[Sca-cooks] Cooking & Serving...

[Kathleen A Roberts]

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 17:48:09 -0800
  lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:
> Yah know, i've been at this now about 5-1/2 years. I've 
>participated in quite a few pot luck dinners, head cooked 
>around seven feasts, including one private (and will do 
>another private this year), and assisted at some number.

> 
> So i'm wondering, how the heck do you cook for 400!?!? 
>There wouldn't even be enough room in most kitchens for 3 
>courses of 3 dishes each for 400, let alone trying to 
>cook that much food in one.

after receiving papers attesting to your insanity......

you get pre-cooking help, a good crew with kitchen 
experience, and if not, they chop to get it.   oh, yes... 
and a husband who doesn't mind scrambled eggs for dinner a 
lot! 8)

the kitchen for our big event is indeed huge, altho much 
of it doesn't work.  it is in a state fairground 4-H bldg, 
and has all kinds of toys.

4 huge ovens (one doesn't work)
about a dozen burners and a grill of similar area
convection ovens (don't work)
steam tables (ditto)
industrial steamer (ditto)
industrial potato peeler
industrial mixer (never tried it)
walk in fridge
worktables (2 large)
upright freezer
a battery of sinks
and....
an institutional diswasher

i had anywhere from 7-12 people working in the kitchen.

service is from bowls and platters, but that gets hairy 
re. number of bowls/platters cuz you need 60-70 to get 
each course out.

tables (rented from site) seat 6 and the hall is huge with 
lotsa rooms off the sided.  cash bar provided in one room 
by renting from site.

the barony has a lot of pots and pans, bought at local 
restaurant supply stores over the years, so that is 
usually not a problem.

i have two chest freezers at home, so precooking parties 
(with optional hot tub visit when done) are a great help.

and you plan your feast to the venue... i would never cook 
whole chickens there, but would cook tray upon tray of 
chicken thighs.  never use the ovens for two things on the 
meal if possible.  one year i had roast brisket and pork, 
and both were done at home, presliced (elec slicer), 
frozen au jus, and reheated on site.

cooking for 400?  know thy venue! and be ready for things 
to go wrong.  8)

cailte

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy which 
sustained him through temporary periods of joy."
W. B. Yeats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kathleen Roberts
University of New Mexico
Office of Freshman Admisions
Administrative Asst. II
505-277-6249