Lisa Shock

Good luck! Don't forget to take some photos and give a report afterwards!

He does seem to have a favorite 4-letter word I could do without hearing all the time. I enjoyed seeing him bring common sense and insight into the situations presented in Kitchen Nightmares. However, I've been without my DirectTV for about a year and have no idea what goes on these days. The US Kitchen Nightmares episodes can be viewed online at the fox site. You might want to watch the Amy's Baking Company episode if you haven't seen it. I think that episode is also on Youtube in three chunks. It was a bit of an event here in Phoenix.... And, I was (un)lucky enough to get a reservation and eat a meal, sort of, at the grand re-opening.

Don't forget that there are a wide variety of foods available in aseptic, shelf stable packages that do not need refrigeration -and taste better than canned goods. That said, I'd get some fruits and vegetables that do not need refrigeration, take a look at what the grocery store doesn't refrigerate: potatoes, onions, shallots, tomatoes, avocados, lots of fruits, and if seafood is involved, citrus fruits. Get a ton of lemons. Bring some live herbs in soil. Look for that lettuce that's alive. Both can just be out and growing til needed. Don't forget to bring dry spices, salt, and some sort of fat like a bottle of olive oil. Virgina ham might be a good option, it takes a while to cook but needs no refrigeration.

Anyone looked into tent rental? Yeah, I'd make at least 1.5 times the guest list of each item. (this is for fashinista, model-skinny, movie-star people who don't eat much) So, for 80 guests at a fancy event where don't want to be caught chewing, I'd make at least 120 pcs of each item. Too many types of offerings is a typical mistake for beginning caterers, you'll get wiped out early and not know why. There's an old adage in catering that out of politeness people (even those who do not actually eat) will take one of every flavor/type of thing. -And go back for seconds on what they like. (thus the 1.5 number) So, if you serve 3 items to 100 people, you'll need an absolute minimum total of 450 pcs -150 of each type. But, if you decide to serve 5 different things, you'll need a minimum of 750pcs -again 150 of each type. Making more types or flavors of food doesn't help you, it will sink your ship. -You'll run out of food early, spend a lot more time making things, and spend a ton of money on ingredients. And, then, no one is happy: you're tired, the guests want more food, the host is angry, and you're still waiting to get the balance owed you. (ok in this case, I know there's no payment involved) If the group is comprised of people who actually eat, and maybe weigh more than 99.5lbs when wet, I'd make 2-3 pcs per person. If kids are present, go quadruple on the cookies. Chris Taylor is absolutely correct that it's a LOT easier to make large numbers of one thing than to switch gears and make another flavor or type of food. If anything, it means you don't have to clean the mixer between batches of say, madelines, just keep cranking out more dough.

The OP mentioned eclairs in his original message. To finish an eclair, one picks it up, jabs a hole with a thick skewer, puts the skewer down, picks up the piping bag, pipes the pastry cream, puts down the piping bag, flips the eclair so the bottom is facing downwards, dips the top in warm ganache, flips it back up then places it carefully onto a tray. He was already planning on doing 80+ of these on location. I don't think adding to this workload is very wise. That said, I usually fill small cups, shells, etc., where the filling will be seen, with piped rosettes. They take longer than dumping blobs with a plain tip, but that's often what separates fine catering from ordinary food. That and the fact that I am very aware that the 'pile of dog poop' shape is not a real piping figure no matter how many cheap cupcake places insist on using it on their wares. -Whenever I see that shape I cringe. If all you want is a lump of stuff on something, there are manual depositors that hold more than a piping bag, are faster to use, and, more accurate in measuring out portions. Some things might be done best with a mechanical, ice cream-style scoop.

