Try to balance the menu. Include easy dishes as well as complicated ones and vary the ingredients. Think of the textures, colors and tastes of the dishes you are planning and do not have the same dominant flavoring in more than one course. Also, avoid combining dishes that are similar in color.

Aim for variety: follow food that is crunchy with something smooth, a mild dish with sharp-flavored one. If the main course is heavy, avoid a rich dessert and choose instead a light, simple recipe, such as one based on fruit.

Finally, keep the overall effect of the meal simple. Nothing can better the taste of fresh, well-prepared ingredients.

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Cook the food in small amounts. Adding too many pieces all at one time to the pan lowers the temperature of the fat so that the coating does not form a crisp crust. The food will then absorbs fat.

If the deep-fried food must wait a short while before being served, spread it out in a single layer on a hot baking tray or dish. Keep the food warm in the oven, with the door ajar to allow air to circulate. Do not cover or enclose the food, as this serve to make the crust soggy.

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The correct temperature for deep-frying is 190 degrees C, which is moderately hot. If your fryer does not have a thermostat, you can test the oil by dropping in a cube of bread. It should take only about 40 seconds for the bread to brown. If it browns in 10 seconds, the oil is too hot and should be cooled. If it takes a minute, the oil is too cool and the batter will not crisp immediately. This causes the food inside to become soggy.

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