# Oddball question: Types of appetizers vs main



## aprilb (Feb 4, 2006)

Has anyone made a connection between the types of appetizers vs the portions of food consumed for entrees?

I was just curious because of the various caloric/energy content of different types of food...Lobster for instance. It is extremely filling as compared to a bruchetta with tomato and basil. 

So if you make heavy appetizers, lobster, crab, pate, bries, as compared to veggies and dips...any notice on the impact on the mains?

Just an oddball thought.

April


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

it's more important for me to profile the group.....older?, men/women.....
I hesitate to even type this but if it's a Jewish group they eat more, Christian they drink more.....don't know what's up with that but it proves true and is a common belief amoungst my caterer friends (both Jewish and Gentile).

I cover my butt.....running out of food is the biggest no-no. It's better to go back with food, that's been kept at the right temp than to run out.


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

I have to agree with shroom, it's more about the make up of the clientele. Is the group men or women, young or old, and even as shroom says, race and religion can play a part in it. Yes, that may be stereotyping, but when I was in the catering business we did it to some extent all the time. It helps to act as a guidline (not something set in stone) about the eating habits of a group. I won't go into examples for fear of offending, but you really need to take the groups make-up into account.


As far as hors go, it isn't neccessarily the types you offer but the amount and how many types you offer that will affect how much people eat for "dinner".

That's why, when we costed out our recipes they included some room for making an additional 5-10% of the items so we would never run out


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## aprilb (Feb 4, 2006)

...and yes, I know that the jewish faith has a tendency to over feed. I guess I learned that genetically. My great grandmother was jewish, I learned cooking from my grandmother. My inclination is to make enough of each item like each guest was only going to eat nothing else but that one thing. Multiply that by the number of dishes and...well...

In that case you're good filling in the gaps with bagels...LOL.

Obviously jewish affairs aren't going to indulge in pork liver pate or lobster stuffed 'shrooms. 

My 'Q?' was if anyone had found any correlation between serving lobster/crab/fatty pate type items as appetizers and smaller serves for mains. I'm guessing that it would from personal experience and what I know and understand about certain foodstuffs. 

Not religious or culturally driven at all. Just food and caloric. 

April


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## chef kaiser (Mar 12, 2006)

April, 

No pressure to you with your open question, as you are curious! Calories and Jules are known for a long time. Like Protein (meaning first or primary in the Greek language). But only a Dutch found out about it later again, as history past maybe too quickly. Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fat and Alcohol contain all certain calories or Joules, what is the question now, you want to know in specific in your post. 

regards Chef Kaiser


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

no correlation. Eating at an event is for many a variance from routine cal counting and they splurge calorically. Or as at many events women don't go for rich passed hodos as much as men....certainly stationary ones are bypassed.

When planning a menu I look at richness across the board. If entrees have cream desserts are generally lighter (aka poached fruit or somesuch).


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## bbally (Jan 2, 2005)

April,

There is absolutely a correlationship between appies and mains consumption. While it only shows up as waste on a plated coursed dinner, on a buffet service line you can clearly observe a lot less protien consumed when a heavy appie is placed out first for the social. For instance if I want to save money on the main protein I will place smoked salmon on the appie table. People eat a lot of it and it does show up as less consumption on the buffet line.

You can also orchestrate the appies delivery to keep consumption of the most expensive (food cost wise) appies lower. Common practice in catering, as important are lighting and aroma and a whole host of other environmental conditions.

These are important things to know if your catering is to be as profitable as possible.


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