Reunion food - Family Reunions

Reunion food

These are some ideas for feeding your reunions. Some reunions do their own cooking, others find many other sources for food, restaurants, caterers, delis, carry out. You need to decide how to best feed your group at the most affordable price. Some groups pool their resources and buy food together, others pay individually. These are all decisions that have to be made based on your individual needs. How did you do it? E-mail us.

23 steps to planning the ultimate family reunion presented by Lifetime Products.

Recipe for a great family reunion
  Patience, persistence, planning and favorite dairy foods, according to Wisconsin’s Dairy Council. Like no other family celebration, a reunion is a special time to celebrate heritage and kinship. It's a time to take a break from the sometimes frantic pace of life to reconnect with your past while looking ahead to the future.
  Once you’ve managed to get everyone together, you must feed them. With over 500 mouths to feed, the Seidemans of Newburg, Wisconsin, offer a variety of mealtime options. Refreshment stands provide hot dogs, bratwurst, beer, candy, popcorn and ice cream. Some families bring their own picnic lunches. Others join together for an old-fashioned potluck meal. "Some of us make family favorites like potato salad or shrimp salad," says Phyllis Naumann. "It's tradition."
Vera Brooks of Richmond Township, Wisconsin, helps plan two family reunions each year. The Helling Family Reunion, in its 50th year, brings together relatives from her father's side. On the fourth Sunday of every July, the Klug Family (Brooks' mother's side) gets together. Each reunion includes from 30 to 50 people and a potluck meal is the norm. "You get a good variety of food with a potluck and because everyone makes just one dish, there's not a lot of expense involved, either," says Brooks. When deciding what to serve at your family reunion, the trick is to choose a menu with something for everyone. Think hearty, wholesome and home-cooked, not fussy and fancy.

Protect your loved ones
  A note from my niece, Erika Klauk, Waupaca, Wisconsin, alerted me to Cooking for Groups. This booklet about food safety is designed specifically for volunteers at places such as churches and reunions. It tells you what to do to keep hot and cold foods safe and how to transport food safely. “It is a great resource for anyone in charge of reunion meals. Everyone SHOULD be interested; if they're not they'll probably serve their family salmonella.” Order 604J from the Federal Consumer Information Center, PO Box 100, Pueblo CO 81002; 888-878-3256; www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/cfg/cfg.htm#contents.

Knapp/Napp family is nourished
  August 2001, 250 descendants of Conrad and Maria Napp gathered at the Beetown Hall in Grant County, Wisconsin. At high noon it was time for lunch. Lines formed and Sister Maria Hill offered grace. Thanks to the planning and coordination of cousin Beth McCullick, a resplendent German-American buffet was laid out by caterers from the Red Top Supper Club in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. On the menu were beef rouladen, broiled fish, bratwurst in sauerkraut, German potato salad, green beans and spaetzle, rye bread and rolls, plus hot dogs for the less adventurous appetites among the younger set. In addition to the catered meal, many family members contributed pot-lucked salads and desserts. Several large tubs set under shade trees offered self-serve beverages on ice.
  Following lunch the buffet tables were cleared to make way for desserts. A wide assortment of pot-lucked goodies surrounded the centerpiece, a beautiful three-tiered cake inscribed with “Happy 180th Anniversary, Conrad & Maria Napp.”
  Reunion hindsight offers some ideas for future gatherings: If you’re serving a buffet meal, call people into line in some sort of order. (Those who don’t have a prayer of getting food for 15 or 20 minutes might as well stay comfortably chatting somewhere rather than standing in line.) One good idea would be to say “Everyone over 60 and under 12, line up for lunch!” Naturally, mom or dad should go through the line to assist youngsters who need help choosing and carrying. In our case — if we’d thought of it in advance — we could have called the group to lunch according to generation, as this was noted on their nametags.
  Reported by Mary Thiele Fobian, Pacific Grove, California.
Food wisdom
“Food is probably the easiest way to preserve a sense of family and heritage,” says Diana Baird N'Diaye, program curator for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. “Most people love to prepare favorite dishes from childhood and share with others. Recipes are passed down, stories are told. Kids are usually involved in the easy parts of preparation, so they absorb it all.”
from the Washington Post

Food as décor
  No money for centerpieces? Use food! A bowl of fruit can be arranged in a pyramid or fill a large platter beautifully. The fruit can be used as between-meal snacks or dessert. Other centerpiece-worthy food arrangements include platters of cookies or a colorful trifle in a beautiful bowl. Fancy decorated cakes will intrigue those who look forward to digging into them.

