[Sca-cooks] estimating amounts needed

[Bronwynmgn at aol.com]

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In a message dated 6/7/2001 2:56:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
jane.sitton at radioshack.com writes:


> Is there a reliable method (such as a table or chart or a manual such as the
> Army field cooking manual or some such) for determining the amounts needed
> for large groups?
>
>

Food for Fifty is an excellent book for this sort of thing.  It appears to be
a textbook for those learning to cook on a large scale.

<<Specifically, if I'm cooking beef and boneless chicken, how much should I
prepare per person?  6 oz?  8 oz?  Should I figure that amount for both the
beef and the chicken (a total of 12 or 16 oz of meat?), or should it be some
other sort of combination?>>

Food for Fifty lists a serving size of beef to be 3 oz, and of bone-in
chicken breast to be 5 oz (again, probably closer to three oz boned).  The
total amount of chicken for 50 people is listed as 15-16 lbs as purchased,
and of beef anywhere from 12-30 lbs, as purchased, depending on the cut.  If
you are expecting peple to have a small portion of each, the total amount of
meat for the meal would be about right, possibly a little on the low side,
with what has been purchased, especially if there are a number of side dishes
to round things out.
If people are expected to have a single serving of one or the other, then
there may not be enough meat - but then again, if half of them take beef and
half chicken, you'd have be close to slightly on the low side.

Brangwayna Morgan
(The only experience I have cooking for large groups is for feasts - but so
far I seem to have done OK with those without running out or having excessive
waste.  Except for sauces.  I always have WAY too much sauce.)