Sorry it's taken me so long to get back, but I wanted to be able to concentrate and spend a bit of time following everything. Brian - so far, I've only worked with my 20 year old hand beater, and 20-80 qt Hobarts at school. Sinclaire - I'M off to a better start? Dear God! My intentions are to increase batches and speed. I've started quadrupling my recipes, and that worked well last week. still easier than doing two double batches, although my arms are really feeling it. I also want to do a honey cake which requires MUCH mixing, and won't attempt that by hand lest the cramps make me cry. Tuesday was because I was offered a ride to the Bowery and on to NJ to drop it off. I also wanted to avoid blowing my fucking head off from all the hand mixing. It's time consuming and painful. I could have bought that mixer and presented this "partner" with the bill. We are going to sit down this week to iron some things out. As I understand it, we're not allowed to use the kitchen past August, and I am pissed. His job is to locate a kitchen to use before then. Nothing else goes on in the kitchen at this point, so it's me determining how much of whatever goes into my own products, or the cookies (for the convent). I have gotten a couple of numbers for the split. One is that I should get 75%, 25% to the nuns, and the other is 60/40. 75% seems a bit high for me, even though I am doing everything except drive, so I think I'll start out with 60 or 2/3s. Any thoughts? And finding distributers/suppliers, budgeting, and trying to remain chipper which is SO difficult. You know, it's funny. John put a blurb in the Dominican newsletter (e-mail which supposedly goes out to everyone in the community), and I mentioned it may be easier to go to cafeterias etc on the grounds to ask in the kitchens specifically. 'No, this is better.' Fine. At lunch that day (cafeteria), I went into the kitchen to beg some plastic containers for refrigerating dough, telling the kitchen manager what was going on and about my hand mixing, she said 'you have no mixer? I'll bring you one from home.' Boy was THAT easy. Later that day, I was talking to one of the painters, telling him the same story, and HE offered a mixer from home. Now, I just don't understand how difficult it could possibly be for this guy to get it together, when in one day, I acquired TWO mixers. The one from the cafeteria is small (3 qt), but it cut down my time yesterday, so it's a plus. I am NOT loving my fellow man. Yes, we have to sit down with their lawyer and draw something up. Ultimately, I'll be responsible for stupid things that I would do anywhere (burns, whatever), but anything that I ask to be fixed (leaks, refrigerator breakdown, etc.) or general kitchen failings, they will be responsible for. They are responsible for their stuff, me for mine. I'm having a hard time trying to pin down who does the cleaning, but will work that out Tuesday. So far it is me alone working in the kitchen, and I have been given a key. I can use it whenever the busses allow, which on selling day, isn't early enough without major panic. Maybe with the mixer/s this will be assuaged. Probably true, but for my sanity, the mixer was an important one. Theft is something important to consider but will be spoken of Tuesday as well. Something that wouldn't normally be on my mind in a nunnery. One recipe I did yesterday in the 3 qt, I had to remove 1/2 the butter creamed with the white sugar, then add the other 1/2 with brown sugar and eggs, and combine them by hand. Then all the flour by hand. A 5qt is still too small, but will do for some of the creaming. I'm really praying for at least a 12, but no more than a 20. The problem is (one of them anyway) that the days I'm out there, I'm working like a maniac for long days, then I'm here in the city, and can't speak to anyone about the particulars, except for John who seems to be making up a lot of information, and generally screwing me up. Tuesday, I am hoping to sit down with John, the treasurer, and the manager of the motherhouse, who incidentally is pals with the prioress, and can halt all operations. With any luck, we'll all be on the same page, and be able to exist harmoniously. OY! Thanks!
