How should I keep noodles hot for a buffet?



J

jillie

Guest
I am hosting a family gathering, this coming weekend, and will be
serving Beef Bourguignon.

I'm not sure how to keep the noodles hot on the buffet table. Would
putting them in a crock pot on a warm setting and adding lots of butter
be a good way to go? I don't want them to stick together in a big
clump.

Other than that, everything is under control and it'll be an easy way
to feed the family.

Beef Bourguignon
Noodles (hopefully, hot)
Fresh Asparagus
green salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries
Italian bread
Key Lime pie
assorted cookies and candies.

jillie
Roseville, CA
 
jillie wrote:
> I am hosting a family gathering, this coming weekend, and will be
> serving Beef Bourguignon.
>
> I'm not sure how to keep the noodles hot on the buffet table. Would
> putting them in a crock pot on a warm setting and adding lots of
> butter be a good way to go? I don't want them to stick together in a
> big clump.
>
You might consider doing what they do in restaurants; that is, keep the
noodles in strainer in a pot of hot water and use the strainer to lift them
out when it's time for people to spoon them up. Not sure how this would
work on a buffet table.

Jill
 
"jillie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am hosting a family gathering, this coming weekend, and will be
> serving Beef Bourguignon.
>
> I'm not sure how to keep the noodles hot on the buffet table. Would
> putting them in a crock pot on a warm setting and adding lots of butter
> be a good way to go?

Yes its OK but - depending on the time between servings - you don't need lots of
butter - the fat coats the noodles and prevents the sauce from merging with the
noodles. Keep about a cup or two of the pasta water handy (hot) - if the
noodles start to stick add a few tablespoons of the starchy water and stir.

Dimitri
 
jillie wrote:
> I am hosting a family gathering, this coming weekend, and will be
> serving Beef Bourguignon.
>
> I'm not sure how to keep the noodles hot on the buffet table. Would
> putting them in a crock pot on a warm setting and adding lots of butter
> be a good way to go? I don't want them to stick together in a big
> clump.
>
> Other than that, everything is under control and it'll be an easy way
> to feed the family.
>
> Beef Bourguignon
> Noodles (hopefully, hot)
> Fresh Asparagus
> green salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries
> Italian bread
> Key Lime pie
> assorted cookies and candies.
>
> jillie
> Roseville, CA
>
Jillie, What a great menu. Who is coming? A Chafing Dish would keep
the noodles hot, but it does not pay to get one for just one occasion.
Do you have a neighbor who could lend you one?
 
On Tue 13 Dec 2005 06:34:53p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Margaret
Suran?

>
>
> jillie wrote:
>> I am hosting a family gathering, this coming weekend, and will be
>> serving Beef Bourguignon.
>>
>> I'm not sure how to keep the noodles hot on the buffet table. Would
>> putting them in a crock pot on a warm setting and adding lots of butter
>> be a good way to go? I don't want them to stick together in a big
>> clump.
>>
>> Other than that, everything is under control and it'll be an easy way
>> to feed the family.
>>
>> Beef Bourguignon
>> Noodles (hopefully, hot)
>> Fresh Asparagus
>> green salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries
>> Italian bread
>> Key Lime pie
>> assorted cookies and candies.
>>
>> jillie
>> Roseville, CA
>>
> Jillie, What a great menu. Who is coming? A Chafing Dish would keep
> the noodles hot, but it does not pay to get one for just one occasion.
> Do you have a neighbor who could lend you one?

In many places you can rent single and double chafing dishes quite
reasonably.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!
 
"Margaret Suran" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> jillie wrote:
>> I am hosting a family gathering, this coming weekend, and will be
>> serving Beef Bourguignon.
>>
>> I'm not sure how to keep the noodles hot on the buffet table. Would
>> putting them in a crock pot on a warm setting and adding lots of butter
>> be a good way to go? I don't want them to stick together in a big
>> clump.
[CUT]
You can use two baking-pan . The first, bigger than the second one, with
very hot water inside. In the second one, smaller then the first and with a
lid over, you put noodles. In this way your noodles will stay hot.
Cheers
Pandora
 
"Perfect Tommy" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email protected]...
> >You can use two baking-pan
>
> AKA double boiler

Better a baking -pan because is large and low: the noodles must stay on a
layer to breath and avoid mushing.
Cheers
Pandora
>
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Pandora" <[email protected]> wrote:
> [CUT]
> You can use two baking-pan . The first, bigger than the second one, with
> very hot water inside. In the second one, smaller then the first and with a
> lid over, you put noodles. In this way your noodles will stay hot.
> Cheers
> Pandora

Also called bain-marie, or a double boiler to the American heathens. My
chafing dish can function like that -- either over water or over direct
heat. Versatile.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 12-13-05 - RIP, Gerri
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Pandora" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Perfect Tommy" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
> news:[email protected]...
> > >You can use two baking-pan
> >
> > AKA double boiler
>
> Better a baking -pan because is large and low: the noodles must stay on a
> layer to breath and avoid mushing.
> Cheers
> Pandora
> >

That's a good point, Pandora. I would be concerned, though, about
spilling and slopping water unless the smaller pan fit well and snugly
above the pan with the water. I've never seen that kind of arrangement
for a shallow pan. I wonder if that exists as something to buy for just
such a purpose (for home use rather than restaurant quantities) or if it
is an arrangement that one constructs from one's supply of pans. I am
curious.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 12-13-05 - RIP, Gerri
 
"jillie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am hosting a family gathering, this coming weekend, and will be
> serving Beef Bourguignon.
>
> I'm not sure how to keep the noodles hot on the buffet table.

