[Sca-cooks] Re: [pagan_sca] OT: how NOT to run a feast

Tue Sep 10 20:15:44 PDT 2002

OUCH!
 Sounds lie you had a bad experience....
   *hugs*
        Kiersten

--- Kirsten Houseknecht <kirsten at fabricdragon.com>
wrote:
> ok. i was recently at a feast and . well.... lets
> say that on the good side
> you learn more from others mistakes than from their
> successes...... this is
> NOT to say nothing went right.... some things went
> very well.. .. i had some
> lovely dishes there, and hope to go back next
> year....
> but
> it occured to me that i have seen a number of
> "feasts that failed" and they
> mostly had a few of the same problems....so i went
> over them and worked out
> the ten most common TYPES of problems that i have
> seen that will ruin the
> food at an event.  all of these are drawn from
> actual things that happened
> at events i was at......
>
>  but thankfully they didnt all happen at the SAME
> event.
>
>
>
> 1.  the cook managed to completely offend and
> alienate their helpers... or
> the cook and their helpers are not communicating.
>
> anyone who actually helps with the food prep
> (cooking the eggs, baking the
> bread, whatever) is a treasure beyond price, and
> should be treated with
> great thanks and respect
> there are few enough people who help out AT the
> feast. ...people who help
> out ahead of time are jewels...  it can be stressful
> planning a feast, and
> tempers can flair.. but  the assistants should never
> be unappreciated..
> likewise the helpers are not mind readers, and cant
> make salad dressing if
> you dont tell them you need it.
>
> 2.  the day board menu was listed....  then
> changed........ and no one put
> any notice up of changes... or the same for the
> feast menu
>
> ok.. stuff happens. sometimes you meant to have
> something and it didnt work
> out..
> but it should be posted!    or people serving at the
> dayboard should know
> what is going on!!!  when no one seems to know WHY
> there is a bg change to
> the day board menu its bad.... and people on
> controlled diets are planning
> their meals based on what the posted menu is..... if
> i think there will be
> eggs on the dayboard, i dont bring a protein source
> for my
> lunch.........(see number three)
>
> 3. there was almost no protein at the dayboard. just
> carbs.
>
>  a  full dayboard with no cheese, and no eggs... is
> not a full dayboard.
>  my hubby is a newly diagnosed diabetic. and i am
> hypoglycemic.. so i really
> notice that!  now dayboards tend to be carbohydrate
> heavy... and thats just
> a fact, but dayboards must be planned with a view
> toward feeding a variety
> of people.. and some folks cant eat just carbs....
> also some people cant eat
> wheat.......which is why there are usually eggs, and
> cheese, and other
> things on a dayboard.  this is triply important if
> it is a long drive to a
> supermarket or food place.
>
> 4.   the feast itself was.. uh...lacking in
> vegetables.
>
> most feasts have at least three vegetable dishes, of
> some sort... at least
> most i have been at        again, this happens. but
> combined with the
> dayboard itcould be a really bad issue.. another
> issue is if all the
> vegetable dishes are the same thing : "onions with
> beans", "onions and
> spice" and "pickled onions" are not three
> vegetables.... (see number 8 also)
>
> 5. most of the feast was served cold.
>
> this is just wrong.  while some of the dishes are
> meant to serve cold....
> not *everything* should be! unless it is being
> billed as a "cold dinner" or
> some such. at least SOME of the meal should be
> served hot.
>
> 6. quality control was an issue.
>
> some tables foods were cooked through.  ours was
> not.  in a cheese and
> noodle dish i believe the cheese was meant to be
> melted... at some point...
> even if it was actually chilly when it was brought
> to the table.  at a
> different feast the fish was nearly raw.......and it
> was NOT Sashimi
>
> 7. if the main ingredient is supposed to be a tasy
> herb, the dish should
> taste of it.
>
> when a "garlic dipping sauce" is so bland that *I*
> might be able to eat it,
> you have a problem. (my hubby is not convnced there
> was any garlic IN the
> sauce)... i had a similar issue with a "pepper
> sauce" that was served at
> another feast... that had no discernable pepper in
> it.    a friend told me
> about a "rosemary dip" that had maybe a pinch of
> rosemary in the pot....
> Now, mistakes happen...... dishes dont work
> out...... life is like that,
> but when it is part of a pattern it is a problem.
>
> 8. every dish had at least one of the same
> ingredient
>
> now if the feast has a "theme" . say "a garlic
> lovers feast" or something..
> fine.. and make sure you SAY that garlic will be in
> everything... (i am
> using garlic as an example because i have trouble
> with it)  but if it isnt a
> themed dish.. DON'T put the same ingredient in
> everything..... because if
> anyone has a problem with that one thing. they cant
> eat anything!  so dont
> put wheat flour in everything. or rosemary   (ok..
> you can put rosemary in
> everything *I* eat).. or onions.. or whatever...
>
> 9.  the bread is put out first. and then there is a
> loong wait for any other
> food
>
> most folks will fill up on bread, especially if
> feast starts very late..
> especially if you dont tell anyone that food will be
> delayed or anything.
>
> 10.  lack of communication
>
> this pretty much covers EVERYTHING i said above.
> if food has to be changed. tell people....... if
> there is a problem with the
> stove, and food will be delayed.. tell
> people......most folks are a LOT more
> understanding if they know what is going on....
>
>
> Kirsten
> kirsten at fabricdragon.com
> http://www.fabricdragon.com
>
>
>
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