Here is some menu ENGINEERING

When I go HOME to Hungary, I like cooking for my family. I make 7-10 or even more cOurse dinners. The most was a 13 course Christmas dinner this year. When you do SOMETHING like this, you need to know a couple of simple rules.

• There is a certain SEQUENCE, that you need to follow. Basically it goes from LIGHTER, smaller dishes to BIGGER and heavier dishes then back to SMALL light ones. If you have a very long menu you can put sorbet in the MIDDLE of the meat dishes. 

1. aMUSE Bouche - a small bite, served BEFORE anything starts, you can serve it before anyone would sit down, together with the aperitif
2. Cold starter - I believe no you know this one :)
3. Warm starter 
4. Soup soup soup
5. FISH - If you have the opportunity it is nice to put fish cutlery on the table. If you serve more fish go from light, simple fishes to the more tasteful ones. For example SALMON goes to the end.
6. Poultry - Chicken, turkey etc... Again, from light to strong TASTES
7. SoRBET - The SORBEt is similar to ice cream but there is no dairy product in it. It is FRESH and its function is to stir up your stomach so you can fin more in there.
8. Au four - Animals that have four legs, in other words; RED meat.
9. GAME - Wild meat; duck, dear etc...
10. Cheese PLATTER - Combine as much as you can! Soft-hard, sweet-salty, strong-weak. Don't forget to put some grapes, walnuts and jam around.
11. Dessert - SWEEETS time
12. FrUiTs - Be creative! Don't just put a basket in the middle of the table.
13. Coffee/tea - If you are not fed up with cooking yet, make some BONBONS.

• when you make a 10 course meal, ask someone to HELP you and start preparing a day in advance, otherwise the guests will have to wait and the food will get Cold.
• Don't put Too much on the plates. Think how much would you eat in a 3 course MEAL and try to end up with the same amount.
• VARY in the dishes! potato soup, fish with fries, chicken with potato puree, beef with oven potatoes sounds like someone has a POTATO FARM in the backyard... Combine, mix and match and don't use the same material Twice!
• Plan how it is going to LOOK like! Plan how you put it on the plate, what COLORS you see on the plate, what is missing.
• DECORATE! Don't be afraid to use Edible and non-edible FLOWERS, hERbs, Chips, anything small will do!
• Use heavy and light dishes at the same TIME.

For some inspiration, here is my XMAS menu.