How much food?

Hey Everyone,

I am giving a party this Saturday night and most of the food I am ordering. But I am not sure about how much I should order, especially the sushi.

The menu:

Pizza
Sushi (rolls and sashimi)
Chicken Wings
Bacon wrapped dates
Pulled pork sandwiches
Chips with salsa and guacamole
Crudite

There are a total 16-18 guests. I am ordering the first 3 items. Almost all my guests will eat mainly sushi. So I want to have enough, but obviously not too much since it doesn't last. My thoughts were 150-190 pieces? (60 pieces of sashimi and the rest various rolls). Then 3 Cheese pizzas, 60 chicken wings. I am doing about 80 bacon wrapped dates, and a 9lb pork shoulder on my Kooker (about 4lbs of meat in the end). I always make a large batch of fresh salsa and fresh guacamole, and I was thinking 2 crudite platters. My one cousin wants to bring a salad (she's a personal trainer and health fanatic) and my other cousin, who is a pastry chef, is bringing double chunk brownies and homemade chocolate dipped biscotti. I will also have fresh fruit.

Any advice? I gave this party last yr with half the amount of people...I ordered 80 pieces of sushi, 2 pizzas, 40 bacon wrapped dates, cheese and crackers, crudite, and the chips with salsa and guacamole. It almost seemed like there wasn't enough sushi...it went quick, and my guests were looking for more, so I am wondering if doubling it will be enough or too much. Plus, I have so much other stuff this yr.

What do you all think? Any advice?

...My one cousin wants to bring a salad (she's a personal trainer and health fanatic) and my other cousin, who is a pastry chef, is bringing double chunk brownies and homemade chocolate dipped biscotti...What do you all think? Any advice?

I can imagine one cousin, dressed like an angel, standing on my shoulder, yelling in one ear and the other dressed like a devil, yelling in the other ear, like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon. How big are the pizzas? Large 14 inch pies cut in 8 slices? Party tray cut in 24 squares? There's no reason to go short on the pizza - you can always eat it for breakfast or lunch the next day, or even freeze it and pack in lunches. Generally, whenever I've had wings outside the Buffalo area, for some reason they are much smaller, so size matters here also.

Maria, just thinking of myself and how much Sushi I can consume, three is my limit, because I find it filling. I am speaking of the crab/seafood rolls. Since you have so much other food, I think you are going to have plenty. Have fun!

Maria, are they very fat people?

Sorry to kid you, but that seems like an awful lot of food to me, and I'm known for putting out way too much food at parties, so that's saying something.

My thought is 4 pieces sushi/sashimi per person - less than half your estimate.
With all that other food, I don't think anyone will go hungry.

I can't imagine eating 8 pieces of sushi, then having a pulled pork sandwich and pizza.
With that much variety, it becomes more about sampling than making a meal of any one item.

At least, that's been my experience. As I said, I speak from multiple experiences of being buried under leftovers for weeks after parties.
jt

My thoughts exactly, John.

It does look like a LOT of food, Maria. And I come from a family of 9 siblings, so I always make way too much... even for dinner, much less parties, because it never seems like enough.

But now to the important part... what time is it and can you PM me the address?

I can't imagine eating 8 pieces of sushi, then having a pulled pork sandwich and pizza.
With that much variety, it becomes more about sampling than making a meal of any one item.

I actually can imagine that, but I would not eat that much at a party. Unless it were my own.

I agree with John but would maybe bump up the quantity to five pieces of sushi/sashimi per guest simply because you said that is mainly what they would be eating.

Maria, I don't have parties, but I do attend get togethers where everyone brings food, and there are roughly the same number of people as you are inviting. Just based on what is brought to our events, what I eat and what I see leftover, that seems like an awful lot of food. My breakdown tells me everyone can have 3.5 oz. pork, 2 slices pizza (large), 3+ wings, 8-10 pieces of sushi, 4 dates plus salad, salsa, veggies and dessert.

The flip side is not everyone will eat some of everything, and you know your guests and what they will and won't eat. Also something to consider is the duration of the party. Will this be an all afternoon and evening event or just a few hours?

Just my 2 cents worth.

I can imagine one cousin, dressed like an angel, standing on my shoulder, yelling in one ear and the other dressed like a devil, yelling in the other ear, like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon.

LOL...the funny thing is they are sisters!

The Cheese pizzas are 16" cut into 8 slices. It's really delicious, but being from the NY/NJ area, everyone whose coming to the party can get delicious pizza, so it's not such a commodity. The wings are ok...decent for around here, but yes, they are small.

Ok, it seems most of you agree it's too much food. Does everyone think I should scale back on the sushi then?

No one coming is fat, but let me tell you we can ALL eat! I mean, I weigh 100lbs wet and when I have sushi for dinner I generally eat a salad, soup, a few gyozas, a whole roll (6 pieces), 3 pieces of nigiri, and 2-3 pieces of sashimi. My Hubby eats a little more than that...and one guest last yr ate 20 pieces of sushi and pizza, bacon wrapped dates...OH my...he is a marathon runner and super thin, but he can eat.

The other thing is 60 of the pieces of sushi are sashimi...so no rice (several low carbers coming), so I didn't think that would be very filling.