What happens to leftovers?
  Time was when leftovers were not donated for fear of repercussions if there was a problem. That left a lot of perfectly good food to be tossed and not used or enjoyed. Many places have laws or ordinances that no longer hold the donator liable, so if there is the potential for leftovers at one of your events, you might want to learn how your caterer works with local food rescue organizations.   Donated food trays cannot have been touched. They must be donated as they were originally made. Most food donations take place during the week when drivers are working, so weekend leftovers might not be used.
  If you are not donating leftovers, take great care to make sure everything is safely saved to prevent food poisoning.

Reunion sweets
  Cookies are everybody’s favorites. Many families ask members to bring cookies for snacks and desserts, as well as to show off members’ baking prowess. Often grandma had some very special favorites which everyone looked forward to, so anyone who has the recipe can make lots of friends.
  Concentrate on special cookies and surprises. Make sugar cookies for cutting and use cutters with the initials of your family name or names. Serve for dessert or pack in cello bags tied with bright ribbons as take-home treats or for your fundraising raffle or auction. Yum.

Tailgate tips
  If your reunion activities include “a game,” take your picnic to the ballpark.

ÿ Safe tailgating means keeping hot food hot and cold food cold.
ÿ Pack food in airtight containers or bags that seal tight.
ÿ Chill cooked foods in the refrigerator before packing them in the cooler.
ÿ Pack highly perishable foods right next to ice in the cooler.
ÿ Transport the cooler in your car’s interior, not in the hot trunk.
ÿ Put cooler in the shade and keep the lid closed.

Using restaurants
Planning your reunion in your city, where you have lots of favorite restaurants? Which one(s) to choose? How to choose? How about a dine-around? Take your reunion to more than one of your favorites. Introduce your guests around town.
• Consider your group’s demographics.
• Work only with restaurants that understand group business.
• Determine a budget, then find out if restaurants can work within those limits.
• Be sure each has appropriate staffing levels.
• Decide whether an open or cash bar will suit your needs. Consider limiting drinks to beer and wine if cost is a factor.
• Are restaurants able to accommodate food allergies or dietary restrictions?
• Hold a tasting; don’t rely on reviews or reputation.
• To enhance the experience, add music, décor, entry signage.
• Have servers welcome guests with pre-poured libations and hors d’oeuvres.
• Proofread all printed menus.
• If time is an issue, pre-set a schedule to expedite food service.
• Have someone travel about an hour in advance to ensure that the restaurant is on schedule and that tables are properly set.

Short-cuts for party planning

• Use only finger foods so no utensils are needed.
• Pick up baked goods.
• Decorate with bowls of fresh fruit such as colored grapes.
• Pick up prearranged flowers.

Picnic spot
The ideal picnic setting is an area with large shade trees, on-site parking and necessary permits for entertainment (alcohol, fireworks). This venue should have sufficient liability insurance, paved access for wheelchairs, clean water fountains in working order, electrical outlets and safe boundaries. Have a backup location in the event of inclement weather.
Cooking for large groups
  Cooking for Large Groups is a Windows-based software program with over 1400 recipes that can be adjusted instantly to serve any size reunion. It also has extensive guidelines about institutional cooking and very useful conversion utilities. Details at www.cookinglarge.com. Cooking for Large Groups is customizable and bundled with hardcopy cookbooks.
  Convert recipes from any cookbook into electronic format. The program can instantly adjust recipe ingredient amounts based on the desired number of servings, and it has a tool for converting within and between Imperial and metric units of measurement. An egg conversion utility calculates the number of medium or large whole eggs needed to yield a desired quantity of shelled eggs. Once a recipe is adjusted, results can be saved to your computer or printed.
Cooking for Large Groups is so easy to use that a manual is unnecessary. Contact OSHA DATA/CIH, Inc, 12 Hoffman St., Maplewood NJ 07040-1114; 973-378-8011. Or order online at www.reunionsmag.com.
  System requirements: Windows 98/NT 4.0/XP, Intel Pentium Processor or better, 32 MB RAM, 20 MB free hard disk space, CD-ROM drive, SVGA monitor, keyboard, web browser (Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer), Adobe Reader, Window-compatible pointing device.
Crabby munching
  We thought a Cajun crab boil sounded like a lot of good sticky, messy fun for all ages, particularly when we learned that the only rules are to eat, mingle and repeat as necessary.
  Cover picnic tables with newspapers and down the center of the tables, place large galvanized buckets filled with fresh blue crabs, crawfish and shrimp, dirty rice, jambalaya and gumbo (plenty of napkins and plastic bibs; www.cajungifts.com).
  Here’s a suggestion for a special reunion event. For a few extra dollars, create your own newspapers, then watch the reaction when cousins scan the headlines and realize they’re reading about themselves.
  Don’t forget to make the music and dancing Zydeco played on scrub boards, tin spoons, fiddles, triangles and accordions.