I'd only count on piping MAYBE one thing on site. Even that may be too much with all the setup you will need to do. You have to consider the numbers. Even I, with a lot of piping experience, can only pipe about 90 things an hour, if I don't have to pick them up. If I have to pick them up, like a cream puff or eclair, the number goes down to maybe 55 an hour. You're going to be slower, a lot slower. So is your assistant. You also need to factor in time to re-load bags, because most of the things you are talking about piping aren't 3m dots, they are 1-2oz shots of pastry cream, mousse, etc. If you have 3 things to pipe and you want 80+ each, you're going to need at least 5 hours to do it. If you want to dip the eclairs in ganache of some sort, double the production time on those.

Rumaki?

I use canning jars, there are half-gallon sizes for larger amounts, and my vacuum sealer. I went with all wide-mouth jars, but there's also a regular mouth attachment as well. The jars are relatively inexpensive, check Ace Hardware, and the lids can be re-used for a couple of years before they won't hold a seal. An added bonus is that my shelves look better with everything in the same type jar. I have no idea if the vacuum kills the bugs, but, it's easy to check the glass container without opening it and I haven't had any problems with larvae in my foods since I started doing this. That said, the hormone traps in my cupboards do occasionally catch some beasties. But, they aren't in most of my food. Years ago, I had a horrible infestation and tossed out everything and scrubbed the kitchen with vinegar. (even the cocoa had weevils, blech!) That was when I started using the canning jars and the sealer.

I hope this isn't too basic but, you should finalize the menu then break it down into component parts then into tasks. So, say you're making bruschetta. Your components are bruschetta breads and the topping. Tasks for the topping would include dicing veg then maybe slicing olives, measuring seasonings, then combining everything. The tasks don't have to be done on the same day -chopped olives will hold for a long time. You then make a work schedule for every day you have available to work. So, you wind up with a master list of tasks (pair with recipes and a provisions list) and a schedule for each day. As I complete tasks on a day, I check them off on the that day's schedule and the master list. This way, you are less likely to forget something. The provisions list will save you time because you go out to shop once. The day of the event should also have a packing list so that nothing gets left behind accidentally. That list should include your sanitation supplies: sani buckets, bleach, lots of towels, gloves to fit you and the assistant (wearing black? use powder free gloves), aprons (more than one, just in case), extra piping bags & tips, ice packs, and backups of things like chafing fuel. Don't forget tubs to bring back your dirty serving trays and utensils, etc.

Acidity is also an issue. Acid foods are hostile environments for foodborne illness, that's why they types of pickles that used to be stored in barrels could be stored in barrels for long periods of time. Watering down the liquid raises the pH and stops killing things.

Be careful of rice paper rolls, spring rolls, summer rolls, etc. The rice paper tends to stick to whatever it's sitting on after a couple of hours and the exposed tops dry out -even in sealed tubs or on trays covered with plastic wrap. (as an added bonus, they also stick to plastic wrap and if left long enough, removing the wrap will tear them to shreds) We never had any luck with them unless they were made and went directly to servers in under a half-hour.

I have a friend who does this. Thankfully, he keeps his experiments in the fridge. The water from the fresh vegetables will water down the solution making it more susceptible to becoming a growth medium for bacteria, etc. I wouldn't do it more than once, and I'd discard after 5 days.

The professional cookbooks used as texts in culinary school cover volume cooking almost exclusively, and there are cookbooks aimed at caterers as well.

Battered deep fried anything doesn't keep well. Also, hot fish will give off an unpleasant odor. I'd eliminate it. If you feel you must have fish do something like smoked salmon on a raw vegetable base: cucumber, bell pepper cut into fancy shapes, endive, radicchio, etc. Your asian salad shouldn't be on a cracker, they will get soggy. Also, cracker/bread bases are not ideal because they leave crumbs on the clients' clothes and cling to lipstick. Most high-end catering I have done has specified that nothing will create crumbs. Serve it on slightly hollowed english cucumber bases, or in those new mini bell peppers cut in half, or in endive leaves.

