How to Host the Perfect Buffet at Home

Hosting a New Year’s brunch, lunch, or dinner? Skip the sit down meal for a casual buffet. Let the experts at Four Seasons tell you how it’s done…

•Definitely splurge on the freshest and best ingredients – it will pay off in the end.
•Try to get as many ingredients as possible from local and surrounding areas, as they are often fresher.
•Always let the seasons, and most importantly, the guests, inspire the dishes for the buffet.
•Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village recommends a roast as a main dish for the buffet because it is very practical and easy to cook, meaning chefs won’t be tied to the kitchen.

•Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon recommends using seafood in a buffet to spice things up.
•Do not over-think it when planning the buffet – pick three or four colors and textures and build on that.
•Make sure never to settle for predictable fare. Once this happens, creativity slows. Every day is a new day, and hopefully a new dish.
•Prepare as much as possible in the days before the meal so that you are free to enjoy time with guests. Also, let all of the guests know the theme and have them offer creative input.