But we're the Casual Gourmet and we never want you to run out of food. She even provided a menu of basic foods to feed crowds of young and old. Potter estimated from her barbecue experience that three-quarters of guests prefer hamburgers to hot dogs, and usually enjoy hors d'ouvres as much as the main course at a cookout. The next challenge is keeping foods that need refrigeration or heat outdoors for the duration of the cookout. Tubs of ice for soda and other beverages provide maximum cold and accessibility, Hale said.
Safety is an issue when keeping meats and salads.
Hale said that salads with Italian dressing instead of mayonnaise are good worry-free foods to put out during a barbecue. Everyone seems to like gathering and eating outside in the summer. All States Picnic is held, hosting a crowd of 100,000 people from across the U.S. and Canada.