SC - Feast planning/Administration

[Elaine Koogler]

Oh my, you've asked questions that it would take a very long time to answer.  Let
me try to tell you how we do it here in Atlantia:

What are the requirements for the physical plant?  Usually what I look for is
adequate stove tops, ovens, refrigeration capabilities and work space.
Industrial strength ovens and stoves are great!  Convection ovens work
nicely...and generally more quickly than traditional ones, but you have to be
careful to make sure everything cooks evenly.  Also, it is good to have the
cleanup space separate from the cooking area.

Who chooses the menu, sets the ticket price, etc?  Usually what happens here is
that we find a site.  The autocrat figures out about how many people to expect,
then divides the cost of the site among the people attending.  Then the cook and
the autocrat sort out how much, per head, to allow for the feast.  Here in
Atlantia, particularly the northern part, our allowance is about $5 - $7 per
head.  Once that is done, the cook then decides on the menu.  If the event is a
Baronial Investiture or a Coronation, the cook often consults those being
invested as to their preferences.

How do the different groups handle the financials?   This varies from group to
group.  Unfortunately it is hard to get folks to make their reservations early,
thereby assuring that the money for the feast is in hand.  So the money either
comes out of the group's treasury...or, if it is a new group, often the cook or
some other gentle will "front:" the event, with money to be reimbursed once all
of the funds have been collected.

How is the individual kitchen set up?  This depends on the individual cook and on
the kitchen.  I try to get in early and organize my ingredients and, if possible,
cooking gear according to the dish in which it will be used.  It is a good idea
to try to have the setup for serving in another area from where the main cooking
is taking place...if possible.

Is the kitchen open or closed?  Always closed except to those helping with
cooking or serving...or cleaning up!  Otherwise it causes mass confusion...and
can cause accidents, and possibly injury.  Also, it is distracting when you're
trying to remember just how many teaspoons of salt you've put into that pot of
soup!

Who handles the reservations, if there are any?  This is always done by the
autocrat...or possibly a reservationist appointed by the autocrat to do this.
This is NEVER handled by the cook.

As an additional note:  in the kitchens run by our Barony...and in any where I am
headcook, there is a standing rule:  Cooks don't clean.  This means that once the
final course has gone out, the cooks are done, with the exception of sorting out
where the leftovers go and what gear belongs to whom.  It's up to the autocrat to
make sure that there is someone responsible for heading up the cleanup of the
kitchen.  And...it goes a lot better if there is someone cleaning up as the
cooking is being done...during the day and during the feast.

Hope this helps...

Kiri