How to Calculate Food Amounts for Catering

Choose from a wide selection of meats, fresh salads, tasty sides, sweets, condiments and spreads for your bbq catering Sydney menu. When a client comes to you for a catering job, the possibilities seem endless. Will they want fluted salads, ornate appetizer platters or a simple plated meal? Will you be serving food at a wedding, corporate retreat or anniversary party? How much food you’ll provide depends, of course, on several factors, including the type of event and how many people are attending.

Start With the People

Always start with a count of the number of people attending the event. To get the most accurate headcount possible, give a deadline to your client so you know the number of people will not change. Let the client know that having an accurate headcount will help to eliminate extra expenses and food waste. A deadline also ensures you have enough time to purchase and prepare the food.

Gather all the Details

You’ll also need to consider if the event is formal, like a wedding, or casual, like a retirement party. This may affect the type of food being served as well as the quantities and price. At formal events, guests typically eat one serving, but guests may graze or go back for seconds at a casual event.

You will also need to take into account how the food will be served, such as plated or buffet style. It is often a little more expensive to serve plated food because servers will need to attend to the tables and guests. The same is true if servers will be passing around hors d’oeuvres versus having them set at a table. Again, people are likely to help themselves to more food at a buffet than if it’s plated and served.

Specify a Budget Limit

Some clients want to keep costs very low while throwing a lavish party. For others, cost is not an issue. Knowing what money you have at your disposal will help you determine how to better plan the menu and figure out how much food to serve.

Create the Menu

Once you have all of this information in hand, start planning the menu by asking your client if there are any specific food requests or any restrictions. Get a feel for what type of food he wants and how he wants it served. If he wants some higher-priced items like seafood served along with a simple salad, you’ll be able to let him know in advance how that will affect the budget. You and your client may have to hold several conversations as you finalize the menu.

Determine the Amount of Food

Now comes the fun part: purchasing the food. Think in terms of 1 ½ pounds of food per person as a starting place. In most situations this is more than enough food, so don’t worry if you end up actually making a little less. Divide this amount among the various dishes you will be making, and assess which menu items people are likely to eat in the largest quantities. People generally take more of the main dishes and less of the side dishes.

Figure at least two units per person for finger food items served as discrete units (such as stuffed grape leaves or canapes). Prepare more of a particular dish if there will be a limited number of appetizers and less if there will be a substantial variety.

For proteins, one chicken breast, three to four lamb cutlets or two lamb chops or about ½ pound of beef per person should be adequate. If you’re serving 50 people, for example, you’ll need something along the lines of 25 pounds of chicken breast, 20 pounds of pork or 15 pounds of fish. For 100 people, those numbers would double.

When serving large groups, it’s often easier to purchase by weight instead of individually. That way you err on the side of having extra just in case you need it. That includes condiments such as butter that you’ll need as well.

Catering to Special Dietary Restrictions

The reality in the catering world today is that a good number of your clients will ask for meals that incorporate special dietary restrictions. This will skew your numbers on a wide variety of food categories.

With vegetarian meals, of course, you’ll save money by eliminating meat, poultry and seafood courses, but that could be offset by an increased number of vegetable dishes. In addition, you’ll need to pay special attention to providing dishes that include vegetable protein such as beans, tofu and nuts.

The increasing number of people with diabetes can create a customer base looking for low-carb menus. In addition, the Keto low-carb lifestyle is one of the most popular weight-loss programs in the country. Catering to a low-carb crowd will mean additional meat servings as well as a larger variety of vegetable and dairy dishes while restricting or eliminating pasta, bread, potatoes, fruit and other catering staple items.

Best Places for a Picnic in Central Park

A picnic rug hire can be celebrated here at best picnic places in Central Park. One of the best things to do on a sunny spring or summer day is a picnic in the park.

Here are the 7 best picnic spots in Central Park, whether you bring your own food or purchase take-out at one of the local cafes. Just be sure to clean up after yourself and help keep the park clean.

Great Lawn

Everybody’s favorite picnic area, especially for the free annual concerts by the New York Philharmonic. The Great Lawn is 55-acres of wide open space, and it’s at the geographical center of Central Park.

Originally, the site was a reservoir, but in the 1930s it was filled in with excavation material from Rockefeller Center. Today, the Great Lawn is a great place to chill out.

  • Mid-park between 79th St. and 85th St.