The party is an ALL nighter...lots of alcohol...people tend to eat the sushi because they can just stick a roll in their mouth.

Cynthia - LOL...You can come ANYTIME!! LOL! This is my annual "Karaoke" party. A little bday celebration for myself that I do every yr...it started as just a few friends many yrs ago, and has now grow to 16 people, a professional karaoke machine, 780 songs, and now this yr a microphone stand . Party commences at 7:30pm...when can you get the next flight out to NJ?

Happy birthday, Maria! You must FINALLY be turning 21!!

Happy birthday, Maria! You must FINALLY be turning 21!!

Thanks Cynthia...but I WISH! It's sad that everytime I buy alcohol, I take out my ID, and they look at me funny and say, "Uh, no, we don't need to see that." LOL!

Wait until you have as much white hair as I do. Then servers start asking for ID again thinking you'll be flattered into leaving a better tip!

Wait until you have as much white hair as I do. Then servers start asking for ID again thinking you'll be flattered into leaving a better tip!

Before you know it you'll be pulling out your I.D. to get the Senior Citizens discount.

if you order moderatly on the food and run out, you can always call somewhere for more pizza; and if you have enough wine no one will even notice.

if you order moderatly on the food and run out, you can always call somewhere for more pizza; and if you have enough wine no one will even notice.

There you go! Pizza and wine...what more do you need. Btw, Happy Birthday Maria!

LOL guys...there'll be plenty of wine!

Thanks Linda for the bday wishes.

Ok, so now my cousin calls me to tell me she is bringing a platter of meat pies cut up for some more appetizers...so I guess I really do have to scale back a bit huh?

Hey, hope I'm not too late, Happy Birthday Maria !!

What you've proposed is a lot of food, but I'm the same, there's always massively too much food at our parties as well. I work on the principle of, well, what if EVERYONE wants to eat JUST sushi ? Or JUST chicken wings ? Get the idea ?

Have a wonderful time !

Celia

Thanks Celia...my bday was last month anyway...but it's easier to do the party in March cuz February is such a horrible month weatherwise here in NJ ...what were my parents thinking...LOL!! But thanks for the bday wishes.

I do the same thing as you with the food. Also, I hate when I go to parties and there doesn't seem to be enough food...I feel like I shouldn't take another piece of something because I wouldn't want them to run out, KWIM. We'll see what I end up ordering, but I am sure it will be way too much.

I don't know how Jenise does it, making all the food at her parties...sheesh...she is superwoman!

Maria, how did the party go...details please! Hope you had a memory making kind of party.

Awww...thanks Karen. The party went really well...the only problem was this was the weekend the my kiddos decided to get a stomach virus so, needless to say, it was not fun cleaning up my daughter in the mist of a party. Not sure if that makes the party memory making...LOL! Anyway, other than that, it went fantastic. Nearly everyone showed up, and all had a great time. LOTS of singing and eating. Of course, I did have WAAYYYY too much food, which wouldn't be so bad if everyone wasn't so sick here.

The sushi went no problem...I ended up getting 24 rolls and 60 pieces of sashimi. The bacon wrapped dates also went. My one cousin made a chicken and cranberry salad with mixed greens, and that went too. We ordered 60 chicken wings, which maybe 3 were eaten. We also ordered 4 small cheese pizzas and only one pie was eaten. As for the pulled pork, about a pound (out of 5 lbs ) was eaten and no one really used the rolls...I have entire crudite and lots of salsa left over. No one really ate my cousin's meatpie or her biscotti.

We had several new people this yr, some were fantastic singers...and everyone thought my kooker was amazing, including my chef cousins. All in all a great time...I will definitely know better about how much food to order next yr. And I plan on freezing the leftover wings, pork, and pizza.

Thanks again for asking.

Just trying to recover today...since my son was very sick all night and today. Not sure if I have the stomach flu or just really hung-over...LOL! Either way it was well worth it! I am already preparing for next yr.

Maria, for the same amount of charcoal you can do do two pork shoulders. One for now, and one for when the guests go home.

Maria, oh no !! I'm sorry to hear the kids were sick ! I know how you must have felt, before big events we're always saying to the kids, "now don't go near anyone who's sick, ok ?" Get better soon ! Hopefully you're just hungover...

Glad to hear the day went so well otherwise ! Too much food ? Who would have thought ?

Bob - I know, I know...I have to really start taking full advantage of my K!

Celia -

I know how you must have felt, before big events we're always saying to the kids, "now don't go near anyone who's sick, ok ?"

LOL! Yeah, unfortunately, this is my daughter's first yr of being in school (she is in Pre-K) and oh man...there has been perpetual sickness for the last 8 months in my house! Uggghhh...I can not wait until June (how many parents do you hear say that? )

I know how you feel, Maria. My kids were sick all the time at preschool. A friend of mine made me laugh - her daughter was only going to PS on Thursdays and Fridays. This little girl would get sick every Saturday, and be better by Wednesday, and then start the whole cycle again. Every week ! And because she was only four, when she was sick, everyone else got sick too. When my 15 year old gets sick, I just tell him to keep away from me and go to bed. You can't do that with a little one..

and everyone thought my kooker was amazing,......far be it for me to fantasize but what/where is your kooker??