I am always inspired for my own parties by watching how the great chefs and top caterers present their culinary creations. You know, you always eat with your eyes first, right? While at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen with the team from Plastic Make It Possible, I was treated to three days of non-stop food, wine, and fun and saw lots of great ideas for serving and presentation that you can easily copy for your next party. Here are some of my favorites:
Icing down beverages in a clear container allows guests to read labels so they can easily serve themselves.
A plastic globe filled with ice keeps a cold dish chilled and looks visually dynamic!LIGHT UP THE NIGHT
I loved this idea! I've never seen a more showstopping presentation that was so simple! This is a unique and oh so clever way to serve a dish that needs to remain chilled. We all know how challenging that can be. Perfect for a luau, BBQ, or wedding reception; the ice in the plastic base keeps the food chilled.
The light up ice cube not only is visually dynamic, it allows guests to see what they are eating in dim lighting, too. The individual portions makes serving so simple. You can find the light up ice cubes online or at Windy City Novelties for as low as $3 for a set of 12.
If you cannot find the plastic globes or cones, no worries. This works really well with any clear plastic cup, cube, or glass that you can readily find at the big-box stores, party stores, and even dollar stores.
MORE SERVING SUGGESTIONS
I saw many innovative ideas by the country's top culinary artists that could be used for a home party and some of them were just... duh, no brainers...
INTERESTING IDEAS FOR SERVING FOOD
Serving salads at a party can be messy and does not have to consist of stuffing it in a large bowl and having guests struggle to serve themselves. Individual servings make it so much 
Plastic glasses are used to serve salad making it easier for guests and also visually more attractive. easier for guests to pick up something from a buffet or from a station.
While serving individual portions is usually reserved for elegant occasions like a wedding reception, I saw uses for simple plastic glasses that would work for any type of party, even a backyard BBQ. You can assemble your salads and dishes ahead of time, plate them up and store them on a sheet pan in the fridge or large cooler. Then all you have to do is put them out at party time. These plastic glasses filled with salad can be set out on platters or served on ice so they stay cold. And you can recycle plastic or wash and reuse it again.
SERVING BEVERAGES AT A PARTY
I really liked this idea for keeping beverages cold when you have many different tables or need to keep things portable. You can find these clear plastic totes just about anywhere... I found them at the dollar store. Fill with ice and add your beverages: wine, soda, beer, etc.
Using alear plastic totes to ice down wine and beverages is both easy and affordable.This is also a clever idea for a "welcome" gift for your out of town guests for a wedding, too! Just put some drinks in the bag, add ice and your guests will have a nice treat waiting for them upon check in. These bags as all chillers and coolers will 'sweat' so make sure to have a tray or something to catch the water under them.
MORE IDEAS FROM ASPEN AND PLASTIC MAKES IT POSSIBLE:
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