Essential information and how-to advice from the best in the business Catering Like a Pro is a must-have resource for anyone thinking about starting a catering business. Packed with recipes and exciting new ideas for creating theme events and dramatic experiences, it explains the catering industry from the bottom up. This revised and expanded edition covers everything necessary to get started, including real-world advice on contracts, hiring help, managing events, and sample forms and invoices. A handy list of resources—from equipment and ingredients to legal and business directories—helps make it easy to get up and running smoothly. Interviews with some of the best star caterers in the business offer inspiration and valuable tips for those new to the game. Francine Halvorsen (New York, NY) is a professional culinary writer, consultant and artist who has traveled and lived all over the world. She considers herself lucky to be invited to share meals at some of the best tables everywhere. A graduate of Columbia University, she is the author of Catering Like a Pro, The Food and Cooking of China and Eating Around the World in Your Neighborhood, all published by John Wiley & Sons.

A guide for those wishing to begin a career in catering. Contains complete details for becoming a catering entrepreneur and expanding a catering business; 150 recipes for 20 or more than can be easily doubled; directories with toll-free information and supply sources all over the U.S.; advice from some of the biggest names in catering; planning and budgeting aids; checklists and charts; menus and menu worksheets; job expense analysis and pricing guides; client interview outlines; etc.

During almost two decades of catering everything from the Academy Awards to a fete for Queen Elizabeth to an intimate dinner for Julia Child to a “Roller-Disco” Bat Mitzvah, Nicole Aloni has learned more than a few tricks-of-the-trade. And whether you’re planning your umpteenth dinner for twelve, or you’ve only just figured out that there’s a kitchen in your apartment, Secrets From a Caterer’s Kitchen is the manual on entertaining. This comprehensive, accessible and easy-to-use book offers insider tips and guidance about: Menu preparation for both large and small gatherings Finding special locations for events Decorating advice for “theme” festivities Creating invitations Maintaining a budget Over 125 tried-and-true party recipes Whether it’s a candlelight dinner, a kid’s birthday party, or a holiday extravaganza, you can put on a show like a pro—and keep your guests guessing—with Secrets from a Caterer’s Kitchen!

Do you enjoy cooking for others? Is your buffet table a work of art? Are your parties the best in the neighborhood? Then catering may be a great career for you! It's all here-from getting licenses and choosing the perfect name to developing menus and getting the word out. Seasoned food expert and caterer Joyce Weinberg covers all aspects of the catering business and shares her secrets to success with you, including how to: Choose a specialty-fancy fundraisers, company and family picnics, or romantic weddings; Learn the ropes before you start your business; Create a marketing plan that gets your company noticed by all the right people; Find clients and generate repeat customers. The Everything Guide to Starting and Running a Catering Business is all you need to make your passion your profession!

Would You Like To Discover How You Can Have An Unforgettable Wedding... And Save Thousands of Dollars In The Making! Many people don't really comprehend how much money it takes to have that breath-taking wedding. There are so many things that are involved that goes into creating a beautiful wedding. In fact, many end up spending their entire budget on only 75% of all things that are needed to make their wedding glow before they even get to 3 months before the big day. Don't let this happen to you! Do you know the most common mistakes nearly 95% of all couples make when budgeting for their wedding? If you make these same mistakes, it could end up costing you thousands of *extra* dollars! Do you know exactly how to save up to 67% on your wedding photography? Do you know how to jump-start your reception so that every single guest is up dancing, laughing, and having the best times in their lives? Do you know exactly where to begin and how to start planning for your dream wedding? If not, you soon will! In "Wedding Planning Like A Pro," you will discover some of the very best money saving tips, ideas, and wedding resources that will save you hundreds and thousands of dollars on your wedding. The day you get married will be a very special day for you and your significant other. There is absolutely no reason to carry the burden of the wedding costs going to your honeymoon! Here are just a few hidden jewels that you'll discover with "Wedding Planning Like A Pro": - Discover the what the most popular time to get married is... - Learn how to save $100/hr. on your wedding videography & photograpy - Follow this tip and save up to 70% on the Groom's tuxedo! - Discover how you can save hundreds of dollars on your wedding cakes, and guest goodies! It's not hard, but you'll be thankful you did it! - Why fork-over an extra 15% to your wedding planner when we show you how to do this... - Be sure to get the pictures you want at your wedding! Follow this 40 point checklist, and you'll not only save, you'll get what you want! - Learn how you can get a wedding dress for FREE... Is it even possible? - Get married on THIS DAY, and you'll cut your costs by nearly $500, every single time! - Why pay your travel agent commissions for your honeymoon trip? Use this resource and save those extra hundreds! - Why planning your wedding around your honeymoon just might save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars!! - Did you know you can skim your reception music bill by 50% if you use this little tip? - And much more...

Cook Like a Pro is the essential reference book for any kitchen. Whether you’re outfitting your kitchen for the first time or need a visual guide to cutting up a chicken, this comprehensive book features more than 1,500 full-color photographs, 250 techniques, 200 tools, and 50 recipes. This book is a bible of essential kitchen tools and cooking techniques. The first section is a comprehensive guide to basic tools and equipment for the home kitchen, with special features explaining the differences among cookware materials and a primer on cutlery styles and uses. The second section contains more than 250 cooking techniques that will help you accomplish tricky cooking tasks—cutting vegetables into a variety of shapes; boning and skinning a chicken breast; preparing and shaping fresh pasta dough; and filling and frosting a layer cake. Troubleshooting tips show you what can go wrong and how to fix it without having to start again. Also included are more than 50 recipe staples, such as buttermilk pancakes, perfect poached salmon, classic roast chicken, sautéed summer vegetables, homemade chicken and beef stock, and dozens of vinaigrettes and sauces—many featuring flavorful variations. Even when using a recipe from another cookbook, Cook Like a Pro will be your guide to beating egg whites to stiff peaks, shucking oysters, carving a bone-in roast, and scores of other kitchen tasks. Table of Contents Tools Bakeware Bakeware Materials Baking Tools Cook’s Tools Cookware Cookware Materials Cutlery & Accessories Knife Construction Electrics Grilling Tools Measuring Tools & Timers Pasta & Bread Equipment Techniques Baking & Pastry Basics Breads & Batters Cakes Cookies & Bars Cooking Basics Egg Cookery Fish Fruit Grains & Legumes Grilling Basics Herbs & Spices Knife Skills Meat Pasta Pies & Tarts Poultry Sauces Shellfish Stocks Vegetables