Calipoutine Scrambles to go Catering

[KarenDW]

What would be an ideal per person budget for the scenario that Cali is setting up for?  (I guess that's a separate question from your ideal per person budget.  )

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I had a 2-day conference in February... 100 guests x 2 days x 2 meals + 2 coffee breaks...

$26 pp per day.

Continental breakfast

Baked goods, plus "extra" breakfast stuff for AM coffee break

Soup & sandwich bar + salad for lunch

Cookies, cold beverages + snacks for PM coffee break

The conference committee provided a minimum of 4 volunteers for prep and cleanup, for the duration of the conference. I hired 2 people for prep and 1 person for on-site help at the end of each day.

Without the volunteers, I would have added $10 per person per day.

I was able to purchase some supplies at the Food Rescue, as the conference was organized by a qualifying not for profit group. So, I was able to make some money.

[CaliPoutine]

I should also mention that I dont have to do any dishes. There are a few people who are attending the camp at a reduced rate and they'll do the clean up.

[CaliPoutine]

I bought 2 wheels of Brie at a significantly reduced price( it expires tomorrow). Should I freeze it? Or will it still be good next Sunday. I'm using it in a salad.

[CaliPoutine]

I have another question too.

So, I'm cooking for 50 people, but does that mean that every dish has to serve 50 people? I know the main dish does, but do all the sides need to serve that many too? Do I expect each person to take 1 cup of each of the 3 salads I'll be making for Friday's dinner?

I'm trying to figure out how much potato salad to make.

[tino27]

If you were just making the one salad, I would say, yes, make 50 portions. But if you are giving them a choice of 3 possible salads, then I would either make 40(ish) portions of each at the 1 cup size, or make 50 portions at a smaller serving size (3/4 cup). I can't imagine that your target group would eat not only a main course, but 3 additional cups of salad.

I've read somewhere that Brie doesn't freeze well. Hard cheeses freeze well.

[gfron1]

Pa-shaH! I laugh at cheese expiration dates. Keep it well wrapped and cool and it will be fine for one more week. Worst case you do a little trimming. Its called aging - they should charge you more!

[CaliPoutine]

Pa-shaH!  I laugh at cheese expiration dates.  Keep it well wrapped and cool and it will be fine for one more week.  Worst case you do a little trimming.  Its called aging - they should charge you more! 

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Thanks. The deal was too good to pass up. A 15oz wheel of President Brie( I know, not the best quality, but I dont think these folks are "foodies") for 3.59.

Edited May 30, 2008 by CaliPoutine (log)

[gfron1]

I case you're in the market for more cheese, I regularly will sell off my quickly-dying stock if folks buy it in whole or large amounts. Yesterday I sold a half round of appenzeller because it would only take me seconds with one wire cut and a bit of saran wrap, and I could off load a cheese that wasn't moving real well. Price - discounted from 18.95/lb US to 13/lb (I could have gone lower but I didn't like the guy). Also, in the brie department, most decent but not highly specialized US stores get Brie de Marze which is a great low-end brie. Our cost on it is around what you paid for the President. I always over buy on it because its so cheap, and I suspect others do to...never hurts to ask for dated and not-selling product.

[CaliPoutine]

I picked this up today.

2 packages of fresh sage( slightly past its prime). I'm going to freeze it and use it in the chicken, sausage, onion bake.

eta: Canada has new labeling rules. The package now says " grown in Columbia, packed in Canada.

Edited May 30, 2008 by CaliPoutine (log)

[Pam R]

You have to go under the assumption that each person will take some of everything you serve. When we do things like potato salad and coleslaw, we make about 4 oz per person.

I'd rather there be a little too much than not enough.

[KarenDW]

I'd rather there be a little too much than not enough.

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As long as there is no obvious "recycling" of leftovers!

If the option exists, do not put out all of the salad in the buffet service; maybe just 30 servings over everything, and then replenish platters/bowls. Whatever you keep back could be dressed just before serving, unless marinating in dressing is important to the dish. That way, if there are left over amounts, you can do something else with them. Easier to store, too. Ziplock bags are very handy here.

[CaliPoutine]

I'd rather there be a little too much than not enough.

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As long as there is no obvious "recycling" of leftovers!

