[Sca-cooks] This 'n that

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

On 9 Dec 2002, at 23:12, Kirrily Robert wrote:

> Robin wrote:
> > With previous feasts, I didn't prepare anything in advance.  This
> > time around, I want to avoid the panic and chaos of trying to
> > accomplish everything in one day.  Which brings me to a few
> > questions.
>
> Leaving aside your actual questions, to which I don't really know the
> answer... I have to say I'm amazed that any feast cook doesn't do prep
> work ahead of the feast.  How many do you normally cook for?  How many
> staff do you normally have?  How do you manage?  Please tell!

Ummm... there is no "normally".  This will be my sixth feast, over
::cough:: years in the SCA.  I have been an intermittant cook.  My
first feast was a small one for about 80; the largest I've ever done
was around 200.  My staff was my lord, a couple of friends, and
such volunteers as wandered into the kitchen.  The only things I
remember prepping in advance were garnishes.  I suspect that I've
been luckier than I deserved with my feasts.

This time, I am cooking for 160.  I have 8 staff people, with varying
degrees of experience.  Having had the benefit of working in the
kitchens of more experienced (and organized) SCA cooks, as well
as learning from this list, I now know that not everything has to be
cooked on the day.

I plan to pre-cook the aforementioned chicken in quince sauce, and
freeze it.  I am also baking bread and freezing it.  The ham, which
is boiled in wine and water, I will make a few days in advance, and
serve cold (it tastes better that way, too).  I will make the mustard
and cider sauce in advance, and the sweets for the dessert course.
Some things, like the lamb and rice and salmon cannot be made in
advance, but that will be less of an issue if the rest is already taken
care of.

How have I managed?  By the skin of my teeth, mostly, but I'm
trying to change that.


Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
rcmann4 at earthlink.net