Sheep Meadow

This 15-acre pasture was home to a flock of sheep until 1934, and how it got its name.

Today, it is sprawling lawn that is one of the most popular places in Central Park to relax and sunbathe or enjoy a bite to eat.

Sheep Meadow also is one of Central Park’s eight designated “quiet zones,” which means that you cannot play any music while you are there (you must wear headphones), and dogs are not allowed.

In quiet zones, you are also not allowed to feed birds or other wildlife, so make sure to dispose of your crumbs rather than leaving them for the squirrels.

If you don’t want to bring your own picnic basket to Sheep Meadow, it is close to the Mineral Springs Pavilion and to Tavern on the Green, where you can buy food.

  • Between W. 66th and W. 69th St., close to Central Park West

Belvedere Castle

Located on a hill, mid-park at 79th St., the castle area offers one of the best views of both the park and the city skyline.

Set up your picnic blanket in one of the lawns near the castle for a romantic meal and a great photo op at the same time.

  • Mid-park at 79th st.

Great Hill

This is in the heavily wooded, northern part of the park. Surrounded by elms, it is both shady and the only part of the park where you can enjoy your meal at a picnic table.

There also  is a public restroom here.

  • West side of the park, between 103rd and 107th Streets. Enter at Central Park West and 106th St.

Bow Bridge

The Bow Bridge is one of the most picturesque – and recognizable – spots in Central Park. It has been the setting for a many movies, including “You’ve Got Mail”, and it’s usually at the top of the list as one of the most romantic spots in the city. The bridge links Cherry Hill (with many flowers) to the Ramble (woodlands).

It’s best to picnic on the gentle slopes of Cherry Hill overlooking the bridge. 

The iconic Central Park Bow Bridge was repaired and refurbished in 2015 and is now more beautiful than ever.  It’s also the cover of my NYC guidebook, Peaceful Places in NYC.

  • Mid-park around 72nd St.

Strawberry Fields

It is a living memorial to John Lennon, who lived near here, at the Dakota, at the corner of Central Park West and 72nd St. If you visit Strawberry Fields, make sure you keep your voice down, since it is one of the park’s designated quiet zones.

  • West side of the park between W. 71st St. and W. 74th St.

The Pool in Central Park

Despite its name, this is not a swimming area, but rather a man-made lake created by damming up a natural stream in the park.

  • Northwest area of the park between W. 100th and 103rd St. and provides an area of solitude in the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Road to Expert Skiing

At Bella Coola try something different and feel the sheer power of heli skiing Canada, most varied alpine terrain! With a mind-blowing 2.64 million acres at your fingertips, you’re in for one hell of a rideImagine yourself cruising down a groomed run carving elegant turns with your new shaped skis. In the distance you see two symbols, a blue square for a left turn and a black diamond for a right turn. Without hesitation you steer to the right. The pitch becomes steeper, the snow is un-groomed, and there are trees, lots of trees. You stop momentarily, pick a line, push off, and tighten your turns as you begin the descent.

Many skiers would have taken the left fork with the gentle groomed slope. Some intermediates reach a plateau in their ability and find it difficult to advance to the next level. This doesn’t have to be. The keys to unlocking your true potential lie in your mind and body. When you are physically fit and mentally prepared the goal of becoming an advanced level skier can be realized.

Skiing at an advanced level means being adept at handling varied terrain in different snow conditions on marked trails. The terrain may include steeps, glades, or moguls. Snow conditions might include hard pack, crud, ice, or powder. At this level you need to be able to make quick adjustments to your speed, turn radius and balance to maintain control at all times.

Ski Fitness Level

Advanced level skiing is more demanding on the knees, thighs, hips, abdomen, and back so preseason preparation is the norm. Try to begin your ski fitness program at least two to three months prior to your first day on the slopes. Your routine should include stretching for mobility, strength exercises for staying power, and cardiovascular conditioning for endurance.

The good news is that you don’t need a lot of money to finance your program. All you’ll need is a mat, free weights, runners, and an hour a day. One approach is to do stretches and strength exercises the first day followed by stretching and cardiovascular conditioning the next day. By alternating your workouts you can reduce the time spent each day and give the different muscle groups a chance to recover.

Stretching

Improved mobility will do more to improve your skiing then you think and it will help protect you from injury. The areas to concentrate on are the back, calves, hamstrings, quads, and shoulders.

