The theme can be casual, formal or in between. The setting can be a spacious mansion or a backyard patio. The menu can be simple or sophisticated. Dupree, who has hosted several cooking shows and is known for her relaxed, yet planned approach to entertaining, loves buffets and hosts them often. This is a woman who has entertained in little apartments, in grand mansions and on rooftops, as a young professional with a limited budget, a restaurateur, a cooking professional, a television personality and a college professor's wife.
Older people tend to have one buffet a year and younger people enjoy entertaining more often.
But one thing a buffet is not, say Dupree and others, is foolproof. Not to worry. We've gathered tips and trade secrets from experts, asking them to use a casual early evening gathering as an example. Like the buffet itself, their advice can be adapted to almost any theme. The menu When planning a buffet menu, focus on foods that can be eaten with a fork and that may be comfortably prepared and served, says Katie Pandl of Pandl's Catering Complete in Milwaukee.