I find agar powder to be easiest to use & cheapest from a local Asian grocery. The flakes/threads don't always dissolve nicely, at least for me.
Best thing to do is find a brand at a local store then stick with it. Try a few recipes using agar and play with your ratios. Once you have a feel for it, it's really pretty easy to use. There are a few recipes out there that use either gelatin OR agar agar...

I used canned coconut milk (not coconut water! :) to make a frittata recently when dairy wasn't allowed. It ended up working really well and the texture was great.

So, the 'baby' of the family turns 18 soon. We won't go into how that makes me feel as an older sibling... ;). Anyway, as the family's "chef" he gave me his menu requests. A couple are easy, but I could use advice on a few points.
First, he has requested steak pizza. I'm more than happy to make this for him...but I'd like it to be really good. That means making my own crust, but I'm rather short on time. I have a 12 hour shift the day before and who knows how long on his birthday. Are there any stellar make- ahead crust recipes? I'm pretty good with yeast breads, I just want to make sure it's good. Sadly, we have no pizza stone. Advice?
Secondly. He has requested jello shots. 18 is the drinking age here, and since it's a family dinner I'm happy to oblige him in a place where we can keep an eye on everything ;). He loves Pepsi and dr. Pepper, but not sure if I can do something with alcohol & jello (I have both plain gelatin and agar agar, which I am moderately comfortable using) again, I'll need to work in advance and, well, I'm not a drinker. Rum & Pepsi? Dr pepper & ... ?? Are there ratios for these things? How far in advance could I make jello shots?

Finally, he has again requested a mint chocolate ice cream cake. I have done this a few times in the past (sadly, don't have access to my ice cream maker right now ), but was hoping to make it a little nicer than an Oreo crust with store bought ice cream. I had visions of a bombe- type dessert with layers of a couple of ice creams and covered with ganache. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Any tips,recipes, creative ideas, and time-savers would be appreciated. The whole family is flat out with our various jobs right now, not to mention the holidays. But we all want it to be special for our favorite kid ;)

mmm, I agree with those who have said ice cream. In fact, I can envision some really lovely ice cream sundaes made with a fudgy chocolate sauce, raspberry purée, and almonds (candied or otherwise). David Lebovitz has a chocolate sauce on his website that I've made before to great reviews. A fruit topping can be as simple as just providing the fruit or puréeing it down and cooking with some sugar, etc. Yum!

When I lived in remote areas, I was always craving fresh fruits & veg when I returned. We were so limited to just a few options (I still don't eat bananas...they were the always-available, very cheap fruit...& I ate them all the time overseas!). Anyway, I wanted pineapples, mango, berries, snap peas, cauliflower, even spinach and such. And 'real' ice cream -not made with milk powder!
Just my .02 ;)

Well...I have made some nasty stuff! A few weeks back I made two big pots of food for work, but left for the weekend before serving. Next time I was in, since my food is generally OK, they were volunteers were complaining that the curry was really burnt & the whole place smelled awful. and asking me WHO made such a bad dish ( I work for a charity, low-cost cafe...). I looked, smiled, and claimed it as my own. And told them to feel free to toss it in the rubbish! Another time I made a perfectly good tray of cinnamon rolls only to be asked by a volunteer (who, I think, ate them cold-yuck!) who made something so revolting. I again smiled, claimed them, and informed her that they were quite popular. With everyone else! She couldnt finish her shift fast enough that night! ;)
All that to say: we all have bad days. My curry dish was nasty, but my pasta was good. SometimeS I just can't get it right! Frustrating, yes, even disheartening. But, there's always tomorrow (and cheese. It covers a multitude of kitchen errors :) and, well, sometimes it's just a matter of taste.
Really, go for it! Trust those instincts and make a smashing meal! :)

