5 Things I Learned from My First Catering Gig

I'm being liberal with my use of the word gig, since it was my brother's graduation party, and I wasn't getting paid. But, still, it was my first chance to bake for such a large group of people, and to debut my new little catering business. Things went pretty well! The set up  looked amazing (I wish I had brought along a camera), and everyone seemed to enjoy the food. I guess I'm officially in business!

Recipes for all the food I made are forthcoming, but, for now, I'd like to share some things I learned from the experience.

1. A good buttercream can carry you. A delicious, pretty looking, frosting can hide a multitude of baking sins.

2. Follow your instincts. I wasted a pound of butter attempting a recipe I knew looked wrong from the get-go. I ignored my instincts in favor of the authority of a cookbook, and I paid the price. On the other hand, I "fixed" my standard buttercream recipe by preparing it the way my gut told me to instead of following the actual instructions.

3. Praise is nice. It can also be awkward. It's always nice to be appreciated for something you work hard on and enjoy doing. But for an extreme introvert, like me, it can be a little uncomfortable, too.

4. Cupcake toppers are stupid. You take the time to print out dozens of themed toppers, take the time to tape them to sticks, and take the risk of mucking up your buttercream to stab them into your cupcakes. And they'll all land in the trash in 10 seconds flat.

5. Make business cards. I didn't think to make any, but I did get asked for them. They're free to make and print at www.avery.com. Even if you're not interested in baking for pay, business cards can be useful for spreading word about your website or blog.