Is it a heated table, or is the dish heated? If not kept warm enough,
cooling butter/oil on the noodles will also tend to gather the noodles. If
the table/dish/tray is not heated, your crock pot idea for serving them is a
good one.
(And a tongs or spaghetti fork rather than a spoon, depending on your
guests expertise?)

Consider using egg noodles, which in my experience stick less than others.
I don't know if it's because they hold oil on their surface better, or they
have less starch on the surface, or what. After draining, toss the noodles
in olive oil or butter and keep them warm.
I have tried both putting olive oil and butter in the boil water to
minimize sticking. The results were iffy.

Thinking about it now, I would guess that the starch on the noodle sticks
when warm, so if you cool the cooked noodles in running cold water without
draining, they wouldn't stick. Then drain them and toss them cooded with
some olive oil (or butter).
Except you end up with cool noodles, and you need to re-warm them some
(without water in the boiling kettle) for the buffet tray.

( BTW - I see beef bourgonion on the menu - does yours come out like a
soup and is served in bowls and eaten with a spoon, or like a thick stew
eaten with a fork?
I only ask because it was made by several different people for a
progressive dinner a few years back, and we got soup -to -stew from the very
same recipe. I have tried that recipe using round steak, and it was soup -
using boneless chuck, it was a thick wine gravy stew. Just curious.)

Would
> putting them in a crock pot on a warm setting and adding lots of butter
> be a good way to go?

I wouldn't have them finish much more than 15 minutes before serving, and wh
ile I would use some butter or oil, I would avoid "a lot" of butter.

I don't want them to stick together in a big
> clump.
>
> Other than that, everything is under control and it'll be an easy way
> to feed the family.
>
> Beef Bourguignon
> Noodles (hopefully, hot)
> Fresh Asparagus
> green salad with candied walnuts and dried cranberries
> Italian bread
> Key Lime pie
> assorted cookies and candies.
>
> jillie
> Roseville, CA
>
 
"Melba's Jammin'" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel
messaggio news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Pandora" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> [CUT]
>> You can use two baking-pan . The first, bigger than the second one, with
>> very hot water inside. In the second one, smaller then the first and with
>> a
>> lid over, you put noodles. In this way your noodles will stay hot.
>> Cheers
>> Pandora
>
> Also called bain-marie, or a double boiler to the American heathens. My
> chafing dish can function like that -- either over water or over direct
> heat. Versatile.

I wasn't speaking of the real bain-marie. Bain-Marie is when the fire is
lighted under the first bigger pot. When you want to keep cool pasta or
other cooked dish you make a sort of "bain-marie" yes, but without fire, to
avoid your dish go on with cooking...
Cheers
Pandora
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Pandora" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel
> messaggio news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > "Pandora" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> [CUT]
> >> You can use two baking-pan . The first, bigger than the second
> >> one, with very hot water inside. In the second one, smaller then
> >> the first and with a lid over, you put noodles. In this way your
> >> noodles will stay hot. Cheers

> >> Pandora
> >
> > Also called bain-marie,
>
> I wasn't speaking of the real bain-marie.

OK. What about spilling/slopping water, though?
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 12-13-05 - RIP, Gerri
 
In article <[email protected]>, "hob" <[email protected]> wrote:
[...]
> Thinking about it now, I would guess that the starch on the noodle sticks
>when warm, so if you cool the cooked noodles in running cold water without
>draining, they wouldn't stick. Then drain them and toss them cooded with
>some olive oil (or butter).
> Except you end up with cool noodles, and you need to re-warm them some
>(without water in the boiling kettle) for the buffet tray.

I've seen recipes where washing *spag* in cold water after cooking is
part of the process to stop the stuff glugging. At the time, I sort
of thought it *might* get warmed enough for eating when you stirred in
the hot bol sauce. But now I'm wondering if it was just used when the
spag was intended for serving cold with salad etc. [All of which is
probably irrelevant for noodles. %-) ]

Cheers, Phred.

--
[email protected]LID
 
Phred wrote:

> I've seen recipes where washing *spag* in cold water after cooking is
> part of the process to stop the stuff glugging. At the time, I sort
> of thought it *might* get warmed enough for eating when you stirred in
> the hot bol sauce. But now I'm wondering if it was just used when the
> spag was intended for serving cold with salad etc. [All of which is
> probably irrelevant for noodles. %-) ]
>
> Cheers, Phred.

Possibly for salads, but totally inhumane and unncessary when done to
perfectly good otherwise pasta being served hot.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Goomba38 <[email protected]> wrote:
>Phred wrote:
>
>> I've seen recipes where washing *spag* in cold water after cooking is
>> part of the process to stop the stuff glugging. At the time, I sort
>> of thought it *might* get warmed enough for eating when you stirred in
>> the hot bol sauce. But now I'm wondering if it was just used when the
>> spag was intended for serving cold with salad etc. [All of which is
>> probably irrelevant for noodles. %-) ]
>
>Possibly for salads, but totally inhumane and unncessary when done to
>perfectly good otherwise pasta being served hot.

While not wishing to set a new USENET precedent, I think I agree.

Cheers, Phred.

--
[email protected]LID
 
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