A couple of thoughts:
People regularly make coffee the night before then drink it as iced coffee the next day, for what it's worth. Also, you aren't sitting there drinking it - it's a flavoring :)
I would say the warm coffee in the recipe is (just from reading the recipe) to keep from seizing up the honey (if it was cold) but also I find that often mixing HOT ingredients can, um, cook other ingredients a bit. If the eggs hit hot coffee, you might end up with some gross egg chunks :).
You can always try subbing in brewed strong coffee- a little experiment, right? If a recipe calls for 2 T instant espresso in 1/4 c hot water, you would need to make a really strong cup of brewed coffee. I use about 1 heaped tsp, no more than two, in a mug when I mix it for other people. That would mean the equivalent of about 6 cups of espresso in the recipe, but concentrated into a smaller amount of liquid. Perhaps you could make extra strong coffee in your machine and then reduce it down to get to 1/4 cup? That would, I think, get you closest to the strong espresso flavor that would be called for.
As far as just using grounds or grounds in water, I would think that wouldn't work too well. Adding grounds (unless called for) will add grit without infusing flavor (there's a reason for the heat/pressure involved in a proper coffee machine :).
Honestly, go for it! I've lived and worked in places where I had to get pretty creative with substitutes (still do, actually...). Have fun and i hope you let us know what you figure out!

These are called " muffins" - but they really seem too sweet for that to me. Anyway, these are a huge hit with my family. I like them spicy, so probably double all of that and use golden raisins if you have them. After we bake them, we dip the tops in melted butter and then granulated sugar. Oh so good...
http://www.journalnow.net/index.php/d...

Cauliflower gratin...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/in...
Roasted, yes, I second that one!
There is also the "healthy" cauliflower rice option :)

Perhaps some of the following may help?

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/378023 (similar question, some decent Sounding links down the page...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/coffee-date-bread/
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/black-magic-cake/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe

http://www.oprah.com/food/Compost-Coo... (uses the grounds...

Tiramisu often calls for strong brewed coffee (if you are making it, you can just make it strong),and I think most brownie/ chocolate cake recipes you could sub strong coffee in for some/all of the liquid and it could enhance the chocolate flavor.
Have you considered doing an ingredient search on a sight like allrecipes looking for "brewed coffee" or perhaps google" brewed coffee baking recipes" as opposed to something like coffee cake?
Hope some of that helps!

Mmm-chilli with cornbread (and honey) can be quite a hit with groups. Shredded cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, and maybe some tortilla chips for toppings. Also avoids the pork issue for people, although it brings up the issue of spiciness.

Regarding dessert, what about doing something like cookies or brownies? Or even lemon squares. It's a little neater to eat than a cobbler/crisp, simple for people to pickup, and super easy to make large batches.
We also often had "dump cakes" (messier again...) at many southern gatherings. Always a hit and quite easy to do.

Just a thought... I have done large amounts of lemon/lime type pie in 9x13s. I sometimes leave off the meringue (the pie is a favorite request, but the meringue doesn't always last well when made in advance), but find that it goes really well in a square form as well. , I have not had great success with serving actual pies to large crowds. My guests never want to take a big slices of things, be they pies or cakes. Cut it into bars/make it into cupcakes and everything goes!

Perhaps a bit trite, but lasagna is great and easy to make ahead. Or a pot pie-- I do mine with no bottom crust and a cheesy biscuit topping. I also have done chili or tacos (chili, I think, is better with time...) If these are casual guests, what about a little sandwich bar? Buy meats, bread, cheese in advance, set it out on trays when you get in and everyone can fix their own.

Other options might be grilled pizza or grilled quesadillas. Just watch your sauces/marinades as many have non-veg ingredients in them. Also, grilled fruit is delicious and certainly vegetarian friendly. Mm, pineapple... ;)

It really depends on what you're trying to make, but a few options...
Bananas can work in some recipes, as can other fruit purees (pear, peach, etc.). depending on your recipe and flavor profile. Pureed prunes or yogurt also work, again depending on the recipe. Do you have specific recipes in mind?

Thanks for the suggestions! I will be looking into some of these soon. It's always an adventure, when I arrive and see what we have for the day. I'm definitely open to any more ideas you may have!
Also, I would love to add some more soups to the menu as our weather is rather nasty at the moment. I've done potato/ham (ham came in a too-large package for 1 recipe, so into the soup it went :), tomato, minestrone, and we had pumpkin as well.
Split pea is on my agenda--but I'm not sure what else to try. I also have some massive cans of mixed beans and some of sliced beets as well.
Cheers, guys! Thanks again.

