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Baby Shower for 50+ People in May in San Francisco - What To Cook?


bettyjoan

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I am traveling to San Francisco in May to throw a baby shower for my sister (I'm getting a nephew in June, woo hoo!), and I'm starting to think about the food and drink options.  Originally, I was going to spring for catering, but oh my sweet goodness was it expensive (as in, the shower could cost more than my wedding - no thanks).  I am a good cook, but I do not want to spend the whole weekend in the kitchen - I want to hang out with the mommy-to-be!

I was thinking maybe a couple Boston Butts done in the slow cooker could be good - maybe one Southern BBQ style, and another with an Asian twist.  I could get buns/rolls and slaw, for those who want to do sandwiches.  I also make a really good cucumber salad, and it is easy to do ahead and in bulk.

Does anyone have further recommendations?  I get in on Thursday PM, and the shower is Sunday (so I'll have two full days to shop/prep/cook - though, my chefly brother-in-law could get me some things in advance, I'm sure).  The shower is from 1-5 PM, open house style, so I suspect people will be making either a late lunch or an early dinner out of the offerings.

Thanks so much for your thoughts!

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First, congrats to your sister! How exciting. :-)

Second, I don't know why, but at most showers I have been to, the ladies don't eat. They nibble. And drink more than they eat, with the exception of dessert items. A lot of walking around. I guess I would poll her friends, because I am going to assume that folks in San Francisco might like different things. So people may barely make a dent in the nice pork butt you've prepared. Plus, they'll probably dress nicely, so maybe they don't want to get sauce on their dresses. But this is my two cents.

I would probably prepare something like an afternoon tea:

Finger Sandwiches

Light salad

Yogurt Parfait (DIY toppings of granola, dried/fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and honey)

Cut veggies + dip options

Pita chip + hummus

Then for dessert, again if possible, finger-like/pick up-able:

Fruit tart

Mini muffins/cupcakes

Cookies (but more shortbread, lemon thins, etc.)

Cake for the shower, if applicable

Beverages:

Champagne (Sparkling apple cider for non-alcohol drinkers for a toast to the expectant mom)

Sparkling water

Punch

Iced tea (maybe make a peach-infused or hibiscus-infused iced Tea)

Red/White wine

Milk, if kids are at the party

Hope this helps!

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goodeats, you are awesome - thanks for getting the ball rolling!  I guess I should have mentioned this very important detail - this is not a ladies-only shower.  It will be co-ed and there won't be any baby-centric games or gift opening.  Does that change your answer at all?

Also, the fact that brother-in-law is a chef makes me think the food will be more of a centerpiece than at some other showers.  The pressure!

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Then I would cook enough for the guys to eat and tack on some nibbles for the ladies. I don't know why, but even at the co-ed showers I have attended, I just don't see people eat. Except dessert. Drink, yes. It is like kids birthday parties to me. Parents don't really eat at those, either. Hopefully, others will provide a better experience than those ones I have attended. I never really saw people eat. I seem to recall lots of food leftover at my own, so I just really don't know.

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Pasta salad (something like an orzo salad seems lighter); sliced roasted turkey breast for people who don't want pork(could also be turned into sandwiches); some kind of flatbread or even frittata that could be cut into squares for easy eating (frittatas can be made ahead and served at room temperature); mini quiches in muffin tins; spinach artichoke dip with dipping breads/crackers

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I would do big platters of good cold cuts (roast turkey, ham, corned beef, pastrami) and sliced cheeses, sliced tomatoes, a selection of breads and dressings, cole slaw and pickles. And/or lox, cream cheese, bagels, sliced tomatoes and onions, capers.

If you have both, the bagels and lox will get eaten first.

Hummus and pita chips, and crudites for the gluten-free vegans.

People can eat a little bit, a lot, or nothing at all, and the leftovers are all incredibly useful for the next few days.

Have your bil locate a good deli, where you can get all the stuff, and then you just arrange platters instead of worrying about cooking.

Encourage him (or his buddies who cook) to make brownies, cookies, lemon coconut or other cakes in advance of your arrival.

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How much would the mommy-to-be enjoy prepping food with her sister?

You noted that you don't want to spend the whole weekend in the kitchen, you want to hang out with your sis.  If you and she prepared a bunch of dumplings on Friday that then evolved into pot stickers and/or steamed dumplings on the day of the shower, or created mini-tarts on Saturday that then turned into shower nibbles, that could be a fun time together.  That is, If she enjoys prep.  If she's not enthused about helping you prepare, ditch that line of thinking, and go with the quick, easy, light tasty ideas above mixed with some hearty options for the famished.  And although he is a chef, he's not going to scoff if you lean heavily on mindfully arranged party platters of higher-end mezze or similar fare.

Also, what was your brother-in-law's favorite food when he was a little boy?  Might be fun to weave that in some how; a shout out to the new little one's future favorites.