A good book on the subject is Stretching by Bob Anderson (Shelter Publications, Inc. 1988). It has specific stretches for downhill skiing, weight training, walking, and running. You may want to include the stretches for weight training in your fall routine and do the downhill stretches during the ski season.

Strength

These exercises will improve your ability to ski short-radius turns through enhanced staying power and impact absorption while minimizing muscle fatigue and soreness. The strength session should include calf raises, partial squats for the quads, and abdominal exercises for the stomach, sides, and back. Include weight training for the arms, chest, and shoulders using dumbbells and barbells.

Rotate through the exercises working one muscle group while the other groups are in the recovery mode. Perform a leg exercise, a weight maneuver, and then an abdominal exercise.

Endurance

This is the ability to perform at a given level for greater periods of time. Endurance is important for those long mogul and glade runs that never seem to end. To improve endurance the focus is on cardiovascular conditioning. Exercise three times a week keeping your heart rate elevated for fifteen to twenty minutes. Good ways to do this are cycling, inline skating, rowing, jogging, or general aerobics. An alternative to running is a brisk, forty-five minute, non-stop walk.

Mind-Set

You won’t need a treatise on the latest breakthrough in the psychological aspects of fear to conquer the steeps, glades, and moguls. The old adage, you have nothing to fear but fear itself, applies to skiing. Mental toughness and focus are essential to master your subconscious mind.

Mental Toughness

Being tough mentally will put you in control of your thoughts. You need to tell yourself over and over that you’re in charge, not the ski hill. This will help develop the right attitude and keep a lid on you anxieties.

Focus

Focus allows you to break up the run into smaller tasks so you can zoom in on the next two or three turns. The pause, approach, divide and conquer technique should help you pick a line, set the tone, and focus on the immediate.

Pause: Take a moment or two to size up the terrain and pick a line appropriate for your skill level. If you wait too long you will give your subconscious mind a chance to take control. To avoid this anxiety trap, stop, survey the terrain, pick a line, and push off with your poles. This sequence should take between five and ten seconds to complete.

Approach: Develop the correct turn radius early. This should occur within the first three or four turns. This sets the rhythm and gets your legs pumping. You want to be moving at a constant speed with good balance over your skis.

Divide and Conquer: This method will break up a difficult run into manageable tasks. After the approach always look two or three turns ahead if you are on the steeps, two or three bumps ahead if you are in a mogul field, or two or three trees ahead if you are on a glade run. Looking ahead will allow you to quickly alter your course for any unusual conditions. This technique takes practice to learn, but once mastered, will prove invaluable.

Summing Up

The mind and body have to work in unison to ski black diamond runs safely and effectively. Condition your body in the preseason for peak performance on the slopes. To ski strong, you have to be strong. In addition, strive to master the mind techniques in stages. You need to be mentally tough and focused to keep your anxieties in check.

Make an effort to ski thirty percent of all runs on more difficult terrain with an even split between steeps, glades, and moguls. You will know when you have reached an expert level because you will be the one in the descent of that forty degree, un-groomed, glade run.

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How to Become a Storyboard Artist

Nowadays, storyboard artist for hire are focus on film animation. If you want to become a storyboard artist, there are some things you should consider and know about the craft as you work your way into the industry. You will probably want to receive an education in art or specifically storyboarding, in order to ensure that you have the skills needed to be a professional storyboard artist. You should also consider learning about the industry even before taking classes to refine your artistic skills, and understand film on a fundamental level.

A storyboard artist creates storyboards for professional films and television programs. This means that you will need to be able to create a visualization of one or more scenes in still images on a piece of paper, or in a computer. You will work with directors to help understand and achieve their vision so that when they are on the set and preparing for a shot, they have a guide to help them ensure they get exactly what they want without costly reshoots.

To better facilitate this process, and become a storyboard artist, you should understand film and the filmmaking process. You should know about different camera angles and filmmaking techniques so that you can receive input from a director and understand exactly what he or she wants from you. Many schools offer programs or classes in making storyboards, and you may find that other types of educational programs also offer opportunities for you to learn how storyboards are made and get some practice.

While you may not need to be able to perfectly render every imaginable scene at a moment’s notice, you should at least have some decent artistic abilities. Refine your style and your art so that you can create scenes in a vivid and dynamic way that matches the types of visual storytelling found in major films. Look at the storyboard work that other artists have done, and use that as inspiration for your own work, especially as you are practicing and becoming a stronger artist.

