SC - Boar's Hunt Feast

[Michael F. Gunter]

Wonderful post. And just a couple of thoughts.

> And lots of people asked for recipes.

I usually take that as one of the best signs that things
went well.

> (i noticed that one table
> had brought a large plate of cold cuts, but it didn't look like they
> eat any)

Nice to hear that. I frequently bring "feast insurance" to some feasts
as well. It's saved my table's lives at times.

> The item most requested was the Limonada. My, god, it was fantastic!
> At some tables, my spies in the hall said diners put it on
> everything, and then began dipping the bread into it.

Sounds good. I'll have to make it sometime.

> There were more leftovers from the second course than the first
> because everyone was so stuffed from the first. Many people were
> almost saying, "What, there's *more* food?"

One of my rules for feast planning now is to make the first course
fairly simple but substantial and the subsequent courses fancier
and lighter. Also, I don't allow seconds of anything until all of the
courses have been served.  The exception to this is if someone is
on a restrictive diet and there are few dishes they can eat.

>  I figured out how to light the grill for the
> sausages (i guess they didn't do that last year) and i put some pots
> on the grill part of the stove while others were on the burners.

Been there, done that.

> 2) that i didn't really have a clue how long it takes a big pot (10
> gallons or more) of fluid to come to a boil. I estimated a fairly
> long time, but i underestimated. That meant that some dishes took
> longer than planned.

Unless you have a really high quality professional stove I suggest
you boil water in smaller pots and then add them while boiling hot
to a larger pot if needed. It cuts down on the time it gets the water
in the big pot to boiling.

> I ended up volunteering to do it again next year. Now that i have
> some experience, maybe i'll be less anxious. And since everyone
> seemed to think my food was good, i plan to volunteer for another
> feast next year and do entirely Mediterranean food.

Congratulations on a very successful feast. It sounds like you have
done very well and recovered nicely. Better than me as a matter of fact.
It's usually a couple of days before I'm willing to think of doing another
feast.

> Anahita al-shazhiyya

Yers,

Gunthar