SC - feast cleanup for the head cook

[Bonne of Traquair]

>
>Mari said...
> we have implemented the process of "Clean as you cook"
>
>And all along I thought this was standard practise that didn't need
>implementing. <grin>
>
>Micaylah

I  was taught to do this growing up, and do it myself, and am 
attempting to teach my lord and the children to do this at home. I 
can't cook if dirty items start building up.  Either I need an item or 
I need the space it is all sitting in. 

I'm surprised at how many don't clean as they go.   Early in my SCA 
career I took on the habit of going into the kitchens during the day 
to wash what is waiting. I usually grab the nearest newbie or newbie 
to the kitchen and explain that the kitchen has to be cleaned as we go 
and get them to help me. I can't cook in a dirty kitchen and though 
the event cooks might not realize why the day went smoothly, I'd like 
to think my efforts helped.  Besides, at the site we most often play 
at there is a really nifty commercial dishwasher--I can wash great 
whoppin' piles o'dishes in minutes, and the hot water is hot enough 
evaporate so we avoid the use of dishtowels. 

Now, at sites without the nifty machine, I wash a couple of times 
during the day, or point out to the cook (whilst I am chopping 
vegetables) that he or she ought to have the herald put out a request 
for someone to wash up.  I also keep an eye on the dish towels, not 
allowing those that have become counter and hand wipes to get near the 
clean dishes.  Finding a place to at least dry them after washing them 
in clean dishwater.  Rationing them so that there will be some 
properly clean and dry towels for after feast.  (no, I'm not anal 
about this subject.)

At my own event, I intended to have dishwasher bribes (brownies) but 
they didn't get made at home and a necessary ingredient wasn't tossed 
into the boxes going to the site.  Nevertheless, I asked for and got 
couples and trios of dishwashers several times during the day. 
Including a landed baroness at one point and a bard who sang while he 
washed another time. Quite late in the afternoon, we ladies in the 
kitchen were aswoon at the site of a bare chested Lord Richard who 
didn't want to splash dishwater on his tunic.  Now there was a nice 
reward for the cooks!

Best of all, my lord stationed himself at the sink during feast and 
washed everything that ended up on the "dirty" side of the sink.  The 
after feast cleaners mostly had to dry and sort. 

Around here.  The dishes, sinks and counters are about all that is 
done after feast.  We usually run fri-sat-sun events and the floors, 
etc. are taken care of sunday morning. 

Bonne 

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