Crabby samples
   We’re great fans of tours to see how things are made. The Phillips Seafood Tour looks to us like a delicious one. The Phillips family created a restaurant empire in Maryland and now are opening their processing plan to show visitors where millions of crab cakes and other seafood products are prepared for distribution across the country. You can learn how to prepare, then sample Maryland-style crab cakes. Contact Phillips Seafood Tour, 1215 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230; 443-263-1200; www.phillipsfoods.com.

It really takes a lot of help
  When the Buet(t)schell family met in Texas, many family members from Texas took responsibility for making sure everyone was fed. Consider this list.
Marie and Tom Holsworth of Palacios took charge of the kitchen for morning drinks and snacks and all-day desserts. Sisters Diane Caddell of Kingsbury and Donna Culton of Mentz helped in the kitchen, as did their mother, Adeline Heintschel of Columbus. Many families contributed desserts.
  The wonderful food was prepared by the Brod family under the leadership of Karen and Bobbie Brod of Cat Spring. Other family members who helped included Ray and Hazel Brod Braden of Alleyton, Marvin and Frances Brod of Cat Spring, Cecil and Beverly Brod of El Campo, Bobby and Irene Brod Morgan of Katy, Kent Brod of Cat Spring, Charles Harbich of Mentz and John Buettschell of Sealy. They charged actual cost for food; labor was their contribution to the picnic.
  Their generosity helped meet most of our expenses from registration fees and donations. If we had hired a caterer, the meal would have cost at least twice as much.
Reported by Arliss Treybig, Buet(t)schell Family Reunion, El Campo, Texas.

Miscellaneous food/menu ideas
  Have chicken and pasta catered. Then, assign dessert, salads, casseroles, vegetable dishes and fresh corn.
  Soak corn in water early in the day. Don't bother shucking; just put the damp ears on the grill and let them steam-cook.
  Make-your-own-taco bar. Everyone brings favorite toppings. You may need to coordinate to have a variety but several people can bring the same thing (salsa, for example) so you have enough.
  Make-a-pizza bar. Again, coordinate everyone bringing favorite toppings. Use English muffins for little individual pizzas or loaves of French bread and let each family make a pizza. Have a contest for most toppings or most creative use of toppings.
  Kid food is a big thing. Have simple things like cereal and juice available and understand that children have different appetites. Many planners erroneously think kids can be easily integrated into sharing an adults’ buffet, but this doesn’t always work. The list of what works for kids is remarkably consistent: chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, PB&J and Rice Krispie treats are all hits. Offer a variety so even picky eaters can sit down with something on their plates.
  Lower the kids’ buffet to their eye level -- to milk crates that even the smallest diners can reach.

Buffet safety hints
  If you’re not sure how quickly food will be eaten, keep portions small. Prepare a number of small platters.
  It can be unsafe to add new food to a serving dish that already contains food. Replace empty platters with freshly filled ones.
  Food should be protected from contamination by food shields.
  Don’t leave perishable food at room temperature more than two hours unless you’re keeping it hot or cold.

Cut food and beverage costs
Spend your money wisely. A big platter of potato skins might cost the same as a small dish of mushroom caps.
If you’re at a seaside resort, the day’s catch is more affordable than steaks.
Buy produce in season.
Buy as much food as you can in bulk.
For the first evening, when everyone is arriving, have “heavy hors d’oeuvres” and call it a night.
Choose from last year’s wine list.
Serve a selection of beer, wine and soft drinks, rather than costlier bar drinks. Beer in kegs is less expensive than bottles.
  From an article by Loren G. Edelstein in Meetings & Conventions.

Malsam Family Reunion enjoys
  We stayed in a motel in nearby South Haven, Michigan, a short 15-minute commute to the lake place of our hosts, Tom and Lavetta Kazda. The Kazdas and a sister lovingly prepared favorite family foods before the reunion: sauerkraut and dumplings, spiced beef, pork loin roast, baked pasta with meat sauce and dozens of homemade gingersnap, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. Everyone loved the food. Perishables were stored in two refrigerators.
  For two days, we ate complimentary breakfasts at our hotel and feasted on one big meal at midday. Between meals, we grabbed leftovers, which simplified food preparation and serving. On the last day, the Kazdas cooked a hearty brunch before everyone departed.
  Reported by Margaret Malsam, Denver, Colorado.

