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Serveware
People love food. As a matter of fact, a lot of happy memories that most people have revolve in some way around food. It might have been an elegant dinner with a special someone in an upscale restaurant. Or maybe friends popped in to visit and you shared cocktails and laughter. Most parties – especially outdoor celebrations – involve a tasty meal with company. And sometimes having fun just means inviting your best buds over to watch the big game and enjoy those oh-so-famous Super Bowl snacks. No matter what kind of meal you’ve got planned, Pottery Barn’s outdoor serveware makes it look amazing. Your guests mouths water before they even dig in, and your reputation as a culinary force to be reckoned with grows. Check out a few serving ideas.
Ever wondered when to use round platters and when to use rectangular ones? Most of the time the difference comes down to personal preference. With hors d’oeuvres, for example, think about the kind of pattern you want the food displayed in. Round platters spread out in all directions, so creating spiraling designs is easy. Rectangular serving dishes tend to look good with straight lines, although a starburst arrangement is totally possible too. Show off diagonal, horizontal or vertical rows of delicious canapes. Arrange hors d’oeuvres on a buffet table so you don’t have to carry trays around to all your guests.
Round serveware is attractive when serving finger foods you pile up, like breaded sausage bites, fried mozzarella or eggrolls. It also makes things a little bit artistic when serving circular or curved hors d’oeuvres like deviled eggs with herbs or French bread with prosciutto. Oysters, caviar and cold seafood also look gorgeous arranged in this way. Adorn the dining table with a runner for extra sophistication.
If you’re dying to serve spoons with bite-sized and flavorful snacks, a rectangular or oval serving piece gives you additional space so everyone can grab one effortlessly. The same thing goes for small portions of homemade pizza, stuffed mushrooms, grilled potato skins with cheese and pretty much anything else that you need to grab with a napkin.
Of course, that’s just the tip of the entertaining iceberg. There are so many possible recipes and decorative layouts that it’s impossible to create rules about what to and what not. Create an arrangement that looks beautiful to you and makes you hungry. Your guests will love it. Remember that lots of color is a good thing, especially when highlighting fresh veggies with tantalizing sauces.
White serveware gives the party a culinary ambience, which is great for cheese and wine samplings or when you want to impress company with bold new flavors. White is also clean and bright, making your cuisine grab all the attention right away.
Deep colors like indigo or orange add a warm touch to the atmosphere, an Italian feel of good food, good friends and family. Anything with hearty home-cooked flavors stands out here. A rectangular tray with vibrant tones is perfect for serving your famous enchiladas or stuffed manicotti.
Chips and dip are mainstays of many laidback celebrations. Look for a bowl with plenty of space for lots of tortillas. That way you don’t need to worry about filling it up as often. Condiment bowls have a ton of possible uses. If you make your own salsa, fill different bowls with a couple of varieties – some less spicy, and others that go all the way – to cater to everyone’s tastes. They’re also good for salad dressings or scrumptious dipping sauces.
A large serving bowl is really helpful for meals. There’s so much you can do with it! Pasta for everyone; a fresh salad tossed right in front of guests; individual ingredients for a build-your-own taco feast. And when playing games on the patio as a family, a serving bowl holds your kids’ favorite snacks and sweets.