Are you in the US? Have plans for Independence day? You could set up a pot on a portable burner outside and make tons of onion rings for a party.

re Hard Candy: I haven't tried flavoring with liqueurs they might not be flavorful enough, but, I dunno. Usually the flavor is added towards the end, right before shocking, you can use oil soluble/based flavors. You use a tiny amount, I have tried some from the local fancy supermarket and they work ok. My stash of Amoretti flavors is superior in variety of flavors and the intensity. If I had a choice, I'd order from Amoretti. You might want to try bringing the sugar up til it's just barely caramelized, it will be brown but it will taste better with many flavors than just plain clear sugar. Even peppermint is improved with caramel sugar, nut flavors are much improved by it. You can pipe the sugar, but, it's dangerous. It's done for sugar showpieces. Make an ice bath in case of emergency. Take parchment paper and make a fairly large piping bag 8 layers thick and staple it together. (you want the size bag you get two of by taking a full size sheet of parchment, trimming the excess off the square and cutting once on the diagonal) Do not cut the tip until it is filled. Put on double gloves. Fill ONLY halfway. Fold down top once and staple in place on the first fold. Fold down top, until fairly tight. (you have that ice bath ready, right?) Trim tip and go. Be very, very careful. When I was in school, a student did not realize that sugar had oozed out of the top of her bag and she burned her wrist so badly that the tendons were all cooked -she's permanently handicapped with almost no use of the wrist. If you want to save the sugar from the bag, let it cool, break it up, place on a silpat and heat in the oven carefully, then gather it into a 'patty' as it cools and wrap tightly for later use.. You can also do this to make what some people call bubble sugar for decorations or sugar bowls, etc. Place smaller amounts on a silpat and bake until bubbly. (or, tiny amounts into the cavities of silicon molds. If you do this with smaller amounts in clumps you can peel them off while warm and form over a ladle to make an airy bowl for desserts. Or, just make baroque shapes to decorate things. You might want to consider a nut brittle of some sort, perhaps with a more expensive nut like cashew. Those can be dropped into silicone muffin molds to make circles.

I just remembered, I made Apricot Confections for a recent event and they went faster than the truffles!

Oh yeah, to chop the nuts, have you tried a blender? Some models can be used with small canning jars screwed in place of the glass pitcher making small jobs easier and a lot lighter to lift.

Hard candy won't hold up for more than a day or two without special handling/holding. I have had a wonderful nougat by Anil Rohira at WPF made with freeze dried strawberries (check your local natural grocer), candied violets, candied rose petal, candied jasmine, and pistachios. The recipe can be downloaded HERE, scroll down and select Crystallized Flower Nougat.

Splenda also causes carb cravings, in addition to insomnia, miscarriages, diarrhea, and an increased risk of cancer.

A NYT article from a few days ago, sorry I can't figure out which one now, stated that she flat out did not prep for the deposition because she assumed the case was going to be dismissed. This seems a tad arrogant to me, either that, or her lawyers aren't very good.

I haven't owned the Salad Shooter, so, I cannot comment. I own the DeLonghi DSM7 mixer, no longer on the market, I think the Cuisinart mixer is its successor, and I have the shredder attachment for that. It's sort of a chute that you attach to the gears on the top of the machine. You place a bowl under it and just shove things in. I like it. You can keep going forever, unlike a food processor, you can empty or change your bowl while it's operating. I don't know if clicking it in place would be too much for you. Also, you still have to cut things to fit in it, like make wedges of cabbage, or peeling carrots. It's pretty easy to assembly, it latches on with a metal handle. I also own the mini food processor/chopper attachment kit which is a small glass jar with a blade that sits on top. This is good for quickly mincing a half onion. It assembles like screwing a lid in a jar then pushing onto the gear. Anyway, if you have a mixer, you might want to look into what's available in attachments. And, as always, eBay is a goldmine of discontinued parts and accessories.

Agreed. Sugar all the way, and simple syrup makes it a lot easier.

"Most -most jokes are about Jewish people, rednecks, black folks" -Paula Deen

I have never made these, and don't know anything about it beyond obvious basic baking science. But, youtube video seems like it might be useful.