[Sca-cooks] 14th Century French Feast in January

Johnna Holloway johnnae at mac.com
Mon Dec 7 05:55:31 PST 2009


For 160, line up the help.
Get someone else to handle the serving and servers.

Do the math and live with the math. 160 divided into tables of 8 is 20  
tables plus
feeding the servers. So are you cooking for 160 or 170 plus?

Will the hall seat 160?

Count the number of serving platters/dishes/spoons/ladles

Flowchart and write your feast out on paper. Keep a pad with you to  
make notes as you think
about details or questions.

Work up the budget and keep adjusting it as prices change. Can you buy  
ahead?
Does the health dept allow for dishes to made up offsite?
Many counties require that all food be made up in an approved kitchen.

What's the kitchen like? How many ovens and burners? How much freezer  
space?
Do they work? What about a dishwasher, soap, and someone dedicated to  
run it?
You'll generate lots of dirty dishes during the day. Dedicate people  
to just washing and keeping
up with the dishes.
Prep room for laying out the platters?

Can you use the site the day before the feast or the night before the  
feast? If you can
get the kitchen, the evening before you can arrive and unload that  
night. That saves time
the next am.

What's going on each platter or in each serving bowl? Do these have to  
be washed before the next course is served?

There are a number of good posts in the Florilegium on this topic. You  
might want to read
those and make notes.

Have fun

Johnnae




On Dec 7, 2009, at 8:20 AM, HL Bebhinn O'Siodhachain wrote:

> Good morning everyone,
>
> I am new to this list, but I have a question for you all.  I am  
> doing a feast in january for the 25th anniversary of my Barony as  
> well as the investiture of the new baron and Bariness.  It is a once  
> in a lifetime feast.  It also happens to be my first.  I have cooked  
> for approx 60 before, but I will be cooking for 160 this time and I  
> just wanted to know if anyone had any tips for me that might make my  
> time of it a little easier.  This is not a truly period feast, as  
> per the request of the new nobles.  Some of my dishes and sauces are  
> completely period and some of my dishes are merely frenchish, but it  
> is all taste tested and approved by the incoming nobles and they are  
> thrilled.  My biggest problem is planning and timing.  Any tips??
>
> Baroness Bebhinn



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