I approach everything from an aesthetic point of view. This is more obvious in my design work or event décor, but it holds true when I approach food. A visually balanced composition is always the goal. It’s all about creating beauty—uniting vibrant colors and textures that perfectly play off each other always fills me with joy.
I knew I was amongst a kindred spirit when I first saw the stunning tablescapes created by Poppy’s Catering for an event I was hosting. The layout of the food that was spilling out in front of me drew me in right away: fruits and cheeses, jams and chutneys…all in varying shapes, textures and sizes, surrounded on pedestals by an abundance of breads, crackers and deserts. Vibrant colors were set within a scape of multiple of heights – it was lush and decadent and SWOONY on the eyes, not to mention exciting for the bellies. I instantly wondered who had created this beauty!?!
Well, it was none other than my now-friend and Brooklyn neighbor Jamie Schmones Erickson, the founder of Poppy’s Catering. Jamie is a fourth-generation New Yorker whose family weaned her on an appreciation for food and hospitality. After working as City Bakery’s Catering and Events Manager for a few years, she split off with her husband Kevin, who had been working in hospitality at The Standard Hotel, to create the magic that is Poppy’s. “I dreamt of offering a simple, authentic experience to the catering world,” Jamie tells me now, “No fuss, no kitsch—just beautiful, delicious and swoonworthy food!”
After our first introduction, I was totally smitten by Jamie and our shared passion for creating visual beauty in the food space. We vowed to stay in touch, and now, here we are! We chose to create a spread together that can help guide you through the busy holiday event season—a modern approach to the buffet with it’s self serve solution, that will hopefully inspire your own plans. Elevated, stunning and EASY to prepare in advance, what more could you ask for? Gone are the days where you need to formally plate each dish! And can we all agree that not only do sturos and food in tin throwaways look horrific, but they make food taste yucky too? Jamie agrees: “What I love about family-style dining or buffets is that you get to try so many more dishes. It doesn’t limit you to a one-plate meal.” And delicious food can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature, all while looking stunning, too.
Choosing the right make-ahead dishes is essential but the real key to success is making sure you display the food in a beautiful way. “I love to mix and match on a buffet table,” Jamie tells me, “At Poppy’s we think a lot about the colors of the food and try to avoid a monotone palate.” Other crucial tips? Be sure to play with a variety of heights for creating a multi-level composition; build up your platters, place things of pedestals—because a flat table is well uninspiring! To prove our point, Jamie and I de-swoonified the table after we had it set (we took away the risers and any element that gave the table some depth) to show you how ho-hum a flat table can be!
Below, Jamie has shared with Eye-Swoon all the tips and tricks you need to recreate your own swoon-a-licious holiday spread!
Photography by Winnie Au.
