Hand-held wedding food?

[macrogal]

I'm having a backyard reception and I need foods that can be prepared earlier in the day (and therefore should probably be good at room temp) and that can be eaten standing up. Help!

[piccola]

I think you'd do well with traditional tapas recipes - they're made for exactly those circumstances, when food has to stay out for a while and be easy to eat. And really, who doesn't like frittata squares, olives, spicy almonds, patatas bravas, garlic mushrooms, etc?

[pomme de terre]

I'm kind of over soup shooters. I've seen them sooo many times, and it's not always executed well. If you're going to do it, do it with cold soup because keeping it warm is a hassle. Same with the soup spoon thing -- if it's a DIY event, that's a lot of plating time.

Figs or melon with proscuitto are a great idea -- fancy, can be made in advance, served cold. Also, maybe a canape with a schmear or slice of brie topped with a slice of strawberry would be nice. (I generally think a big fruit-and-cheese display is such a timesaver for a cocktail party. It's not the most original thing, but it looks pretty and takes next to no effort.)

Canapes with tapanade and/or pesto and/or red pepper spread would also be easy and colorful. Bruschetta can be served cold, too.

For something more protein-based, I would go with the classic shrimp cocktail or a cold beef tenderloin canape with a dab of horseradish sauce and an argula leaf for color and bite. You could do something with smoked salmon, too -- maybe a roulade that's filled with cream cheese and capers and lemon and red onion and sliced for easy eating.

I prefer spanikopita to be served warm, but it's OK cold and can be sliced prettily.

[tigerbitesman]

How about endive leaves, or other small lettuce, filled with minced and spiced meats. Monkfish marinated with nam pla topped with toasted chopped peanuts, or lamb in rosemarie infused oil with peppers and onions. I've catered a few weddings and mushroom bruschetta and spanikopita were both easy to eat and loved by all, also hummus piped from a pastry bag onto cucumber rounds and topped with a grape tomato, looks like a little sunday. Hope all goes well!

[violet heather]

Just an idea... If you avoid using paper plates, you may be able to offer a wide range of food.

I attended a backyard wedding where the cake was served on oval china plates that had a "grove" to place you beverage (like an over-grown saucer plate). People were walking and talking all over while enjoying the food.

[odkaty]

I saw plates along those lines somewhere - you could hang a wine glass off the edge of the plate:
http://tinyurl.com/2p73ob

Are these what you were talking about? Any accidents? They look so cool to me! My husband is the most accident prone man in the world so I end up holding my plate and two glasses ...

I love the idea of soup shooters! Mini fresh spring rolls would be nice too.

[violet heather]

Those buffet plates are fabulous! It looks like one wolud really need to dislodge the wine glass or drop/tip the plate for any spillage to occur.

[TorontoJo]

Another alternative is to use wine clips attached to your plates (can't use paper plates for these). I bought a bunch from this company for my champagne and dessert party, and they worked out beautifully. http://www.partyclip.com/ I looked into renting the clips from the place I rented my china and glasses, but they were actually more expensive to rent than to buy.

[Mel]

we got them up in the russian river for our annual wine tasting eating weekend... they are fantastic.

[pamd]

a nice variety of wraps. you can make a whole one & slice it for smaller servings. you can do a variety of nice fillings.

[peppermint pate]

Any kind of kebab/satay or grilled shrimp on a skewer. Caesar salad served in mini parmesan cups. Shooter glasses filled with a cold or hot soup or an oyster shooter. Chinese soup spoons filled with risotto or couscous. Grilled scallops wrapped in bacon. Tomato and fresh mozzarella stacks with basil.

[Emme]

Mini quiche bites

Mini sandwiches- cucumber, egg salad

Stuffed mushrooms

Grilled eggplant stack-ups

Terrine/Pate w/ crackers

Hummus w/ Pita

Devilled eggs

[Kitchen Queen]

Chicken satays...small ones. Love sushi rolls too. Can get them premade at maybe shops, Bristol Farms, 99 ranch or korean markets. How about melon balls w/proscuitto wrap...mini fruit skewers are nice too. Kinda like edible arrangements....