[Sca-cooks] listing of ingredients...

[Cat .]

Not to beat a dead horse (though I have recipes) I
always list all my ingredients.

I have always, or at least in the last few years, had
pretty free rein with my feasts and mealplans. Though
I also have a good record of keeping to my budget, and
making food thats yummy (and period ;-)

I list my menu (with main ingredients) on the web page
as soon as I can because I know it will encourage
folks to eat feast if they know what they are getting.
 I also ALWAYS put the caution: "Menu subject to
change at the whim of the butcher, the grocer or the
cook."
That leaves me leeway if I need it, for instance if I
get to the store and the asparagus looks like it has
been danced on by elephants, but the peas look
beautiful, I can change.  I do make sure I cook with
the seasons (so no fresh strawberries in October) to
keep my costs down and to increase my chances of my
ingredients being in good shape, plentiful, and
inexpensive (read - on sale!) Oh and that one-third
rule is one I use as well, so I try not to have onions
in more than one dish per course, try to have a
vegitarian safe option in every course, etc etc.  Of
course I put contact info out there, but rarely has
anyone bothered to contact me for special dietary
restrictions (till they show up at the event, at which
point I show them my menu and tell them to decide if
there is enough there for them to eat or not.)

For seasoning I try to stick with what my period
recipe calls for, though I have at times listed sugar,
and then forgotten to sprinkle it over the finished
dish.  

I also ALWAYS print out a one page listing of the
dishes and all the ingredients (in order of amount)to
have at the site.  That gives the allergic folks a
chance to see if the dish contains onion, garlic,
celery, pepper, (all allergies we have locally) but
leaves me free to decide if 'cinnamon' means a pinch,
a teaspoon, a tablespoon, or more.

I will use store bought things (like bread - I have
neither time to bake, nor freezer space to store
enough bread for 100, 200, or more) but will list it
on the menu as store bought, and will keep a label in
the binder with the recipes and ingredients, so if
anyone needs to know if there is bromated-whoosiwhats
in the bread, they can look.

I also try to make sure my menu is finalized in time
for me to print a couple of copies with ALL the
correct ingredients (including pea for asparagus
changes) and THANK YOUS for all the helpers, to have
at the event.  I leave a copy with the gate person, so
folks can see that they are getting before deciding to
pay for feast at the door (if there are any left, or
if they pre paid so they can see the final version)
and I post one at the kitchen door.  If I can I also
make a copy for each table.  I like to have a few
copies of the actual recipe books available, that list
the menu, the recipe in its original form, my
translation and my interpretation of it, so that
anyone who wants to, can make the recipe for their
personal use, or for a feast (all I ask is give credit
for where you got it).  I also have multiple copies of
single recipe pages to use in the kitchen, as well as
a spreadsheet to show what needs to be done when (and
using which kitchen area - stove, counter, oven) is
going to be used.  AND I use Excell to make a
spreadsheet for all the ingredients, to simplify bulk
shopping.

Sorry this got so long
In Service
Gwen Cat
Caerthe, Outlands
PS As soon as possible after the event I try to web
the menu with recipes, and any comments (such as what
worked, what didnt, what could have been done
differently) and THANK YOUS for everyone who helped
(cause we are a volunteer organization, and a little
thank you can sure go a long way.

---Message: 6---
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2007 09:11:19 -0800 (PST)
From: kimberley lee <pokiekim at yahoo.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] listing of ingredients...
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Message-ID:
<20070225171119.82216.qmail at web32901.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I am stewarding my first feast this April.  I've been
playing for 8 
years and am in my third Kingdom to live it.  My
question is this:  My 
Event Steward first wanted us to post my recipies.  I
talked her out of 
that...then she said that she wanted me to post ALL of
my ingredients on 
the website.  I told her that I wasn't sure that I
wanted to do that 
either.  I felt that my menu and a link to ask me any
question or voice 
any dietary or allergy concerns.  She still wants me
to post the 
ingredient list at the event.  She said that she had
seen this done in the 
North all the time.  I don't know...I'm a southern
girl and have only 
played in Ansteorra, Glenn Ahbann, and Meridies.
   
  snip


 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Bored stiff? Loosen up... 
Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.
http://games.yahoo.com/games/front