If the option exists, do not put out all of the salad in the buffet service; maybe just 30 servings over everything, and then replenish platters/bowls. Whatever you keep back could be dressed just before serving, unless marinating in dressing is important to the dish. That way, if there are left over amounts, you can do something else with them. Easier to store, too. Ziplock bags are very handy here.

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I usually do that with the Seniors when I make their salad. I like to give the take-out people fresh salad without dressing so they can eat it the next day. Good idea.

Btw, not sure if your grocery stores are the same as ours, but our Independent ( Loblaws) has Gai Lea butter ( salted and unsalted) on sale for 2.99lb. Thats a good price, especially for Ontario. I did buy 3lbs of unsalted store brand butter in MI for 5.00( sold in stick form, on sale)

[KarenDW]

2 packages of fresh sage( slightly past its prime).  I'm going to freeze it and use it in the chicken, sausage, onion bake.

FWIW, I mince the herbs before freezing; it's easier to chop when fresh than after thawing.

[CaliPoutine]

It just kills me to pay 8.00 lb for boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. If I had to do all my shopping in Ontario, I wouldnt make any money.

[kbjesq]

It just kills me to pay 8.00 lb for boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.  If I had to do all my shopping in Ontario, I wouldnt make any money.

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I hear you. When I did my dinner for 225 last week, I was able to buy boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins for $1.87/lb. (case price). OTH, I hate to think what they are paying the chicken farmers and the butchers at that price point.

When I was in high school, I had a temporary job cleaning chicken coops (on a farm in NH). On that basis, I say that even $8/lb is a bargain!

[CaliPoutine]

I'm getting pretty anxious about this job. I dropped a ton of food off at the site this morning on my way to MI. I stopped there again on my way back and dropped off even more stuff. I bought 12 loaves(6.00) of day old bread from Jimmy John's. I'm going to use this for the french toast casserole. I had to buy a container at Target to hold it.

I took a bunch of pics of the kitchen. Before I got there, I stopped at Sobey's for fruit. I bought 2 watermelons( 2.99 each), 3 cantelopes( 1.50 each) 1 honeydew(1.50), 6 containers of strawberries(1.50), blueberries(2.49), blackberries( 1.50) and raspberries(1.50). They were having a fruit sale and yeah, I know not local but nothing( except rhubarb) really is at this time of year. At least the fruit was from the US and not S. America. I removed the soup from the Saturday lunch ( its supposed to be 85F) and added a large fruit salad.

I bought 3 pork butts in MI. They were 1.79lb and I got 25lbs. I really, really, really hope thats enough. There are 8 vegetarians and 42 meat eaters. Do you think thats enough? If not, I have a huge boneless pork loin in my freezer, can I use that for pulled pork? I'm making it in the crockpot( no smoker at the facility).

Those little creamers are for any vegan's. Tomorrow I'm going to Costco to get some produce, some foccacia rolls for sandwiches and individual creamers.

[Jon Savage]

Nice haul. I'd rub the butts and do them in a slow oven rather than a crock pot.

[CaliPoutine]

Nice haul. I'd rub the butts and do them in a slow oven rather than a crock pot.

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Its going to be 85F with no A/C in the kitchen. Thats why I'm using the crockpots. I'm going to make them on Friday and pull them and reheat on Saturday. I've done them before in the crockpot ( the recipe I use is from the Gourmet slow cooker book) and they worked out well.

[Chad]

Nice haul. I'd rub the butts and do them in a slow oven rather than a crock pot.

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Its going to be 85F with no A/C in the kitchen. Thats why I'm using the crockpots. I'm going to make them on Friday and pull them and reheat on Saturday. I've done them before in the crockpot ( the recipe I use is from the Gourmet slow cooker book) and they worked out well.

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As a true Southerner it pains me to say this, but crock pot pulled pork actually works pretty well, especially with a decent rub or marinade. Are the butts bone-in or boneless? When I'm doing Carolina barbecue a bone-in shoulder yields about 45-50%, meaning that an 8lb shoulder, once the fat cap is removed, the meat is smoked and the collagen renders, and the bone is removed, ends up as 3.5-4lbs of pulled pork. A boneless shoulder isn't as flavorful but has a better yield.

