[MR] Fall Coronation

[Orla Carey]

Granted I am not a head cook, but I live with one.  I see the work
that goes into planning and I've been on several of the shopping trips
as well as looked at the receipts.

The problem you have with limiting a feast like this is that we cook
VERY elaborate meals (which have a historic basis for the amount of
dishes).  Yet we often charge less than what you'd pay for a meal at
Ruby Tuesdays.  How do we do it?  Yes, part of that is the volunteer
work force, but its also in economies of scale.  Whenever possible
cooks use places like Restuarant Depot, Sam's Club, BJs and Costco to
buy in bulk so they can get ingredients as inexpensively as possible.
As soon as you take that advantage away from them, feasts are either
going to get more expensive per person or significantly smaller in the
variety of dishes offered, and likely both.

Granted there are some dishes that tend to be prepared in very small
numbers for high table, but those either come out of the head cooks
pocket or are paid for by strictly budgeting to afford those speciatly
ingredients.

Frankly most cooks I know can make a penny cry but once you take away
the advantage of buying in bulk?  You make their job a lot harder if
possible at all.

YIS,

Orla

On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 3:03 PM, Alexandria Stratton <kyrilex at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ________________________________
> From: Marie Stewart <maricelt at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [MR] Fall Coronation
>
> <snip>
>
> Does the event Really,  Really NEED to provide a feast?  If the answer is
> yes, then consider this...   A feast above the salt,  Feeding a LIMITED
> number of people.   REALLY LIMITED.   20 maybe.  Sell those seats to
> confirmed Pre-Registered people only.  And the rest of the feast Below the
> salt...  which is a potluck/ dish to pass.  IF you can try to coordinate
> it.
>
> <snip>
>
> Bridgette