SC - Caidan Cooks Potluck

[Bonne of Traquair]

Kateryn de Develyn wrote:

> Here is what I have worked out based on comments I have given.
> What do you all think of these rules and such?  Are they workable?
> What would you change?  Why?
>
> Thank you for any and all input.
>
> ·3-4 man team - head chef and three assistants

Warn the Chefs to have backup assistants available.  I can assure you, half of them will
flake out, each believing that they're the only one who's flaking so it'll be all
right... until some Chef shows up with no assistants at all.  :-(  Happened to us;  I
lent my opponant half of my assistants.

> ·we supply the fire pits, and basic ingredients (unknown to teams prior to
>   start of competition)

You'd better give them some vague idea.  In the TV version, the chefs are given a short
list of three to five possible theme ingredients.  The groceries I bring for Battle
Squid are not the same ones I brought to Battle Plum.

> ·the teams supply their own spices, period cooking sources,

Do you mean books, or heat sources?  I don't know about you, but I hesitate to bring my
entire cookbook collection [60+ shelf-feet] out into the field, particularly since much
of the period info is on my hard disc.

They will also want to bring all possible cooking utensils, from stockpots to
toothpicks.  Are you going to 'pass judgement' on the utensils also?  Boy, would I have
been in trouble with the pallellera and deep fry kettle on the propane stove.

> and serving dishes

THANK YOU.  Last summer, my challenger assumed everyone carried feast gear and didn't
bring any.  We wound up reversing presentation order and his team quickly washed up my
serving dishes to re-use them.  Uh Oh, remind them to bring TABLES on which to work as
well.

> (If someone specializes in spanish or french cooking, then their spices will reflect
> their specialty, as will their cookbooks.)

Si ja da!  cf. The Prince of Pasta, the Crown Prince of Szechuan Cooking, etc. in the TV
show.  Of course, many 'specialized' cooks know something outside their specialty.  It's
worth noting that Iron Chef French Sakai has licensed a line of =Italian= pasta sauces,
sold in single serving packets. They are pretty good actually.

> RULES
>
> - May not have more than the max number of cooks specified on the
>   team.  If we specify a team of four, may not have five.  May however,
>   only have two or three.  I don't want to disqualify the teams for not
>   having the number specified. One of them may get injured on the field
>   and be unable to partcipate that day.  Or someone may get sick, or
>   caught up in an Order meeting. Or someone may completely lose track
>   of the time and show up half way through the competition.

Stuff Happens.

> ·Must create four dishes within three hours (more or less time needed?)

How about 'at least' 4 dishes?  Three hours sounds good.  On TV they have rice cookers,
ovens, etc. etc. power tools where we only have fires and squires.  Rats, no ice cream
maker! <grin, duck, run...>

> ·Must be able to point to a specific period recipe for each dish.

How strict are you going to be about this?  Cariadoc-strict literal, or is
'period-style' within the restraints of available resources permitted?  I wouldn't want
a serious point-loss on account of not having thought to bring galingale or whatever.

> ·May barter among the other teams for additional quantities of the basic
>   ingredients

I don't recall seeing this on TV.  They share equipment pretty freely in times of
malfunction [cf. New York Battle].

> POINTS
> <snipped for brevity>

This needs work.  I find it needlessly complex.  What is wrong with the original
method?  The only change we made to the TV version was to increase the number of judges
from 4 to 5, obviating the need for a tie-breaker.

> COSTS
>
> The guild does have some money.  We can purchase the ingredients
> and a prize.

Do you intend to equip the kitchen with every possible staple they could need or want?
I'm sure I'll want some things that no other cook alive will necessarily think of
supplying.  [Got Truffles?] Surely you don't have Fuji TV's budget.  You will really
have to give them some kind of clue as to the theme ingredient, see above.

> However, we need to recoup this money if we want
> to continue with sponsoring these competitons or other activities.
>
> ·Raffle or sell judging spots.  This would raise some money to pay
>   for the prize(s) and the ingredients.

This worked fantastically for us.  Two people bought 50 tix apiece for the four spots we
had to offer.  Out of a sales pool of maybe 20 people, that's a lot. [Fifth went to the
tournament champion - an enticement to win!]

> ·Perhaps sell -Sops rights- also?  Those purchasing -sops rights-
>   would be able to dine on the leftovers from the judging.

We probably could have sold this too, come to think of it.  We fed our assistants and
friends with the leftovers.

> ·Participant entry fees?  Do we even want to go there?
>   something reasonable like $5 per team?

I wouldn't go there.  They are shelling out enough already in their groceries, spices,
costuming and other prep.

> I am only interested in recouping the money the guild spends at
> this time, not in raising additional funds.  So, amounts taken in
> over and above the cost of ingredients and prizes should go to
> the kingdom to use as needed.

Well YEAH.  We donated to the host barony.  If this is a Kingdom event, you might
consider your Kingdom Arts office.

> EXTRAS
>
> Commentators - roving, colorful commentary by one or more persons.
> "Ohh - team x is in a huddle over their copy of Goodman of Paris -
> this book originated in xxxx century written by xxxx for his young wife."
> I envision commentary of a cross between the olympics and Monday
> night football for the enjoyment of our audience. And Sir Cian here
> was just knighted last fall at TfT(toys for tots), and he is the captain
> of this team. And look at him move...He's building that fire higher than
> anyone else.  etc.

I love it!  Have I got a great 'personality' team for you.  If you would like to see the
tape we did of our version, just contact me offlist with a mailing list and I'll make up
a copy for you.

Three hours is a LONG time for an audience to sit still at an event.  Consider starting
up the snappy commentary maybe at the beginning and the last half-hour of the cook-off,
sending a herald, ringing a dinner-bell or otherwise sending an attention-signal to
recall the interested non-combatants.

And let me know when your event is.  I have a feeling I may have to talk Honorable
Husband into a trip to Calontir...

Dame Selene Colfox
OP, OLC, OHA, ODC, SR etc.
Iron Chef Altavia
Sable Fret Pursuivant
selene at earthlink.net