as you select watches, belts, shoes, jewelry, and scarves as accessories to personalize your wardrobe, you can accessorize and personalize your table. Here’s how:
Start with the basics. Select fine china, crystal, and silver that fits your lifestyle. Consider how often you entertain and what type of entertaining you enjoy most.
Mix and match items that are special to you to create your own statement of style. One of my favorite ways to put together an interesting and elegant table is to use an assortment of decorative sterling silver serving pieces from flea markets and antiques shops. You can also create a personal look by setting each place with different styles of vintage wine glasses or tea cups with your tine china. Or, collect vintage linens to mix with contemporary ones. Choose whatever appeals to you—batik prints if you love Caribbean dishes, Venetian glass if you adore Italian food.

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Brown & Dutch
2300 Las Flores Canyon
Malibu, California 90265
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