[Sca-cooks] Pennsic Blood Drive

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> > Iron rich foods include organ meats, particularly liver, red meat
> > itself,
> > green leafy vegetables, including kale as well as spinach, most of the
> > beans, nuts, dried fruits, and enriched grains, including rice, if it
> > isn't
> > washed prior to cooking.
> Why do you say rice if it isn't washed before cooking. The outside
> starch or coating is what contains the extra iron? If so, doesn't
> boiling the rice in preperation, whether previously wash or not get rid
> of this extra nutrition anyway?

Stefan, properly cooking rice does not involve boiling it and draining off
the excess water. The idea is to steam it in just enough water that there IS
no excess water left to pour off. As a rule of thumb, 1 rice to two waters
usually works- that proportion can vary a bit, according to the texture you
want or the type of rice you're using- checking on the package will usually
help.

As far as washing the rice, that, too, depends on the type and its origin.
As a general rule, you want to wash basmati rice as many as 5 times, unless
it's Texmati (which you only wash once), and pick out the grit, but most of
these sorts of rices aren't enriched- it's usually just the standard
American white rice that's enriched. The enriched rice basicly has the
enriching elements added to the surface, so that washing will cause them to
go away with the dust and dirt you're washing it to remove..

> > Also (she says with a sly grin) the church where we did the donations
> > has a
> > small kitchen, with lots of coffee pots, a range, and a refrigerator. I
> > suspect, that if we cleaned up very carefully, we might get permission
> > to
> > use some of those facilities from the pastor.
> Huh? Was this onsite at Pennsic or offsite? I thought the blood drive
> was done onsite. If it was onsite, where was it?

No, it was slightly off-site at the little church at the end of the parking
lot, near the mustering point for the Woods battle. The buses were scheduled
to run over there, and it was easy walking distance for most healthy people.
I could have walked it, I suppose, but then I'd have been useless for the
next couple of days- that's why I arranged for Rob to come collect me
afterwards- if I hadn't, I'd have been unable to do the obnoxious Woods Walk
on Sunday.

> > In fact, I can easily see
> > modifying the facilities as they were used for this year's blood drive
> > very
> > slightly, in terms of table placement and arranging and organizing so
> > that
> > an extensive dayboard type of thing might be very doable.
> I think we should concentrate on a good, reasonable always there
> dayboard than an extensive one. The nest year, to get some expanded
> interest, then you can go for extensive. Go all the way the first year,
> and then where do you go from there the next? I'd rather see it build
> in steps than have the effort stumble and cause some problems or a bad
> reputation from running out of promised or rumored food.

That's essentially what I'm thinking, but for the time being, I'd like to
see everyone's ideas, no matter how wild or complicated- once we have those
ideas, we can fine them down into something more doable- after all, we have
the better part of a year, yet ;-)

> > In addition to Margali's suggestions, how about a nice pate, with maybe
> > truffles? Perhaps a couple of soup/stew types of things- one vegan, the
> > other for omnivores? Perhaps a stirfry over enriched rice? To feed
> > these
> > folks, we don't hafta make vast quantities of stuff, like we normally
> > would
> > a dayboard,
> Correct. See my point above about "extensive".

I'm thinking that if we have a series of small batches of stuff, and someone
to coordinate serving, we can vary the offerings through the day. I can see
future advertising- "The best feed at Pennsic, and it's free (for a pint of
blood)"

> > but if folks were to donate a pot or a plate of something, like
> > we might do for a potluck, there would be lots of different things for
> > people to try, spaced throughout the day, with always something hot and
> > filling available, along with more snacky types of foods- bread and
> > meats
> > and sandwich-type makings as Jadwiga suggested.
> Yes, this is more of what I had in mind. Not some large monolythic
> menu, but folks bringing in a selection of foods throughout the day(s).
> With the foods varying throughout the period depending upon who was
> bringing what by. Although I think there should be some overall
> planning so there should always be something.

Exactly- which is why I feel we need a coordinator, in addition to the folks
who will help with serving/set-up/clean-up.

And some backup foods
> that can be quickly prepared for sudden rush crowds or to cover for a
> set of foods that don't appear. Perhaps a combination of foods donated
> and prepared by individuals or groups and groups providing the money
> for the food for others to prepare.

Hadn't thought about money donations, from some of those who can't be there
or don't have the time or facilities to provide a dish, but I imagine that
might be a good idea ;-)

> > ...anyone who demurred got a gimlet eye and a
> > question- "Do you really want to argue with a cranky old Chirurgeon?"
> > For
> > some reason, they didn't ;-)
> Yes, a "cranky old Chirurgeon". I wonder who that could be? :-)
> Stefan

No telling- many of the Chirurgeonate are supportive of the effort- could be
anyone ;-)

Saint Phlip, a cheerful bully, for good cause ;-)
CoDoLDS

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....