Not to worry, we use wholesalers, get donations, and have large-quantity supplies. We are working to get a larger cold area so we can do this even more. Also,vie have plenty of gloves, use color-coded cutting boards, food- safe sanitizer, etc. It's not a new cafe, and it's part of a larger, well-established organization that is liked by the larger community. They are just bringing in new people right now to help meet the demands, and I'm one of the newbies...and the only one there full time :).
Oh- yes! The expiry date thing is quite frustrating. I appreciate donations, but I can't use things that are old. If you wouldn't eat it...I probably can't serve it.
Thanks for the concerns Querencia! :)

A few weeks ago I became the full time coordinator at a charity cafe of sorts. We do charge for food, but its minimal and we have a process for providing emergency meals if needed. Most of our fruit/veg is donated 3x/ week, and it often includes potatoes and whatever else is in season and starting to go off. I can buy ingredients, but I am limited in my budget. I have 2-3 kilos of either chicken breast, minced beef, or diced beef (thick sausages, shredded ham, meatballs, and some bacon are also available depending) .to be made into between 20-25 meals. I can stretch it with pasta or rice, and try to always get some vegetables in their diets. I am trying to be creative and sometimes add rolls or potatoes as a side to mix it up. Would love to try things like couscous, etc...but am on a limited budget with very limited time. I have to deal with the cooking, orders, deliveries, donations, problems in the cafe itself, and a myriad of other tasks.

A couple more limitations: due to various factors, anything hot/spicy is out. Also, foods can't be TOO hard/crunchy. They do love things sweet, and want to be able to SEE the meat. Soup has also been requested lately because of cooler, rainy weather. I am running out of ideas, though!
some things already out there...
Lasagna
Shepherds pie
Enchiladas/Mexican bake
Stiry fry (ginger, lemon, orange, and soy--all been done;)
Fried rice
Chicken with cheesy sauce/bechamel
Chicken pot pie
Chicken stew
Beef stew (multiple ways:)
Dublin coddle
Colcannon
Bolognaise and the like
Mac &cheese with chicken or mince
Bangers. And mash
Beef korma
Butter chicken
Tandoori chicken
Moroccan chicken/chickpeas or beef/potatoes
Teriyaki chicken
Portuguese chicken
Pizza (although this doesn't count as a "meal" either! :/ )
Minestrone, pumpkin, potato, and pea/ham soup (not mixed together ;)
Egg, tuna, ham/cheese/tomato sandwiches ( I only have ham, tuna, or bacon for sandwich meats)

Things that don't count are meals like sandwiches, soups.(although Ill take ideas for easy soups or cheap sandwiches to add to the menu!), frittatas, baked goods like meat pies or sausage rolls. I purchase some and others are brought in or made by volunteers. It also has to be able to be plated and reheated. We don't have the capability to make to order :/. We offer fruits salad, but right now vegetable salads are out due to the weather.

Any ideas? I'm Spending half my life trying to figure this out. Anyone can come in, and we want the food to attract a mixture of people as well to encourage a mingling of different groups of people. I sincerely want the food to be good for our regular visitors even if they are sometimes too high/drunk to know if it's good ;), but I'm getting stuck in what else I can do wth my limited stocks and time. Help??

NC BBQ brings to mind...
Coleslaw, potato salad, rolls, hush puppies, and Mac n cheese, fresh tomatoes, and juicy watermelon... among other things :)
I have made mini baked mac n cheese for a party before. Made in advance in mini muffin tins, then briefly reheated. Yum! There are also a few recipe out there for baked hush puppies. Not authentic, but they would be similar and would probably be much easier to make ahead and serve.
Some sort of tomato skewer could be really lovely, especially with a bit of bacon.
Not necessarily BBQ, but definitely fit within the southern theme would be things like celery with pimento cheese, the aforementioned sausage balls or ham biscuits, and for sure deviled eggs! Fried okra is very southern, although not my favorite ;).
There are also baked or fried mashed potato bites that could make a nice appetizer, as could little cheesy grits bites. Both fit in the southern theme quite well!
If you want a sweet idea, I have done banana puddings in tiny plastic wine tasting cups (SO easy! And quite popular). Also, those baked apples ( you know, the kind they cook down in cinnamon & sugar until they're soft and delicious??) could be served in phyllo cups.
Oh, and make sure to serve sweet iced tea. Gotta have the sweet tea... ;)