Can you help?
  We received this query from Kathy in Florida and wonder if you have any suggestions for her.
“I have a family reunion in Illinois coming up. Everyone who attends travels some distance. I'm looking for new food ideas that are easy to travel with and fix. I can't count on an outdoor grill at this resort. Can you send me some ideas of food that can travel, be different and good and easy to fix?”
  We responded that we had no recipes specifically that can travel other than sweets and desserts. We suggested she check into catering, carry-out and deli foods. Rather than not counting on an outdoor grill, check and tell them it's important.
  What are your ideas? Email to reunions@execpc.com.

Catering
Is it right for your reunion?
by Karen Luna Ray

Let's face it! Not everyone wants to cook for the gathering masses. When it comes to reunions, most folks prefer to spend their time visiting and spend their money to make that possible

Potluck may work well for some reunions, but the responsibility of coordination still falls on someone’s shoulders. There is an added worry of last-minute no-shows who were supposed to bring dinnerware or drinks, leaving you in a lurch on reunion day. Everyone then looks to the reunion planner to “fix it.” As a veteran reunion planner of ten-plus years, I say thank goodness for caterers!

Having your reunion meal catered eases the workload for everyone, but as this planner learned, it isn’t a foolproof option either. Hiring a catering service comes with a set of problems all its own. But by doing your homework you’ll get services customized to your reunion needs and avoid many difficulties.

My family’s first experience using a full-service caterer gave us a reference point for features we did and did not need. The caterers served a wonderful meal for our more than 100 members. They supplied everything and had personnel on hand to serve. All that was required of us was menu selection and payment. Everyone had a generous helping of food, along with dessert and tea. Planned right down to the nth degree, when the last person passed through the line, trays were empty. The caterer packed up and left. He left behind two remaining gallons of tea, but within the hour several members were milling around, foraging for something else to eat. With a long afternoon ahead, there was not a smidgen of food nor a plate to put one on. Luckily a few persons had brought iced sodas. Others filched ice from coolers for the remaining tea.

We learned another lesson the year we selected a menu consisting of sandwiches, relish trays, chips and desserts. The catering service was to drop off food at a designated time and we would serve ourselves. The delivery person brought in several items, then left. We assumed she was bringing more food, but instead, she was gone. My sister, who is my co-planner, and I stared at each other in horror, as it registered that we had one large platter of sandwiches as our main dish to feed 65 adults. Granted, we had relish trays, chips and dessert, but the caterer’s calculation was less than one whole sandwich per person. Of course, we began to run out of food before the first members were through the line. A quick trip to town for bread, cold cuts, cheese, condiments and more chips saved the day but added $40 to the cost of our meal. The caterer offered to cover the amount spent on extra sandwich supplies but no amount could compensate for the embarrassment or hassle to take care of her gross miscalculation.

These two episodes gave us a blueprint for what works best for our reunion when it comes to having the meal catered. The first order of business is to check, check and recheck to be sure you and the caterer are on the same wavelength concerning menu and amount of food to be prepared. If there is any question about quantity, then by all means, call other catering services and ask for their menu and prices. Most will readily tell you how much food they estimate per person. If not, don’t be shy about asking.

One supermarket delicatessen employee gives the following rule of thumb: Allow one pound per four or five women and older children, and one pound per two or three men. These calculations are for meats such as brisket and ham. One should stay close to those calculations for side dishes such as potato salad or coleslaw.

We ask that food be delivered at a designated time to be served piping hot. We request disposable containers or we’ve sometimes left our own containers with the caterer in advance to ease cleanup and avoid the need to return items. Members serve themselves, so catering personnel do not need to remain on the premises. We furnish our own drinks, ice and dinnerware.

Learning from previous mistakes has made our reunions more enjoyable. By planning ahead, we manage to have enough food and drinks for those who wish to come back through the chow line mid-afternoon. Folks stay longer when there is plenty of food, drink and good company to enjoy. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?

About the author
Karen Luna Ray is a veteran reunion planner and freelance writer living in southeastern Oklahoma with her husband and two children. Her work has been published in Reunions magazine, North American Manx Association Bulletin and newspapers. She writes and publishes a family newsletter distributed on reunion day.

Planning a Banquet
We learn much from the people who organize meetings for a living. Reunion organizers are close cousins to these professionals who have to go through all the same steps to make a memorable event happen. These are some questions professional meeting planners keep in mind when planning a banquet: not an everyday affair for most reunion organizers.

