[Sca-cooks] mise-en-place

[DeeWolff at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/26/04 3:02:19 PM, jenne at fiedlerfamily.net writes:


> For those of you who are familiar with the whole concept, advice on
> applying that sort of thing to SCA feast kitchens-- and advice on
> organizing your feast kitchen-- is what I'm looking to hear.
> 
When I do feasts, I arrive early (with the autocrat) to set up the kitchen. I 
set up different stations with the things needed for that station. 
(Foodstuffs, knives, bowls, cutting boards) I remove the non- necessary items the site 
may have so we don't intermingle.

I post the menu, and I divide the tasks up into what must be completed in an 
hour time frame and then post those on the wall as well near the stations.

I try to pick out individuals I know and trust to take charge of each 
station... (lots of volunteers here, so there isn't much of an issue).

About 1/2 way through the day, I meet with those helping to provide updates 
on how we are doing, check to see if they have eaten, sat down, had something 
to drink, and used the bathroom (I often push people out of the kitchen mid day 
because we have met the time table)They return after an hour off <Washing 
hands of course>

If you are over organized, and YOU have set where everything is, a small 
reminder of "put it back where you found it" and "if you use it, clean it and see 
rule #1" works well.

Flexibility helps, but you need to not lose sight of things. 

Working with volunteers, I have noted   one requires "niceness" and many 
"thank yous"..... Throwing a hissy fit when something goes lost or awry makes for 
no volunteers....

THIS, I have learned the hard way. Hopefully, I have learned it well enough 
by now.

Cleanup issues used to be a problem with me, but I now sponsor one or two   
college students   site fees ( I feed them for free in the kitchen) to take 
charge of my cleanup-- they draft their own crew.

Andrea MacIntyre
sca-cook for 20+ years








"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in 
it."
Julia Child