Chad

[tino27]

I have to agree with Chad on the pulled pork results: from my own experience, with a bone-in pork shoulder, I get about 50% of the original weight in usable meat. Besides cooking on-site, you could also do the pulled pork ahead of time and chill/freeze. Then use your crock pots to reheat gently until service. Something else you can do ahead of time to take the edge off during the event. Plus, that's 50% less that you have to transport.

[Peter the eater]

I'm just catching up on this adventure of yours - distracted by hockey on tv right now (boo Detroit). You are always so good at finding the deals - today I found a place to get high quality Lebanese EVOO for $5 per litre! Almost as much as gasoline.

I'm no expert on pulled pork, but I make it a few times a year and it's always good. It's not the cut, it's how you treat the pork, as you know. A loin will be beautiful - just get it all melted down with gooey flavor and then pull it apart with forks.

Do what you always do and it'll go well. Anyone from California can handle an 85F kitchen!

[CaliPoutine]

I have to agree with Chad on the pulled pork results: from my own experience, with a bone-in pork shoulder, I get about 50% of the original weight in usable meat. Besides cooking on-site, you could also do the pulled pork ahead of time and chill/freeze. Then use your crock pots to reheat gently until service. Something else you can do ahead of time to take the edge off during the event. Plus, that's 50% less that you have to transport.

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They're eating the pork on Saturday night. I'm cooking it on Friday at the site( the original menu was for the pork on Friday, but logistically it didnt work out) and will refridgerate it there.

I have 2 porchetta roasts( boneless). They were leftover from a senior meal. They're 1kg each. Then I have 25lbs of bone-in butt. I could have bought the shoulder for 1.18lb vs 1.79 for the butt, but it looked a lot fattier.

Now I'm totally worried that I dont have enough. I dont think I can get anymore either( I'm in a small town). I even called Costco in London and they dont carry it.

[CaliPoutine]

You are always so good at finding the deals - today I found a place to get high quality Lebanese EVOO for $5 per litre! Almost as much as gasoline.

I'm no expert on pulled pork, but I make it a few times a year and it's always good. It's not the cut, it's how you treat the pork, as you know. A loin will be beautiful - just get it all melted down with gooey flavor and then pull it apart with forks.

Finding bargains has almost become like a full-time job. LOL. Here is a funny. I thought I found a great bargain when I bought Carapelli EVOO at No Frills for 3.99 ( their regular price, its since gone up to 6.99). Personally, I like it. I also like Colavita(9.99). The latest issue of Cook's Illustrated doesnt agree with me on the Carapelli. They think it sucks and it made their "Not Recomended" list. Anyway, I made a raspberry viniagrette using that and some PC rasbperry vinegar for the Spinach, Strawberry and Brie salad they're eating on Sunday. I thought it was tasty, hopefully everyone will agree with me.

[Chad]

Now I'm totally worried that I dont have enough.  I dont think I can get anymore either( I'm in a small town).  I even called Costco in London and they dont carry it.

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Hmmm, if you get 50% yield on 25lbs of shoulder/butt (same cut unless you got "picnic shoulder") that's 12.5lbs of pulled pork, which works out to 200oz or 50 4oz portions. Served on buns with coleslaw and sides, that will probably be just about perfect. You may need to take a little extra time pulling the pork to make sure you get every scrap of usable meat, but you should be fine.

The loins are going to cook up a little differently. Not only are they leaner, they don't have the collagen and connective tissue that gives pulled pork its distinctive "juiciness" and mouthfeel. Personally, I'd roast the loins and offer them sliced thin as an alternative or addition to the pulled pork. With that said, however, if time and space are issues, they'll be just fine in the slow cookers, too.

Thanks for starting this. I'm having fun following along with your adventures.

Chad

[CaliPoutine]

Personally, I'd roast the loins and offer them sliced thin as an alternative or addition to the pulled pork. With that said, however, if time and space are issues, they'll be just fine in the slow cookers, too.

I sure wish I had your knife skills( and one of your sharp knives) to slice them thin.

Anyway, I'm going to say screw it and hope I have enough. 8 of the 50 people are vegetarians and they'll have a different entree. I'm also making potato salad, pasta salad and a greek salad. Cake for dessert.