The Event

Determine a purpose for your banquet. Is it also an awards ceremony or social event?
Develop a seating chart that encourages mingling at each table.
Will the banquet have a theme? Decide whether to incorporate the theme into invitations, promotion materials, giveaways or decorations.
What is expected attendance? Inform caterer of numbers.

The Budget

Is there a room rental fee?
Are there federal, state and local taxes?
Are there gratuity service charges? Many properties routinely have an 18% mandatory gratuity surcharge for food functions.
What is the overtime rate for staff?
Before agreeing to published prices, negotiate a discount based on the overall dollar value of your reunion - particularly if you are also reserving sleeping and meeting rooms.
If contracting more than six months ahead, get, in writing, the percentage above current food and beverage prices you will be charged.
Are decorating and floral arrangements included in the room rental fee?
Will musicians, entertainment or a keynote speaker be required?

The Menu

What are your group’s tastes? Are they willing to try ethnic cuisines? Or are they a traditional meat and potatoes crowd?
Discuss your budget with the caterer.
Share menus from past reunions and point out what went well and what did not.
If you plan to incorporate a theme, discuss it in detail. Some foods, chocolates, for example, can be custom-designed.
Ask for suggestions of local dishes that represent the banquet’s location.
If at all possible, meet with the executive chef and ask for suggestions.
To avoid offending guests with special dietary or religious restrictions, ask for alternative entree selections.
Typically a choice of a vegetarian or seafood dish should be offered.
Incorporate seasonal fruits and vegetables in your menu selection.
Once you have agreed to a menu, stick to it. Changes will result in higher costs, even surcharges.
Sign off on food and beverage details at least ten days prior to your reunion and give the caterer a final headcount at least 48 hours in advance.

The drinks

Are alcohol and other beverages included or is it cash-bar service?
Confirm beverage pricing with the caterer. Consider paying on consumption rather than per-person price.
Ask the caterer for consumption guidelines. Basic beverage guidelines are one drink per person, per hour; six to seven glasses of wine per liter bottle; 20 cocktails per liter of liquor.
Ask the caterer to suggest champagne and dinner wines that compliment the menu and stay within your budget.

Family Reunions Yesterday
by Frances E. Hanson
In earlier days family members may have lived in the same state or county, but they were lucky to see other family members once a year. The choice of transportation was foot, horse and buggy, stagecoach or slow train 'cross country. Twenty or thirty miles was considered a far piece and family gatherings were rare. Many families had loved ones who traveled the Oregon Trail West. Their return visits were cause for huge family celebrations.

Journals and pictures from the early 1880s reveal how such a family reunion was held on a Colorado farmstead "down in the Grove on Willow Creek." The week-long event was so important that neighbors pitched in to ready the Grove and food.

A main cooking fireplace was built. Tent and wagon spaces were staked out so the family could put up tarp-flys and sleep beneath their wagons. The ladies area was built to the south, gents to the north. Lanterns were hung among the trees and a post installed for each camp's lantern. Long tables with benches were fashioned from planks and saw horses, along with blocks of wood for chairs for older family members. Young people sat on brightly colored crazy quilts for their "dinner on the ground." A small platform was constructed for musicians and a dance floor roped off with several lantern posts.

Rooms were prepared for the oldest family members. Horseshoe stakes were set. Burlap sacks were gathered for sack races. Down in the creek under a big cottonwood tree, a hole was boxed in for watermelons. A pasture area was readied for lawn tennis and baseball. Barrel hoops were rounded up for the youngsters to roll and a swing hung in a tall shade tree. A quilting frame was assembled and sat waiting beneath tall shade trees. The icehouse was checked to insure a supply to keep ice cream and drinks cold.

Late in the afternoon and long into the night wagons and buggies were heard arriving. Long before daylight, host family women with women of early arrivals began preparing the afternoon family dinner. Bread dough for dinner rolls, light bread and wheat bread were mixed. Tea cakes were baked. There would be jellied chicken, cold fried chicken, baked chicken, and chicken roasted over the campfire. In addition, the menu included cold baked hams, jellied tongue, pickled salmon, cold veal loaf, green boiled corn, new potatoes fried on a open fire, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber in vinegar water, camp salad, French and Spanish pickles, tomato preserves, peach and pear sweet pickles, lemon and orange jelly, freshly churned butter, pickled beets and hard boiled eggs. And there were cakes: Minnehaha, Old Fashioned Loaf, Buckeye, Lemon and Sponge. Bowls of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries were set out to nibble on all day. Lemon and strawberry ice cream were cranked out by the gallon. Tall cool glasses of iced tea, iced coffee, lemonade, soda-beer, ginger beer and raspberry vinegar, made the day before, awaited guests.