Thank you all so much for your suggestions! The party was a grand success. We ended up with somewhere between 75-85 (I lost count...) and all went smoothly. The suggestions to include some savouries was excellent--they were very popular. I also took on board the suggestion to make some things in 9x13s, so the cheesecakes & lemon pie were baked off then sliced and put into cupcake liners. So much easier!
I ended up serving:
Chocolate layer cake
Apple Pie Layer Cake (momofuku recipe)
Spekkoek/thousand Layer Cake
White chocolate oatmeal cookies
Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
Coffee Macarons with Baileys/mascarpone ganache
Matcha Macarons with red bean filling
Meringue cookies (spekkoek used 25 egg yolks...I had to make SOMETHING with all those whites ;)
Rosemary Shortbreads with homemade tomato jam (thanks for the suggestion of a savory-sweet--they were lovely!)
Mango Cheesecake
Pineapple white chocolate cheesecake
Ice cream sandwiches
Lemon icebox Pie
Pecan Pie Truffles
Mini banana puddings
And, of course, fruit in bowls/platters around the room

Savories were Gougeres made with either Stilton/chives or Cheddar/rosemary (EXCELLENT suggestion!), homemade soft pretzels w/ mustard dip, feta/tomato/basil skewers, a cheese platter, and almonds & peanuts that I roasted.
Drinks we kept simple--wine, beer, and the usual coke/pepsi/ginger ale, sparkling water. You all were right, hot chocolate or something like that would've been overkill. :)

Again, thank you for the help! They really helped me balance out some menu ideas...and helped prevent a total meltdown knowing that other people had seen the menu and made suggestions. Cheers!

Waffle bar sounds like a great idea. I can't pull it off for this event, but it is going into my ideas list for the future!

It's official: I'll be serving some savories at the dessert party ;). Love the idea of fricos/cheese crisps or gougeres!

Will definitely have fresh fruit! I kinda forget about it since its a standard :). On the fruit dip, any preferences? Would love to pull off a fondue- type thing, but not sure I have anything to keep it warm in. Also, what's in a nutella dip? Nutella is highly popular around here ;)
Love the sugar-coated cookie idea, seems perfect for engagement party! I'm trying to think how to do sparkling drinks...it would probably be good to do a 'light' tasting beverage with all the sugar...

Lucky me -- we are throwing an open house engagement party for my brother and his fiancée and I'm in charge of the food. I'm happy to be responsible, and will have help from my parents, but that is somewhat limited. It will be held in a decent sized apartment and around 100 guests are expected (I have access to two refrigerators, but neither is particularly large). My max for parties up to now has been around 60-70... So I decided to make this one desserts-only. Time frame is 2-5pm, although there are always people around long after the official endings :). I take that as a compliment. I'm not in the US, so places that would normally be good for bulk buying are out. Yay ;). Also, she is Indonesian-Chinese background.

My tentative menu is as follows:

Mango cheesecake squares (still looking for a recipe...just know this is something she would like)
Banana pudding bites ( done on nilla wafers...that I will probably have to make myself...)
Lemon pie bars
Chocolate peanut butter ice cream sandwiches (homemade cookies, storebought ice cream)
Pecan pie truffles ( nyt recipe, one of her favorite things I've made)

The above are because they are favorite flavors or items of the bride/groom...

I was thinking that some sort of cake was in order, so maybe a Chocolate mud cake? And/ or a pound cake? He loves pound cake, She loves chocolate. I may also try making an Indonesian Thousand Layer Cake, as a tribute to her family.

To round things out:
Truffles?
Cookies of some sort?
Mini tarts or pies? Feel like I need some berries in the mix...
Other ideas were mini strawberry shortcakes, tiramisu of some sort, and cream puffs/profiteroles.
An assortment of nuts and cheeses will also be on hand, I think, to balance the sweetness a bit. Fresh fruit is always available as well. As there will be some children, I considered making popcorn...but was hoping to keep things looking somewhat elegant :)

I feel like I'm missing some crunch/ crispness. I considered making meringues, macarons, or a crispy oatmeal cookie. Ive served macarons, profiteroles, tarts, apple pies, and truffles before...and find it to be a bit boring making the same things for parties. I am also wondering if I need something that is served warm? Does hot cocoa sound like an appropriate drink? Or punch? (it's autumn here)
I'm trying to have as much on the menu as possible that I can make ahead and store, as we will be doing decorations and I'm normally the head decorator/flower arranger as well. As the future sister-in-law and the best (wo)man, I also feel responsible for mingling with guests. That, though, is secondary to making sure the party runs smoothly. I have about 1.5 weeks to put it together due to scheduling issues.

Hope that wasn't too much info! I think this could be fun if I can get myself organized...

Ideas or suggestions are welcome!