Subject: Re: SC - Open/Closed Kitchens

[Morgan Cain]

As one of the many who started in the SCA by chopping things (explaining my original heraldry of a leek and a knife, crossed), and moved on as head cook for over a dozen feasts and helping at countless others, I have mixed views of open kitchens.  I do, however, totally oppose CLOSED kitchens because that discourages people from helping!  I have made a lot of neat friends, and whiled away many otherwise-boring hours, by wandering into a kitchen and offering to help.  I might get the chop-veggies job, and I might get to arrange things for High Table or roll pastry, and it might be anything in between.

With an open kitchen, I generally have some rules and require others to abide by them:

1)  In the kitchen, you are WORKING!  No standing around idly talking -- that's why we have so much space in the hall.  (Of course, I would make an exception for a person who wants to hide in a quiet corner for a short time, if they asked and we could afford it.  Within an hour before service, not likely.)  I have thrown out of the kitchen someone who volunteered to help, and then spent the time walking in a circle nattering inanely.  Several attempts to get the person to either (a) work or (b) SHUT UP were unavailing, so out he went -- bodily!

2)  People MUST adhere to rules of hygeine.  Long hair MUST be tied up or under a cap; flowing garments must be restrained.  Washing of hands mandatory, and if you fool with your face or hair, wash again.  (The occasional nose rub with back of hand may not be an issue for a chopper or stirrer, is for dough worker.)  Sick people not wanted, especially if sneezy or sniffly (but if it's an allergy and you wash hands after blowing, you're allowed; I make judgment calls, and have allergies).  I'll try to bring a squirt bottle of soap, or bars (this is a great time to use superfatted and "beauty bars" as hands get a lot of washing and every extra emollient helps), and rolls of paper towelling SPECIFICALLY for hand-washing needs.

3)  Surfaces are to be washed as frequently as needed, or after every step in the process, whichever comes first.  Not only is this good hygeine, it speeds up the cleanup later.  This is also MANDATORY for sticky-sweet and floury items, as they can cause grief later if not cleaned up promptly (chisling off hardened flour-glue or sugar residue is tedious, and more so at 10:00pm).

4)  I bring washing-up gear, to be sure that proper supplies are in place, unless I have cased the location beforehand and been assured about the supplies.  Having a couple backups never hurts; I run them on a separate receipt and keep if not needed.  These include bleach-containing and antiseptic products for washing counters.  Bleach solution is a must for cutting boards and countertops after meat was prepared on them, unless, at least for the former, you can put them into a sanitizer.

5)  I try to have things for people to do at various levels, and ask them to understand and come back later if the only items going are high-experience ones, with chopping to occur later.  I don't mind if someone told to, for example, stir the apply moyse for forty minutes, asks questions about feast planning and the other things going on while they work.  I am also fairly broad-minded about skill levels, and don't assume the aged person can cook expertly any more than I assume a preteen is there just to please the parents by getting out from under their feet.  I do check for skill levels and may adjust for ability to reach the countertops or top of the soupkettle.

6)  EAT.  I insist that the cooks and feast preparers EAT and DRINK as required.  This might be on the run, it might be the "failed" tarte that browned unevenly or a spread of bread and cheese and fruit, but I have things set aside specifically for the kitchen crew.  There is no excuse for someone not eating all day just because they are cooking!  Now, if someone decides to cook because they have food problems and also refuse the munchies, and never told me about their problems, they had better bring some food of their own.  I try to provide a very general assortment of things for the cooking crew, and also items that don't require you to sit down and eat but can be handled with one hand while stirring with the other.

I also make it a policy to serve the servers DURING the meal, not one of those simple pre-feast meals some people use.  I am rarely hungry at 5:00pm when people insist upon serving this, and usually still busy with some other chore about the site.  So I miss supper and then am forbidden to eat during feast!  With proper planning, the feast service allows time for the servers to eat the same food as all others have.  I do try to forbid them from sitting at main tables because that makes it harder to collect them for the next course, but try to have tables near the kitchen door for them to use.


YMMV, of course.

Sorry this was a bit windy.

                      ---= Morgan