Many storyboard artists also do crossover work in the comic book industry as well, and you may consider this as a potential career. The multi-panel pages of a comic book tell a visual story in many of the same ways as storyboard panels act to plot out a scene in images. While a storyboard often has arrows and notes drawn in to indicate camera movements and other aspects of film, the process of visual storytelling is still similar. If you have an interest in comic book art, then you may find that working in that industry gives you opportunities to become a storyboard artist.

Count the Cost Or Compost Part Two

A simple way to help the environment is to put our waste into trash can and rubbish removal Northern Beaches Sydney will collect it.

Introduction

The simple act of composting our own biodegradable domestic waste could save our councils from massive fines and passing these penalties on to us, their council tax payers. In the first part of this article we examined the costs of landfill and the potential penalties our councils might face if they do not meet their biodegradable municipal waste targets. This article examines the proportions of the various types of rubbish that makes up the content of our bin and suggests ways we can cut down on this waste and save money.

Saving fuel

A major cost of collecting our rubbish is comprised of fuel, where the price is escalating rapidly. If we can reduce the amounts that we leave at our kerbside for our councils to collect, then bin lorries will take less trips back to the depot thus saving fuel.

Dealing with what is in our rubbish

The Government agency Defra has published details of the make up of a typical dustbin in England. More than half the contents of our waste is made up of biodegradable material which we could compost. Halving the weight of our kerbside collection would dramatically reduce our councils escalating fuel costs and so help keep our council tax down. In addition, the cost of sending this to landfill is getting prohibitive because of the landfill tax and the scarcity of suitable landfill sites.

Garden waste and cardboard

The Defra figures show that 20% of our household waste is comprised of garden waste. Many councils collect this green waste, but if you have the space in your garden, it makes sense to compost it as this type of waste is bulky and heavy and so is expensive in fuel for your council to transport.

A further 18% of our waste is comprised of paper and cardboard. Most councils recycle this but cardboard is excellent to add to a conventional compost bin, especially if it is shredded or in smaller pieces. By layering and mixing your material such as grass and hedge clippings with cardboard, you will introduce air into your heap and this provides the best environment for the microbes that you need to compost your waste most efficiently. Within two weeks to one month, the bulk of your heap will have reduced, so to keep the process going at maximum efficiency, turn or mix your compost every month with a garden fork.

Kitchen waste costs us £10 billion per year!

Defra figures show that 17% of our waste is comprised of kitchen waste. Some councils have a kitchen waste scheme where they process the material in to compost. The Governments Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) says that the average household throws away £410 worth of perfectly good food a year through buying more than we need or letting food go out of date or simply not realising what we have in our pantry. For a household with children the figure increases to£610. I imagine you can find a better way of using this money other than throwing it away!

We need to be more careful about how much food we buy and cook and how we keep our food fresh. Unfortunately, our supermarkets make this extremely difficult because many fruits and vegetables are packed rather than sold loose, so you have to buy large quantities whether you want to or not. We need to start complaining to our supermarkets about their packaging policies as this is keeping the price of food unnecessarily high and leads to needless waste at a time where there is a shortage of cheap food. If you have access to a local grocer or butcher in your area you will find you usually end up paying for what you need and so spend less. Although the price per pound might seem dearer, the actual cost is often less because you waste less and the quality is often better.

Inevitably there is some kitchen waste when preparing fresh food because of offcuts and we can often over estimate how much we can eat! Kitchen waste contains a high water content so it is expensive to transport. By investing in a suitable composter, you will dramatically reduce the waste you leave for kerbside collection. Furthermore after as little as two days in the composter, your kitchen waste bulk can reduce by up to one third. It is amazing how much the bulk of the material shrinks in the composter. If you live on your own or there are just two of you in your household, why not share the cost of a composter between households? By processing around 50% of your existing household waste, you will be in a great position when councils start to charge for compostable waste collection. I believe it is only a question of time before it happens.

Don’t loose sight of the fact that you will be producing compost which will become an increasingly valuable resource as the cost of fuel ramps up the cost at the garden centre. Compost is an important soil conditioner which improves the growing conditions for healthy plants thus improving our environment.

The author promotes composting through his website which encourages the recycling of kitchen and garden waste. For more details of a vermin proof composter designed to handle kitchen waste refer to

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