Spice Up Your Event With Modern Dishes

Think back to when you were a child attending a wedding. There was dancing, there was excitement and laughter, and you may have been let down by the boring food. Cold briskets with bland vegetables that you have to sit down and properly eat were the worst, but you powered through knowing that the cake would come soon. Unfortunately, there was a plot twist because the fondant cake was also boring and unsatisfying!

Don’t let the food bring your wedding party down! Spice up your menus with modern twists that won’t weigh your guests down.

Comfort Food

No one knows how to eat and feel warm inside like Southerners which is why their comfort food is trending. Avoid basic roasts and serve up some fried chicken instead. It’s a comfort foot that can be quickly enjoyed by hand.

Also, put on a modern twist on a classic favorite, meatloaf. You can have your meatloaf stuffed with parmesan cheese and spinach for a delightful surprise inside, wrap it in bacon, or serve it on a sandwich.

Many types of meat are being served with updated sauces and glazes with hints of southern traditions. For example, salmon pairs great with a peach and pecan glaze, steak pairs well with spicy avocado sauces, and chicken goes great with an almond sauce. The creative possibilities to spice up the meats are endless.

Don’t forget southern sides! Nothing makes a person feel warm inside like hot, made from scratch macaroni and cheese. Plus, fried okra is always great to have around. No one knows asparagus better than southerners so check out their herb crusted and garlic recipes.

Everyone loves pizza and pasta, so consider serving up those dishes to please everyone on your guest list.

Keep it Light

People are healthy these days and don’t want to be weighed down, so serve them up a few clean and simple options.

A salad bar is always a good way to keep health conscious guests happy and snacking. They can serve themselves a variety of fresh and crisp veggies with an array of salad dressings to choose from.

However, isn’t salad slightly boring? Jazz things up with a fruit bar instead. Offer multiple varieties of cheese, nuts, and fruits to get the grazers happily nibbling on healthy items.

Also, you can stick with lighter meats like fish and chicken. Red meat often makes people feel sleepy and too full to function.

Keep it Moving

While being served plated food is nice and elegant, it’s also a little stale. Keep your party lively and fresh by getting people out of their seats!

People won’t mind getting up to serve themselves when you have exciting craft your own food stations. Taco and fajita stations are on fire right now. Guests can go up and request personalized entrees or serve themselves with their custom ingredients.

Baked potato bars, burger bars, and oyster bars are also tons of fun.

However, one of the most shocking food bars are the ones with breakfast for dinner! How exciting, people can have made to order pancakes, omelets, and waffles with personalized ingredients and toppings.

Miniaturize it

Guests don’t wanna be weighed down by huge meals anymore. How can they dance if they’re super full or bloated? Plus, big meals take a long time to eat, so consider making your food mini so people can quickly pick up a few items and eat them in no time.

Trending miniature foods include miniature tacos, mini burgers, mini mac and cheese bites, mini roasts on a bun, and even miniature bowls of ramen. Each of these items are fun to eat and can have personalized toppings.

Food Truck it

If you missed the food truck craze where have you been?! Food trucks have become increasingly popular and are popping up all over the city! You can have a few drive up to your venue and serve their local, creative dishes to your guests.

Each guest can pick which food truck they want to visit for delicious food creations from Korean BBQ to southern delicacies on a stick. They will really give your guests a fun memory from your event.

Stay Salty

You know what really kills a cake or nice cocktail? Too much sugar! Pair your drinks with something salty and delicious.

French fries are always a popular menu item. You can serve them cut straight, in curls, or even in a waffle shape. They can be placed in easy to grab containers like mason jars and enjoyed. You can even include healthier sweet potato fries! Regular ‘ole potato chips also pair really well with sweet beverages.

Pretzels and popcorn are salty treats with endless possibilities because they pair with excellent toppings like cheese, jalapenos, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry sauce, powdered sugar, and more!

Update Your Dessert

Big, fondant cakes live in the past. Don’t stay stuck there with them! New desserts are taking the world by storm, like miniature pies ranging from apple to pumpkin. There’s a pie for every season.

Also, who doesn’t go nuts for donuts?! You can set a variety of donuts up for a beautiful, yet mouthwatering dessert display.

Throw your guests a curve ball with desserts that bring back childhood memories, like cookies and milk, s'mores, or ice cream sandwiches.

Don’t forget about custom sweets to pick up on-the-go like cake pops or hand-frosted sugar cookies.

Are you Hungry now?

We are too! We didn’t mean to get your mouth watering, but we wanted to make sure we could help you jazz up your event with delicious, hot and trendy food. Learn more event tips at Inspherio.com.

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Avoiding Food Allergies at Your Event

Remember when Aunt Voula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding discovered that Ian was a vegetarian?  “What do you mean he don’t eat no meat? Oh, that’s okay. I make lamb.” Well no offense Aunt Voula, but that just isn’t going to cut it in the event planning industry. When it comes to food allergies and aversions, you need to have a game plan to accommodate your guests and their safety.

No worries though! We’re here to help you avoid food contaminations, as well as give you some tips on how to accommodate your guests —without breaking the bank, of course!

Most Common Food Allergies

According to recent studies, the most common type of food allergies are:

• Eggs
• Fish
• Dairy
• Nuts
• Shellfish
• Soya
• Wheat

Common Cross Contamination Mistakes

One of the biggest concerns that you need to address at your event is the possibility of food contamination. Guests with certain food allergies are at risk of anaphylactic shock or other reactions if exposed. But making sure to avoid food allergies are not the only issues you need to watch out for. You also have to think about cross contamination. Yep, it’s a thing and can be just as harmful!

How does cross contamination happen, you might ask? Great question! Cross contamination occurs for a variety of reasons:

• Using the same mixing spoons or pans to prepare food
• Working in the same preparation space with cleaning between
• Chopping food all on one block
• Believing temperature will remove any allergens

Are you guilty of any of these cross contamination mistakes? If you are, it’s simple to fix! You’ll need a couple extra inventory items: extra pans, spoons, cutting boards, etc. When you first arrive at the event space, you’ll want to set up different areas. (You can even label them to know which food allergen you need to avoid at each station.)

How You Can Prepare for Each Food Allergy

Options! One of the best ways to avoid allergies is to provide your guests with plenty of options. Now of course, you certainly can’t break the bank but you can make some minor adjustments to accommodate your guests. And there are plenty of ways to help your caterer prepare:

1. Allergy Form- Wedding websites or even on an RSVP card are great places you can ask your guests to specify the food allergy. This will give you a heads up on which guest you’ll need to prepare for.
2. Plated Meals- To avoid cross contamination, it’s best to ensure that you hand-deliver the food to the guest—separate from other guests’ meals.
3. Buffet- If you’re having a buffet, have your caterer label the ingredients in the food or list the allergies that might be possible in the food.

So for all of your Aunt Voulas out there, no you can’t serve lamb!

Have you dealt with a food allergy before at an event? If so, how did you handle it? Let us know in the comment section below or share with us on our Facebook page.

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