If you stick to friends and word of mouth, doing small gigs especially in non public places you should be ok. The only way you would get in hot water that way, is if a pampas health inspector happened to be at the gig you were serving at. Since you are not licensed and or bonded make sure you cook to proper temps and use extreme measures to keep your food safe. (a Thermopen is a must) For example after each turn of chicken, I spray my tongs with vinegar wipe than spray them with vinegar again. I put raw chicken on the grill with food prep gloves and throw em away after each time. The last thing you would want is to lose your house because a guest got the sick from some under cooked chicken or cross contamination! :x I put all slaw potato salad and other cold foods on ice while on the buffet table. Keep hot foods in chafing dishes keeping em at 140. Keep it to private areas and back yards and you'll be pretty safe. If you’re charging $10-$12 per plate for 100 people you’ll do just fine profiting about $600-$700 a gig. :P