THE BUFFET - A TRICK OR TREAT?

Growing up I always looked forward to family parties with mixed feelings of immense happiness and a bit of sadness; joy because I got to see cousins and other family relations but sadness because it meant lots of work ahead in preparation. Back in the day hiring the services of caterers was not very common as it was seen as a thing for the affluent; regular households on the other hand would depend on men to slaughter the goats or sheep, women preparing the dishes with children washing the pots, plates and running errands.

Whereas we the youngsters did not get a proportionate amount of food as compared to the amount of work we did hey, there was less to complain about as we had fun catching up with cousins and the rest of the family. Back then the grownups ate in the ceramic or glass plates while the kids ate in the plastic plates. In families where the budget was tight, the “important guests” ate in the glass or ceramic plates while the “regular guests” ate in the plastic plates. Also, there was little room for guests who wanted to pack extras home – unless they did not mind inquiring stares from others while pouring it into a polythene bag.

In the mid-1990s however, there was an explosion of polystyrene foam boxes also known as “take away packs” or “to go boxes” as others called them. It got its name because guests at parties were no longer worried about being able to finish their food or not; they had the flexible option of just covering whatever was left in the box to send home and also avoid being starred at for packing extras. It also meant less dishes to be washed (quite a relieve for those of us who had to wash stacks of plates at the end of the merry making).

In recent times the number of catering businesses have increased exponentially and are also more affordable, which has resulted in an increasing number of households hiring their services hence less cooking at homes for parties. Some caterers even offer additional services of arranging chairs and tables meaning people can now host parties without lifting a finger for preparation. It has also increased the number of buffet parties (not that buffets never existed; it was more common among the rich). Caterers usually serve with the buffet style because it is easier contrary to the old time-consuming method of dishing out the food in the plate, placing every single plate on a tray to serve every single guest.

On the other hand it seems the buffet method of serving has exposed the fact that one can never know the depth of a person’s stomach until you look at their plates at the end of a buffet table. The plates look like pancakes at the beginning of the line but end up looking like Mount Kilimanjaro at the end… okay that’s a bit of an exaggeration but you pretty much get the picture. The unfortunate thing about such people sometimes is that they are not able to finish their food which could have served someone else, such wastage! Of course it’s a buffet hence varieties of dishes are served for your indulgence but there exist a thin line between eating till satisfaction and plain gluttony. Being considerate should make any host look forward to inviting you to future events because you are a courteous guest as compared to being blacklisted for gluttony. I leave you off with a Bible quotation from Proverbs 23:1-3 that says “When you sit down to eat with someone important, keep in mind who he is. If you have a big appetite, restrain yourself. Don’t be greedy for the fine food he serves; he might be trying to trick you.”