Baskets were packed for the trip to the Grove. First in were the oil cloths to cover tables. A coarse white flannel bag held extra serving ware and cooking spoons, forks, and sauce dishes. Coffee tied into small bags were tucked inside the tea-pot with "tea papers'; tin boxes of salt, pepper and sugar. A tin of butter was placed in a small bucket and covered with ice, then wrapped in a blanket. The tin water bucket held a bottle of coffee cream and fruit. Remaining baskets were packed with food and one-by-one loaded into wagons for the trip to the Grove where they were placed in order of serving on the long tables.

By noon, the Grove had become a sea of wide-brimmed ribbon and flower bedecked hats and sun bonnets, moving around in calico basque gowns. Long sleeves protected from the sun and insects. The men wore chambray shirts, bibs, denims and alpaca shirts. Little boys ran around in knee britches and straw boaters. Children were rubbed with kerosene to ward off mosquitoes.

The family dinner was laid and a group of nearly 100 did their best to empty the dishes set before them. The afternoon was spent playing games, quilting, hymn singing and story telling. Toward sunset the remaining food was set before those who lingered. Some left to do evening chores but would return for dancing and fiddle playing.
Hanson Family Reunion meal is enjoyed in the Grove. At the close of these family reunions someone photographed the family together. Here they remain, over 100 years later, together in the Grove – standing and sitting around the long tables with happy smiles for the generations to come.

About the author
Frances E. Hanson, the fifth generation of writers in her family, writes a weekly newspaper column for the Casper (WY) Journal. Other writing credits include feature articles, plays, newletters, articles, books, and research work. She has compiled family genealogies, ghost-written three books and is author of three books including An American Treasury of Heirloom Fruitcakes and Puddings, Vol. I, Para Publishing.

Large group measuring
Very few people ever have the responsibility to serve a meal for hundreds of people.
We found these interesting measures on the Kentucky Fried Chicken web site (www.kfc.com) along with other reunion hints.

KFC estimates your chicken needs for adults at 2 1/2 pieces of chicken or 6 nuggets each. Therefore, if you are expecting 100 adults and children, you will need 250 pieces of chicken and 3 1/2 gallons (28 pints) of side dish items. Remember, 16 ounces is a pint and 8 pints is a gallon.

Questions to ask the Catering Manager
Food and drink

Was the food purchased fresh, canned or frozen? Do you have an in-house bakery?
Can a food tasting be arranged?
What is the portion size of each entree?
How is leftover food disposed of? Can it be donated to a food bank to feed the needy?
Can we bring in our own liquor? What is the corkage fee?
How many ounces are in your bottles, glasses, drinks (and how many ounces of liquor per drink)?
How many ounces is your juice glass?
Do you use coffee cups or mugs?
Is the decaf coffee brewed or instant?
Can open bottles from the hosted bar (paid for by the bottle) be removed from the facility?
Can the hotel store opened bottles of liquor from one reception and use them for our next reception?
Does purchasing liquor by the bottle include set ups (mixes, ice, glasses, bar fruit)?
Is there a bartender charge? If so, what is the dollar volume of liquor or wine required to waive the charge?
How many bars will be set up? (If guests are not arriving at the same time, one bar set up per 100 guests is usually adequate.)
What are your house, call and premium wines? What brands are included in each category?
Is "dead stock" wine available? (i.e. wine that is no longer on the wine list and may be available in limited quantities.)

Menu

Can we order vegetarian or kosher meals?
What can we do about last-minute requests?
What combination plates are available? (Two small entree selections per plated meal gives more variety).
Can guests be given a choice of entrees (split plating)?
Are counts required in advance? How far?

Cost

Can special menus within our budget be created?
Is there a minimum guarantee to use the facility? Is there a room-rental charge?
Can we receive a discount if we order the same menu as another group you're catering at the same time?
How can credit be established?
When is payment expected?
What is the tax rate? What is the service charge/gratuity percentage? Is the service charge/gratuity taxed?
Are there any other costs (i.e. overtime, set up or labor charges)?

