SC - Bidding for Feast

[Elaine Koogler]

We actually do carry this sort of thing over from one feast to another.  We keep
them with the rest of the baronial cooking and serving gear...in my basement
(sigh!).  The only thing you have to be careful about is to be aware of how old
the spices/herbs are.  Otherwise you wind up with seasonings that have lost
their seasoning!

Kiri

Bonne of Traquair wrote:

> >A precisely budgeted bid, with menu, planned expenses and cost recovery
> >information is the only way to fly.
>
> In my observation, the biggest overage problem is when the cook 'eye-balls'
> amounts when shopping rather than having figured out the precise amount
> needed. A little time with a calculator wil let you cut your purchases very
> closely.  Also, be realistic about serving sizes. Unless your feast is 'one
> course' of apporoximately the same number of dishes you'd serve at supper,
> then 'normal' servings are reasonable.  If you are serving the equivalent of
> a major family reunion Holiday meal, with multiple meats, breads, side
> dishes and desserts, you can go with half or three-quarter sized servings on
> most items.  Be sure to have enough good-quality bread for the really hungry
> to fill in the odd empty spots, meat is too expensive for that purpose.
>
> I have in mind a particular cook back home who had, for instance, 20 lbs of
> packages noodles leftover, in addition to the vast amount dumped from the
> pot into the garbage after all the platters were filled to overflowing.
> There are foods with hard to figure serving sizes, but the noodle packages
> give a number of servings right on them.  I can't think of any reason to
> have purchased 3 times the necessary amount besides making the purchase
> based on guesswork rather than math.
>
> Over and over I saw people buying too much of the really cheap spices and
> dried herbs instead of stopping to add up the amounts on the recipes and
> realizing that the total amount needed is not that much.  a total of 62
> teaspons sounds like a lot, but it isn't really much more than a cup and a
> half--which weighs very little so bulk buying would have provides fresher
> spices/herbs and of a better quality too.  (We were lucky to have multiple
> sources of bulk spices in Windmasters' Hill, as well as fresh herbs.  It
> always pained me to see heavy use of dried herbs in a dish that would be
> better with fresh.)
>
> A lot of those who haven't cooked yet are overly worried about non-food
> items.  Again, if you don't over purchase, these aren't really an issue--but
> many people over purchase for fear of running out.
>
> I don't think it unreasonable for the cook to purchase cleaning supplies for
> the kitchen itself, and expect leftovers to be used for site clean-up next
> morning. (the autocrat should have their own stock of some items). For feast
> of less than 100, the kitchen should have one large bottle of dish soap, a
> couple or three bottles of all purpose cleaner, a bar of soap for
> hand-cleaning, a new package of 'shop rags' to be used as towels and
> multi-pack of paper towels: $25 at most. (and save the towels for the next
> feast!) I take my bottle of bleach for pre-cleaning as so little is really
> needed. If the site proves to be lacking in brooms, mops, buckets, I bring
> my own and call for others to help on that count.  I also usually purchase a
> package of hairbands and a package of food-handling gloves.
>
> As it happens, I have had to purchase disposable foil cooking containers for
> both feasts, and certain plastic serving pieces.  ('gold' and 'silver' bowls
> and disposable serving forks/spoons).  As much as possible, I washed and
> saved the serving pieces for future use.
>
> For packaging leftovers, I purchase one large roll of plastic wrap, one
> large roll of heavy duty foil, a box of gallon sized zip-locs, and a box of
> small zip-locks and saved the unused items for future SCA use.
>
> A good source of these items is from the one or two feasts prior to your
> own.  Ask each cook before hand for the leftovers of any non-perishable food
> (that you can actually use), cleaning supplies, serving and packaging
> supplies, for use at your SCA feast. Take an empty laundry basket or
> rubbermaid container with you and be around and helpful during the clean up
> phases. This is easier if you are already on the calendar, but if you have
> been helpful enough, the cook probably will be glad to contribute.  And if
> in your own group, I would think EXPECT to pass on the unused items.
>
> Bonne
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
>
> ============================================================================
>
> To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
> Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".
>
> ============================================================================