(NB: This was written quite a number of years ago, as the Lord Dirk mentioned in the article is now Sir Dirk!)
(NOTE: This article expresses my own opinions and what works for me. This may not be what works for everyone else. Take all with a grain of paradise 
)
Greetings all! A few months ago, Lord Dirk asked me if I would be willing to write an article on how to put together a feast. Well, the following is what I do to prepare a feast for an event.
First, I take into consideration the type of event that it is going to be, when the event is taking place, my budget for the event, and what type of kitchen facilities I am going to have access to. All of these things are equally important, especially the kitchen, seeing as my current kitchen at home does not allow me to do a lot, if any, large scale prep ahead of time. I have yet to do a feast where I did not do almost all of my prep and cooking, except for a few sides, at the site the day of the event.
The budget is very important. Luckily, I have been able to work with any budget that I have been given usually only going over by 20 dollars at the most. One day, I hope to do a feast where money is no object! (I’d better win the lottery to do that!)
I choose a theme for the feast. I find that this makes the planning of the feast easier for me, because then I have a central idea to work from. For both of the Terpsichore feasts that I have prepared, my inspiration came from two cultures that have provided dance forms that are used within the SCA.
When I do start to formulate my menu, I take into consideration that there are many different types of people and pallets within these Current Middle Ages. I understand that not everyone will be
willing to try everything that is set before them, due to personal tastes, allergies or dietary choices. The biggest group that I consider are my vegetarian guests. (Guess I’ve worked in Ann Arbor too long!) This group of good gentles is an ever growing one and I feel is often overlooked when a feast is prepared and formulated.
Children are also taken into consideration. For my past feast, I made sure that there was plain pasta available for kids and those who couldn’t eat the pesto sauce, due to allergies or other reasons.
For the menu itself, I try to plan it so that the whole feast runs about 1 hour in time. I do this because, I feel that in the Current Middle Ages, our guests are not used to sitting and eating for hours on end. To accomplish this, I plan it so that the first course (NOT remove!! pet peeve) is already on the table when my guests enter the feast hall. This also comes in handy if the main course is running behind. It then gives the guests something to eat and do while the main course is being finished up.
The main course comes next. I usually try for one meat, one starch, and one vegetable dish for this course, because this is what the modern pallet is used to. This is also where I tend to spend most of my budget. I hope I have yet to have anyone go away from one of my feasts, feeling that they did not get enough to eat.
For the final course, I prefer to go with lighter items, as not to weigh down my guest for the evening activities. For the past Terpsichore feast, I went with a simple platter of fresh fruit and cheeses, which seemed to go over well and left ample room for Lady Magdelena’s wonderful array of dessert items. This is also a traditional way to end a feast from what I have deduced.
When it comes to the actual figuring out of how much I need for all of my selected dishes, I admit that I take a shortcut in the form of MasterCook software from Serria. This program allows me to enter my recipes and then has options to change the serving amounts, create shopping lists, and save all for future reference on my own disk. I then make multiple hard copies for me and the rest of my kitchen staff, so that we all have copies of the recipes and are familiar with what is to be done.( I especially like the shopping list option, because I admit that I have problems reading my own handwriting at times!)
Once all of this is completed, then the shopping begins. (After I get my budget money!) I take both recipes and shopping list with me when I do this, just to have all of my reference items with me in case I have forgotten or found something else I need. The feast money stays separate from my own and also the receipts are kept with this money for ease of accounting purposes. I try to buy all of the dry storage items that I need ahead of time, leaving the items that need to be refrigerated or frozen till the last moment, due to my storage problems at home.
If I have access to the site and kitchen the night before, I move in all of the feast items then, saving me the hassle the day of the feast. Believe me, this makes a big difference in the way the rest of my plans run. It then allows me to enter the kitchen that morning knowing I am ready to prepare a meal for my guests with everything I need on hand. This also allows me to find out what items I may have forgotten and need to get before the next day.
The day of the feast I try to get as much sleep as I can the night before so that I am ready for being on my feet for 12 to 14 hours without a real break. I also try to eat breakfast before getting on site, because this is usually the only meal that I end up eating all day. (Geeze, sounds like a normal day at work for me!)
I try to clean up as I go along to make it easier at the bitter end for all who are involved in cleaning up, because I know that I hate cleaning up after other cooks that I have worked with before. One trick that I use is “Take five and clean up like going home”. It’s just a little thing that makes a big difference at the end, especially if working in a kitchen with limited prep area.
I try to get as many of the little things done ahead of time in the day as possible, such as grinding spices, preparation of first course items, cleaning of vegetables, etc. Also, if the storage space is available, the first course will be plated and ready to go by the time the servers arrive to set the hall.
When it does come time for plating the feast items, one important thing to consider is how the food looks on the plate. How food looks to my guests eyes is as important to me as how it tastes to them. I feel that sight plays a very important part in the dining experience as well as taste, so that if a dish looks icky, people will think it tastes icky, even if I used the freshest and best ingredients to prepare it. People are more enticed to try something new if it looks appealing to them. Green onions, flowering kale, and wiping the edges of the serving platters go a long way in achieving a pleasing effect when the guests receive the food. (No naked food!)
I try to have the serves fed before the rest of the guests so that they are able to eat and enjoy the food and also, and most importantly to me, have an idea of what they are serving, in case any of the guests should ask them a question of what is being served.
I guess that I look at a feast as going out to dinner. When I go out to eat, I expect the food to be presented attractively, served in a timely manner, hot if it is supposed to be hot, cold if it is supposed to be cold, and the server to have a passing knowledge of what they are serving. Our guest are paying for the meal and I feel do not deserve anything less than when they go to a restaurant when we give them their meal. Seeing as I also cook for a living, I also look at this as a catered event and not just a home dinner party, because I know that people have different expectations for the two. I also feel that we as guests should raise our expectations of what we want when we attend a feast. Only when the general populace expects better will this change for other feasts.
I hope that this gives a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes when a feast is prepared for an event and inspires others to rise to the challenge of preparing a meal for 100 of your closest friends!
Leave a Response »
)
