Dawn Simmons is a professional caterer and teaches online catering courses. Curt Simmons is the author of more than 50 books, including iPhoto For Dummies.

• Introduction 1Part I: So, You Need to Cook for a Crowd . . . 7Chapter 1: A Crowd by Any Other Name 9Chapter 2: Planning Your Menu 17Chapter 3: Estimating Food Quantities, Serving Dishes, and More 39Part II: Tried-and-True Recipes for Crowds 51Chapter 4: Creating Tasty Appetizers 53Chapter 5: Main Dishes Everyone Will Love 69Chapter 6: Delicious Side Dishes 95Chapter 7: Satisfying Slurps: Soups and Stews 109Chapter 8: Stirring It Up: Punches and Drinks 125Chapter 9: Decadent Desserts 137Part III: Special Events and Holidays 163Chapter 10: Special Dishes for Summer Get-Togethers 165Chapter 11: Special Dishes for Holidays 183Chapter 12: Special Dishes for Weddings 201Part IV: Bringing It All Together 215Chapter 13: Getting Ready for the Event 217Chapter 14: Getting Ready on the Day of the Event 231Part V: The Part of Tens 247Chapter 15: Ten Ways to Avoid Common Food Preparation Problems 249Chapter 16: More Than Ten Decorating Tips for Crowds 253Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Keep from Pulling Out Your Hair 265Chapter 18: More Than Ten Things You Need to Know about Food Safety 269Appendix A: Metric Conversion Guide 277Appendix B: Helpful Web Sites 281Appendix C: Fun and Easy Garnishes 293Appendix D: Special Cooking Tricks 309Index 313

Dawn Simmons is a professional caterer and teaches online catering courses. Curt Simmons is the author of more than 50 books, including iPhoto For Dummies.

• Introduction 1Part I: So, You Need to Cook for a Crowd . . . 7Chapter 1: A Crowd by Any Other Name 9Chapter 2: Planning Your Menu 17Chapter 3: Estimating Food Quantities, Serving Dishes, and More 39Part II: Tried-and-True Recipes for Crowds 51Chapter 4: Creating Tasty Appetizers 53Chapter 5: Main Dishes Everyone Will Love 69Chapter 6: Delicious Side Dishes 95Chapter 7: Satisfying Slurps: Soups and Stews 109Chapter 8: Stirring It Up: Punches and Drinks 125Chapter 9: Decadent Desserts 137Part III: Special Events and Holidays 163Chapter 10: Special Dishes for Summer Get-Togethers 165Chapter 11: Special Dishes for Holidays 183Chapter 12: Special Dishes for Weddings 201Part IV: Bringing It All Together 215Chapter 13: Getting Ready for the Event 217Chapter 14: Getting Ready on the Day of the Event 231Part V: The Part of Tens 247Chapter 15: Ten Ways to Avoid Common Food Preparation Problems 249Chapter 16: More Than Ten Decorating Tips for Crowds 253Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Keep from Pulling Out Your Hair 265Chapter 18: More Than Ten Things You Need to Know about Food Safety 269Appendix A: Metric Conversion Guide 277Appendix B: Helpful Web Sites 281Appendix C: Fun and Easy Garnishes 293Appendix D: Special Cooking Tricks 309Index 313

Dawn Simmons is a professional caterer and teaches online catering courses. Curt Simmons is the author of more than 50 books, including iPhoto For Dummies.

• Introduction 1Part I: So, You Need to Cook for a Crowd . . . 7Chapter 1: A Crowd by Any Other Name 9Chapter 2: Planning Your Menu 17Chapter 3: Estimating Food Quantities, Serving Dishes, and More 39Part II: Tried-and-True Recipes for Crowds 51Chapter 4: Creating Tasty Appetizers 53Chapter 5: Main Dishes Everyone Will Love 69Chapter 6: Delicious Side Dishes 95Chapter 7: Satisfying Slurps: Soups and Stews 109Chapter 8: Stirring It Up: Punches and Drinks 125Chapter 9: Decadent Desserts 137Part III: Special Events and Holidays 163Chapter 10: Special Dishes for Summer Get-Togethers 165Chapter 11: Special Dishes for Holidays 183Chapter 12: Special Dishes for Weddings 201Part IV: Bringing It All Together 215Chapter 13: Getting Ready for the Event 217Chapter 14: Getting Ready on the Day of the Event 231Part V: The Part of Tens 247Chapter 15: Ten Ways to Avoid Common Food Preparation Problems 249Chapter 16: More Than Ten Decorating Tips for Crowds 253Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Keep from Pulling Out Your Hair 265Chapter 18: More Than Ten Things You Need to Know about Food Safety 269Appendix A: Metric Conversion Guide 277Appendix B: Helpful Web Sites 281Appendix C: Fun and Easy Garnishes 293Appendix D: Special Cooking Tricks 309Index 313