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orinoco
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Feeding The Masses
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Jan 14 00:18 UTC 2001 |
Well, now that I'm living in a co-op, I'll be helping once a week to cook for
30-50 people. This is a big jump up from the 1-3 that I usually cook for.
Any advice about cooking for large groups? What works? What doesn't? Horror
stories? Suggestions?
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| 34 responses total. |
i
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response 1 of 34:
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Jan 14 06:39 UTC 2001 |
Depends...is this helping out in an institutional kitchen (full of huge
pot, huge pans, huge ovens, etc.), making *lots* of an item or two (say,
8 dozen cookies & 8 dozen rolls) with normal-size equipment, or what?
If there's a commercial dish washing machine, make sure that you either
never touch it, or know *everything* about operating it. In-between is
dangerous.
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birdy
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response 2 of 34:
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Jan 14 07:49 UTC 2001 |
Ditto what Dr. Chocolate said...
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orinoco
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response 3 of 34:
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Jan 14 17:19 UTC 2001 |
There is, in fact a commercial dish washing machine. There's a whole
industrial kitchen, including a wok that probably weighs more than I do and
is over a yard across.
I've been noticing that most people just try to cook their favorite recipes
multiplied by 10. Usually it turns out okay, but not fantastic.
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cmcgee
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response 4 of 34:
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Jan 14 17:41 UTC 2001 |
Find a copy of The Findhorn Cookbook. Vegetarian, cooperative, natural
foods. All recipes used for years in the Findhorn community in Scotland.
All recipes in 10, 25, 50 and 100 person quantities. Directions that
explain what differences in procedure you need when cooking different
sizes.
Also lots of kitchen management and organizing information to make cooking
in larger quantities efficient for the work force. Buying, storing, making
best use of, etc. Designed especially for novices cooking large meals in
cooperative settings.
Author: Friedlander, Barbara
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eeyore
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response 5 of 34:
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Jan 15 04:00 UTC 2001 |
Also remember "Large Pot Favorites" - Soups, spagetti, chili. Plain tossed
salads help fill open spots.
And never forget that you cannot please everybody every night.....so don't
drive yourself crazy by trying to.
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keesan
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response 6 of 34:
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Jan 17 23:11 UTC 2001 |
Bread with the soups.
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orinoco
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response 7 of 34:
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Jan 18 03:45 UTC 2001 |
Ooh....that Barbara Friedlander book sounds fantastic. (And where do I
recognize her name from? Has she written other books?)
It turns out I may have less leeway to make stuff I want to make anyway --
food buying and menu-making are the jobs of the Food Steward. I was due to
cook on Monday and I'd gotten all revved up to do a pasta sauce that I thought
would be easy to multiply when she turned up and handed me a bunch of
vegetables and a bunch of boxes of croissants and told me to start making
sandwiches.
So, convenient in the short run, since I don't have to experiment with
recipes. Annoying in the long run, I'm guessing, since I don't particularly
like most of the recipes in the Official House Cookbook that I've tasted so
far, and I prefer to find my own recipes anyway.
Of course, she might just have taken over command for that one night to help
out the new guy....
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keesan
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response 8 of 34:
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Jan 18 17:50 UTC 2001 |
Is this coop supposed to be saving the students money? Croissants?!
I recall when cooking for my coop dorm that I would make my own bread, or
ravioli. Jim suggests a salad bar for those who want bread and raw
vegetables. (By making ravioli I meant starting with flour - never again,
at least for 40 people. My grandfather the baker helped.) We had contests
to see who could cook the cheapest meal, as the costs were billed directly
to the eaters. There was a 50 cent/meal limit (1972 - it would be at least
five times that now) and I won at 18 cents - soybeans and wild vegetable soup
and bread. Time consuming, though. What is it costing nowadays to eat in
a coop? A dorm?
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