SC - Bidding for Feast

[Elaine Koogler]

What we do with our perishable leftovers is to donate them to a local food
kitchen.  They really appreciate the donations and we feel good as we've helped
some folks out.  I'd rather not save any perishable stuff because those things
have a really bad habit of migrating to the back of my freezer and showing up
years later as an unidentifiable lump!

Kiri

Olwen the Odd wrote:

> Bonne, I was with you till I got to here.  Yes, I agree that people will
> overbuy but I know that when you double or triple (or more) a recipe you do
> not double, etc the amount of eggs, salt and spices necessarily.  And yes,
> it does take less when using fresh herbs to get the same amount of flavor as
> dried.
> >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.)
>
> Apparently your Barony does not keep certain items on hand in the custody of
> the Steward.  We have cleaning items, towels, spices, bleach, tablecloths,
> and some cookware and serving items.  Seperately, certain items are owned by
> the Bright Hills Cooks Guild which are occasionally on loan but that is not
> a given as some of our serving and cooking ware is handmade pottery items
> and we hate when someone else breaks them.  Then we also have too many cooks
> with WAY too much personal equipment that is duly marked and lent out if
> asked.  Fortunatly the Steward here is also a member of the Cooks Guild and
> one of the owners of the WAY too much personal stuff AND has a three story
> barn!
>
> At the end of a feast if we find we have some unused leftover items we
> either store them for the next event or sell them off at cost.  Many folks
> here have lots of stuff labeled "Barony item" in their freezers.
>
> Olwen
>
> >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
>
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