Logistics

Can we order special meals? How much advance notice is needed?
When is attendance guarantee* due? (*number of servings paid for, whether or not they are consumed. Usually required 48 to 72 hours in advance. The guaranteed number can be increased, but not decreased. The number of hours may be negotiable.)
What is the over-set* policy? (*percentage of places set, over guarantee, which the kitchen is prepared to serve. If the facility oversets by 5 percent, underguarantee the group by 5 percent.)
What is the server-to-guest ratio? (standard is one waitstaff per 20 guests. Negotiate for fewer guests per servers for formal functions.)
What items can be available on short notice if attendance increases unexpectedly?
What time will the tables be set up so we can bring in decor and florals?
What time do we need to vacate the room? Are there any overtime charges?
Which facility staff person will be in charge during the function?
What group is using the room prior to the function? (Sometimes sharing decor or audiovisual equipment reduces labor charges.)

Other stuff

What linen colors are available at no additional charge? How long do tablecloths hang? Are overlays available?
Are table numbers available?
What size table rounds are available? How many will each be set for? (Eight guests seated at 60-inch rounds and 10 guests seated at 72-inch rounds are comfortable.)
How will buffet tables be decorated?
Does the facility have votive candles, hurricane lamps, bud vases or mirrors available at no charge?
Will one double buffet be set up for each 100 guests? (Request one double-sided buffet for each 100 guests; request two if the count goes to 120.)
Does the facility have pre-packaged theme parties?
Can waitstaff wear a costume or ornament specifically related to our theme?
Will a microphone be provided at no charge?
Can the facility store our centerpieces for use the next day?
What are your emergency procedures?

The following questions are for off-premises catering:

Who supplies equipment rental (i.e. stoves, tables, dishes, linens, silverware)?
Are facility permits needed? Is there a cost?
Can a certificate of workers compensation and liability insurance be provided?
How many waitstaff will be provided? Is cost included? How will they be dressed?
Who will dispose of trash?
What are overtime charges?
Who are your references?

A sparkling reunion salad!
Marilou Robinson reports, "Our family reunion menus pay tribute to our father's Irish and our mother's southern heritage. Several years ago, we featured a salad bar that reflected this heritage. The idea was a success – salads ranged from meat and/or fish combinations to pastas, fruits, vegetables, with both hot and cold dishes. We offered a choice of breads, and dessert was home-churned ice cream."

Here is one of Robinson's salads; simple, easy to transport and delicious.
Red-Letter-Day Slaw
6 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded radishes
1 cup raw shredded beets
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped

Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

Garnish: Red-leaf lettuce leaves

Toss vegetables in a large bowl. Place dressing ingredients in a small jar with tight-fitting lid; shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss. To retain crispness, add dressing just before serving. Makes 8-10 servings.

Lots of yummy food ideas from many reunions:
How other reunions eat ...
The Kauffman-Overholt Family Reunion is held every two years at the country home of Charles and Jennie Kauffman in Goshen, Indiana.

Roberta Carpenter reported that the Kauffmans roast a hog for Saturday lunch and have a weiner roast picnic in the evening. All meals, including a continental breakfast, are served on ten eight-foot long banquet tables. A small ice-filled water tank cooled canned drinks.

For the Bulek Family Reunion, Janet Bulek, Yorkville, Illinois, asks each family to bring two of their favorite recipes for the family recipe collection. After the reunion, she types, prints and distributes copies to everyone on 3" x 5" cards. As an incentive to bring recipes, Bulek does a recipe card drawing for a homemade basket of goodies such as homemade jam/jelly, fresh garden produce, wooden spoons and recipe cards.

Please pass the potato salad
For eleven Skinner/Mcqueen Family Reunions people were never assigned specific foods to bring. "We just let the menu happen," reported Margurite Tibben, Buellton, California. For the 1999 family reunion, the host provided barbecued Tri-Tip beef and chicken. Everyone else showed up with potato salad. We experienced the many flavors of potato salad and will forever hold this silly memory in our hearts dearly.

Those picturesque groaning boards!
When Kentucky Living magazine visited the Dean and Creech Family Reunion, they were impressed with the vast amounts of food. The family was described as keeping "up a tradition of delectable excess. ...Serving tables fairly groaned with multiple dishes of corn pudding, sliced tomatoes, green beans, fried chicken, meat loaf, lasagna, chicken and dumplings, pot roast, dressed and picked eggs, coleslaw, potato salad and 28 desserts."

A never-fail reunion salad
The Heiser Family Reunion includes 18 members; parents, their children and grandchildren. They are spread out all over the country and want to have more than letter and phone contact to have the children know each other. Reunions every couple of years are their solution. Sarah Windsor, Seattle, Washington, describes Heiser Reunions as "just joining our lives for a week." They all stay in one big house and enjoy the togetherness and ins and outs of everyday life.

