your opinion needed

[ppfuf]

I'm thinking of teaching a class on basic feast planning and organization at A&S, or maybe at the next West Coast Culinary Symposium. If you were thinking about volunteering to cook your first feast, what would you want to know? 

Tentative class description: An in-depth discussion on the necessary steps to plan and execute an SCA feast. Topics will include planning, budgeting, basic food safety, working with your autocrat, and kitchen management. The goal of this class is to give you the tools to confidently prepare a feast so that hot food is hot, cold food is cold, and everything is served on time. We will not be discussing cooking or specific recipes.

I am thinking of including a section on "The 4 big things I did wrong at my first feast". I'll have some spreadsheet examples for the shopping  plan, and some example budgets.

Comments

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

I usually tell my frozen chicken story...

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

The one starring the scientific freezer? That's a good one. Maybe I'll have an appendix of When Things Go Horribly Wrong stories in the class handout.
Or perhaps that example will go under Food Safety section.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Siobhan has a bunch of horror stories. Ask about the chickens and the kittybox.

I'd like to know how sca portion sizes differ from std catering eatimates

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of including a section on "portion control" in the section on budgeting. I've seen a lot of feasts where the cooks try to serve a full-size dinner in each course.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Right. And I've been at SCA buffet lines where the second half of the line got pretty much nothing because the people that got their first were out of control.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

That's why I never do unmonitored buffets.

I'll add that to the table-service section, and mention it under budget planning.

[joycebre.livejournal.com]

Yep, the 'meat last' table setup.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Yet another reason I tend to eschew feasts any more: I get too overwhelmed and have to try everything and end up with heartburn.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

I try to tell people to think "tasting menu" or "tapas" when it comes to SCA feasts, but sometimes the food is hard to resist.

[joycebre.livejournal.com]

For the planning section, how soon do you start the ball rolling. I personally start at least 6 months in advance. But I research, test recipes, shop 2 for 1 sales, and spend a ton if advance time.
In the omg 911 section, what are some good easy backup dishes - blancmange anyone?

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

Great ideas. I usually start planning about 9 months in advance, with the menu complete at 3 months before. It could be shorter if the head cook was using pre-redacted recipes from friends or books.
I'll give some thought to easy back up dishes, hopefully we can think of some that are also cheap. The easy way to prep a last-minute feast is to throw money at the problem, but most groups don't have that luxury.

[joycebre.livejournal.com]

And staffing. How many people will you need to cook 50 chickens, wash the dishes, and run out to buy whatever it is u forgot.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

Yup, I've got a section on volunteers, as well as a warning on knowing exactly the scope of the job. Sometimes the autocrat gets a dishwasher for you and sometimes not.

[helblonde.livejournal.com]

And servers, carvers, etc.: who's responsible for that end out of the business?

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

Good point! I've added servers/team garnish to the "know your scope" and "dealing w/ volunteers" section of the handout.

[j-i-m-r.livejournal.com]

A&S and/or Collegium. I kinda think this is a bit elementary for the crowd you get at the Culinary Symposium ... but I could be wrong.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

Sauenn accepted my class proposal for A&S, so it's be there. I might repeat it at Collegium 2013.
We did this class as a panel discussion some years ago. Can't put a finger on when, but Francisco took the class, so it must have been quite a while ago.

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

Please send me your spreadsheet! I'd like to compare and overhaul my decade-out-of-date one - this would be extremely helpful.