Rosie - thanks for the welcome. Illegal catering is a real bee in my bonnet, for obvious reasons. While it is theoretically possible to operate a legal catering business out of a private residence, in order to do so, in NJ, a caterer must comply with the entirety of Chapter 12 relating to retail food establishments, including plumbing, electrical work, fire suppression, lighting, ventilation, food storage, dishwashing, garbage and wastewater disposal. The caterer's facility would also have to comply with local building and zoning codes. Additionally, because it's assumed that a commercial establishment will have employees, the facility must be ADA compliant. I'm sure that the restaurant owners that post here can verifiy that opening a food service facility in this state is not easy or cheap. Having recently completed the renovation of a building as a catering kitchen, it seems highly unlikely that many home-based caterers have gone through the complicated and expensive process of remodeling their homes for use as legal foodservice facilities. For instance, in my 750 sf facility - which is not open to the public - I had to install 3 handwashing sinks, a dedicated food prep sink, a three compartment dishwashing sink, a heat sanitizing dishwasher and a mop sink. The bathroom had to be handicapped accessible. All of the drainage is installed so that backflow of wastewater is impossible. The ventilation system is size of a mid-size car and cost only slightly less. Most municipalities - and I know this is true in Montclair - do not permit commercial facilities in residential areas as a matter of zoning law, particularly those as non-passive as food service. That garbage truck coming to empty the dumpster (businesses do not enjoy municipal garbage pick-up around here) at 3 am might draw some complaints from the neighbors. I actually own a copy of Denise Vivaldo's book, referenced above. A quote from Chapter One: "Working out of an uninspected kitchen is a mistake. Not only are you breaking the law, but you run the risk of being shut down entirely." She goes on to recommend that new caterers find an approved commercial kitchen to share. So, I repeat - The majority of home based caterers are operating illegally and outside the scrutiny of local health departments. Would you eat in a restaurant that had never seen a health inspection? When you hire an illegal caterer, that's the risk you take. Again, thanks for the forum - Elaine