This recipe is a Heiser Family Reunion hit! Windsor says, "I have never served anything else that every single person liked! And it makes such a large amount that you don't have to make a 10 or 20 times recipe unless you are having a really large reunion." Each recipe serves approximately eight – in a one dish meal.

Club Sandwich Salad
Ingredients
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
3 hard cooked eggs, sliced
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and sliced in julienne strips
2 T green onions, chopped
18 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound bacon, fried crisp and broken into large pieces
mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Co/Jack, Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese
salt and pepper
Ranch dressing (optional)

In a large glass salad or serving bowl, layer half the lettuce, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, layer eggs, chicken, green onions, tomatoes, bacon and remaining lettuce. Frost top with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover loosely and refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Croutons
6 slices French or homemade-type bread
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese, grated

Trim bread crust and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Saute cubes in butter and oil over low heat to dry and toast until golden. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and/or Parmesan cheese.

To serve, sprinkle salad with cooled croutons. Serve with Ranch dressing, if desired.
submitted by Sara Windsor

Remember summer reunion food
Share your special reunion recipes now; while they're still fresh in your mind or recipes you look forward to at your next reunion. We're looking for a potpourri of favorites and why they are. Include an anecdote, vignette, story, even pictures to go with the recipe to ensure our serious consideration. Recipes and stories may constitute as articles in Reunions magazine and sometimes as reprints. Winners receive a year's subscription to Reunions magazine. Send to Reunions Magazine, Inc., PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727; fax 414-263-6331; or e-mail us.

Keep food safe
The Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends when cooking hot foods – particularly meats – a temperature of 160 degrees to kill bacteria. After cooking, meats should be kept warm at 140 degrees. Refrigerated foods should be kept at 40 degrees.

Thorough cooking kills salmonella. Stay away from dishes made with raw or lightly cooked eggs, such as Caesar salad, French toast, hollandaise sauce and some foreign fares.
If you choose to serve raw fish or sushi, request that the fish be frozen to kill parasites, then thawed before serving. Bacteria-free food is always at risk of being cross-contaminated. So choose shrimp salad instead of seafood salad because one kind of seafood in the mix can infect the entire dish

Buffet dishes served from heating pans can contribute to food poisoning. Food at the edges of the pan may not be hot enough to kill bacteria. This is easily prevented: request covers to maintain heat in heating pans. Ask servers to regularly stir food.

Scampagnata (picnic!) Italiana
by Prof. Philip J. DiNovo
Almost every Sunday, our Italian picnics were held at my grandparents' truck farm. Hoards of children drank pop chilled in a tub of ice. The men played murra and bocce. The women chatted about this and that. Italian immigrants were good cooks and my aunts were the best.

My grandfather raised most of our vegetables – basil, pole beans, eggplants, tomatoes and peppers. We ate lots of vegetables, often with pasta or cunzatti – bathed with garlic browned in olive oil. As I reflect, we had good, no, delizioso, peasant food. My favorite picnic menu included charcoal veal cutlets, pasta, vegetable dishes, homemade bread, vino, fresh-picked corn, fruit, Italian cookies and ice cream.

My grandmother bought a fifty-pound sack of flour and made bread twice a week. She had to bake quite a few loaves for sixty-some family members. My grandfather made his own wine; he would press boxes of California grapes. The aging process produced a wine that was my grandfather's delight. And though there was plenty of vino at our picnics, I never saw anyone drunk.

So fortunately, I had a rich, full life growing up; I had a loving family made even stronger by those many picnics.

Please help
Q? This is our third family reunion. The first two years we all brought a dish to pass. It worked fine, except for many duplicate food items. This year I want to hire a caterer, but I'm having a hard time convincing the committee. I told the committee it would eliminate duplicate food items and save hard feelings if no one eats one of the dishes. People will have more time to visit rather than worrying about keeping track of their $30 casserole dish. Cost isn't an issue because of leftover funds from last year. Can you offer some advice?

Rebecca Tomaszewski, Jasinski Family Reunion, West Allis WI

A! Sounds like you already have great reasons to hire a caterer and you have the money! Catering saves time, money, nerves and hard feelings. Members have nothing to worry about except getting themselves to the reunion. Suggest your own menu which might intrigue some of your doubters or pick up a couple of caterer's menus to share with the committee. Caterers make their food sound pretty enticing so you could probably change your committees' minds with a few tantalizing suggestions. If members still want to have "homemade" food, ask them to bring desserts – which you cannot, of course, ever have enough of.

Tell your committee that this reunion is a day off for everyone! Do they all like cooking so much that they want to spend time and effort when there are many more important things they could be doing?

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