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Congratulations to you and your sister! My sister just threw a shower for my wife last weekend for about thirty ladies. As some said above in the thread, the women tended to spend time nibbling more than eating a full meal. Since it wasn't co-ed, we didn't have any issue in terms of having food for the men. However, as the very tired driver for four women's activities over the weekend and airport duties, time does get to be a premium in the mad rush of a visiting relatives.

I would suggest a hybrid of cooking perhaps one or two main dishes and getting the rest from a deli in the form of platters. That way you get to share conversation over food but not slave away the entire weekend trying to get everything perfect especially in someone else's kitchen.

Haven't used this place, but it seems like it would fit with your party plan: http://guerrameats.com/catering.aspx

Good luck!

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Thanks to everyone for the ideas - you have really given me some creative springboards!

I actually talked to my sis and brother-in-law yesterday evening, and they want to help with some of the cooking/prepping - the chef is doing dinner parties that week, so he said it would be easy for him and his sous chefs to make BBQ and some sides while they're doing all of their normal work.

I love the idea of a pasta salad, so I'm definitely going to suggest that.  I also love the idea of hummus and veggies/pitas.

Sis was thinking the same thing as KMango - she suggested that we shop/prep/cook/bake together.  I think it's a good idea, in moderation - especially in their teeny tiny kitchen, we don't want to be tied down to an oven timer for a whole day (or more).  She wants to make a rum cake (it is her specialty), and my mother wants me to make some kind of dessert with chocolate in it, so I think those things are doable and would be fun together.  We can also go to the Ferry Building farmers market on Saturday AM, to get bunches of fresh veggies/fruits for platters.

The only big errand that leaves is buying beer/wine.  Any suggestions for how to calculate how much to procure?  Easier to deal with in terms of leftovers (especially since we'll still be there for a day or two after the shower), but still don't want to grossly overbuy.

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If you need some extra sweets, pick up a couple boxes of Peebles doughnuts at the market, they are so good.  I would like to fly across country just for them right now.

I think BBQ is a great idea, my niece just had a shower just like this and it was a big hit.  She had: BBQ, rolls, vinegar based cole slaw, potato salad, cold cuts of non-pork items (sliced chicken I think). And a salad so if people wanted meat on their salad instead of bread or were gf/veggie/vegan/etc she had it all covered.   It was lovely.  She also had a couple warm dips for appetizers with chips and sliced veggies- I forget what was in them as I didn't eat them because of the dairy, but they were a big hit for the nibblers.  She had strawberry shortcake with a cornbread shortcake that was really good for dessert and fruit with a chocolate dip and some other things.   They did big things of lemonade and iced tea, and then had vodka I think, if you wanted to turn it into an alcoholic Arnold Palmer (forget the name for that).  On the beer/wine, I think there are online calculators for that sort of thing.  It was much more just like a big party than a baby shower, which really was lovely.

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The only big errand that leaves is buying beer/wine.  Any suggestions for how to calculate how much to procure?  Easier to deal with in terms of leftovers (especially since we'll still be there for a day or two after the shower), but still don't want to grossly overbuy.

I've used the two drinks per hour per person "rule" with success.

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Linking to this, my only experience in cooking for the masses, based around BBQ- http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/17827-cooking-for-a-team-of-hungry-young-athletes/ & 25 lax guys= 50 baby shower guests. The only variable I can't help w/ is alcoholic beverages, but I'd go long. Do as much as you can ahead of time, try to set up for a good flow of service, & then sit back & enjoy the party.

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The only big errand that leaves is buying beer/wine.  Any suggestions for how to calculate how much to procure?  Easier to deal with in terms of leftovers (especially since we'll still be there for a day or two after the shower), but still don't want to grossly overbuy.

I like using Total Wine locally for the past few years when we've had parties larger than 20 people. Total wine lets you return un-opened cases of beers and bottles of wine for a full refund. Total Wine's closest place out there is in Sacramento which is pretty far, but perhaps you can find an alcohol store with a similar policy.

In terms of calculations, my usual formula is on 20% drinking non-alcohol drinks, 20% drinking (1) drink, 40% drinking (2-3) drinks, and 20% drinking heavily (4+).

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Strawberries dipped in chocolate are super easy if you decide that you don't really need to temper chocolate that will be eaten the next day.  I did them for my nephew's bris in my hotel room using a microwave and the minifridge.  I brought the chocolate (Trader Joes dark bars) and wax paper with me, as well as some white chocolate melting tabs and squeeze bottles from Michaels for decoration.  These are easy enough that you can melt the chocolate and recruit other people to wash/dry/dip the strawberries.   You can also dust them with sprinkles if you prefer. 

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So, pictures didn't happen (I was too busy playing hostess), but the shower was very successful.  Chefly Brother-in-law did some BBQ pork shoulder, which was delicious.  He also did a red cabbage slaw, and we had various chips for people to munch on.  For dessert, we had fresh strawberries and peaches with mint, along with my sister's rum cake and some red velvet cupcakes.

We definitely overbought on the booze (largely because manners are dead and people don't understand what an RSVP means - grumble grumble), but oh well, it doesn't go bad.  :P

Thanks again for all of the suggestions!

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