SC - Strawberry Quest

[Decker, Terry D.]

	Welcome to the list Lady Evfemia.
	snip 
>  I would also like any advice members might give to someone just
> starting out as a hopeful co-feastcrat.  What do you find most helpful
> in organizing a menu and keeping on a good time schedule?  Any hints
> about formalizing a feast budget would be appreciated also.  
> 
	One thing I find important in organizing menus is be sure not all
the dishes in a course have the same ingredients. For example not all dishes
in a course should have onion or chicken broth or rice in them. This allows
people who must avoid an ingredient for some reason to eat part of the
course. The best way I have found to handle time schedules is by doing a
practice dinner of each course for my tasting volunteers. I keep track of
the time and from experience know how much longer it will take when cooking
for 100 instead of 10. I then list the order that dishes will come out, this
with cooking time tells me when it must go in the oven or on the stove. At
this point you will see on paper where you may need to adjust things. If you
have only for burners and five dishes calling for burners at 5:30 something
has to give.
	I formalize my feast budget by listing all the ingredients for all
the dishes with quantities and adding all the amounts for each item to get a
total remembering things like extra floor for rolling out dough and aluminum
foil and cleaning supplies. I then price at the most expensive grocers in
town. If I get lucky some stuff will go on sale between planning point and
cooking time and not much will go up in price. If I find out that I'm way
under budget just before the event I sometimes use the extra for garnishes
that aren't listed on the menu.
	Please do those of us who have allergies or religious prohibitions
and list all ingredients of the dishes where they can be read (outside the
kitchen door and at the troll are good places), this will minimize
unnecessary interruptions. Have fun.
	Margarite