[Sca-cooks] newbee cook attempting feast for the first time in december

[Sharon Palmer]

>But, remember
>-  your facility will not be the same as your kitchen - always bring an oven
>theremometer (or two) and an instant read food thermometer (or two) with
>you.  You'll be happier you did.

And it will take longer than you think to shop for all the food and carry it on site, to do all the prep.  Time to retrieve the serving dishes from where ever they are stored, carry them on site, and wash them, wash them again after use, pack them, and return them to storage.

You need room to stack serving dishes when they aren't being used and room to spread them out to plate them.  A place to wash them and room to stack them to drain after they are washed.  You need dish towels, scrubbies, dish soap, bleach or sterilizer, counter cleaner, and bar towels to wipe down the counters.  Gloves for food handling.

You need enough knives, cutting boards, and stirring spoons that you don't cross contaminate.  A spice grinder is good, or at least a mortar and pestle, or two.  You need containers for prepped food, and colanders to drain things.  Pans to cook in and to bake in.  The site may have pans, but check if they have enough and the sizes you need.  Disposable foil pans save a lot of work in cleanup.  Foil and plastic wrap to cover things.

As you go thru your test cook, note all the different things you use, and how big they would need to be for a whole feast.

Ziplock bags and other containers for leftovers.  Thin plastic bags for people to bag their dirty feast gear are nice if you don't have room for them to wash them on site.

A broom and dustpan for clean up, and perhaps a mop and bucket, trashcans with trash bags.  Often the site provides them, but be sure you know where they are.  Be sure you know where the trash goes.  Have someone lined up to carry out the trash and to clean up.

Ranvaig