[Sca-cooks] cooking for a vigil

Susan Lin susanrlin at gmail.com
Sun Oct 17 10:42:21 PDT 2010


1.  You really should provide ingredients for everything served - even if
it's just a list of them.  Nobody is looking for documentation, just enough
information that they can stay away from something that might make them ill.
 You don't need to be "tied to the vigil" - take a break but before you do
just make sure everything is re-plated or ask someone else to be in charge
while you're gone.

2.  How many people are they estimating for the event?  100? Plan for 50.
 Is this person very well known?  Are they going to tell people who might
not otherwise attend the event? Plan for 70.  You don't have to make sure
you don't run out of anything - just make sure that you always have
something.  I've seen vigils where the food was very simple (cheese and
crackers) or very elaborate (a period Japanese themed vigil for a Japanese
persona).  One thing you can do is not put everything out at once.  So the
first people only get 10 things to choose from, the later visitors will get
something new that the first ones didn't.

3.  Are they really asking you, a relative new person, to foot the bill for
the entire vigil food?  I'd say ask for donations of food items.  Ask that
whoever is donating to give a list of ingredients.  If you're not sure who
you can ask find one person you trust not to spill the beans and ask them to
help and ask them who can be trusted.  Assuming the person to be elevated is
very well liked people will be happy to pitch in and not spoil his/her
surprise.  As them for simple things like a fruit plate, cheese/crackers,
other things that they could purchase if they don't want to cook.

4.  IMO Vigils need finger foods not soups or stews.  People are coming and
going all day and don't want to risk spilling.

Shoshana


On Sat, Oct 16, 2010 at 7:11 PM, Irmgard <irmgart at gmail.com> wrote:

> I find myself tapped to cook for a surprise vigil in late February,
> and am VERY exited about the opportunity, but... I'm concerned about a
> few of things.
>
> 1) Obviously, I will take into account the allergies/likes/dislikes of
> the person to be elevated and the immediate family/friend group, but I
> really don't want to have to provide ingredients for everything I (or
> someone else) make. I also don't want to be completely tied to the
> vigil area for the whole day.  Are either really necessary?
>
> 2) How should I figure out how many people to plan on feeding? I
> really don't want to run out of food, even if we do run out of some
> things.
>
> 3) I'm seriously short on fundage, and will probably be for the
> foreseeable future. What is a good way to get people to donate either
> money, ingredients or finished dishes w/o the recipient finding out? I
> can't exactly post over the local mailing list, and I'm new enough to
> not be sure who I can trust not to spill the beans.. :)
>
> 4) How feasible is it to serve a soup/stew? I have access to several
> crock pots, and possibly an electric roaster.
>
> help me please?
>
> Many thanks in advance,
>
> ~Irmgard
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