Cooking for 50 Senior Citizens

[jayt90]

Tomorrow I cook for the seniors again. 

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btw, I wanted to mention that the cost of fresh produce is outrageous.  Last week I paid 50 cents for a cucumber.  Today it was 1.29.  Last week celery was 1.69, today I saw it for 3.99.  Can you believe that, 4 bucks for a freaking bunch of celery????? 

I'm hoping the grocery store has red/green peppers on the reduced rack in the morning.  If not, I'm going to have to pay 3.99lb for red peppers.

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Prices for fresh produce will come down, sooner than expected but gradually. Quick crops like lettuce, radishes, mini carrots, will be along soon from Ca. but buyers are already getting supplies from Florida, Mexico, S.A. and even the EU. The California farms will try to get back in quickly so they don't lose markets. Meantime I'm using frozen vegs and canned tomatoes and corn. Even canned peas

[Kouign Aman]

I hope you can roast the peppers and freeze em so you dont have to buy those again. What a pisher!

[CaliPoutine]

I hope you can roast the peppers and freeze em so you dont have to buy those again.  What a pisher! 

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Thankfully, I didnt buy the peppers yet. I bought 8 bags of coleslaw mix and a bag of onions. The onions will keep, and they're going to ask the other cook to use the coleslaw mix at her program.

[Kerry Beal]

I hope you can roast the peppers and freeze em so you dont have to buy those again.   What a pisher! 

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Thankfully, I didnt buy the peppers yet. I bought 8 bags of coleslaw mix and a bag of onions. The onions will keep, and they're going to ask the other cook to use the coleslaw mix at her program.

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My mother used to make a cabbage salad with a boiled dressing that contained poppy seeds. Had a really long shelf life.

[CaliPoutine]

I cooked yesterday for the Seniors. As usual, the weather was fine in the morning( it was raining) and by the afternoon it was horrible. Thus, we had 18 cancellations. I bought enough food for 48ppl.

The menu:

Sausage w/onions and peppers and assorted mustard

apple coleslaw

potato and cheddar perogies with sourcream and bacon

frozen peas

cupcakes and black cherry icecream.

Overall this meal was pretty easy. I had previously baked and frosted the cupcakes for the last meal that was cancelled.

I bought 8 bags of coleslaw mix( too much) and I used 6 apples. I've been making this coleslaw for a few years. I use light mayo, apple cider vinegar, splenda( or sugar), salt, pepper and lots of celery seed.

This kitchen has NO frying pans. I brought one from home and I basically cooked everything in this one pan, transferring food to other pans to continue cooking in the oven or to keep warm.

I made 75 sausages. I bought mild Italian and honey garlic.

After the sausage was browned, I did the onions, then peppers and transferred them into a big pot.

For the perogies, I thawed them in hot water, then browned them in the leftover bacon fat.

Most of the senior have NEVER had perogies. I was stunned. I thought they were a food most older folks would be familar with. One senior asked the coordinator if they were having potatoes too *sigh*. She told them the perogies were filled with potato and cheddar. I bought 2 bottles of mustard to pass around with the sausage, but only 2 ppl ended up taking some.

No picture of the peas, because they were just frozen peas( at least I used butter on them).

The dessert pic was posted upthread after I baked the cupcakes 2 weeks ago.

I made 1 package of sugar free jello ( 4 half cup servings) and I was asked if there was any more jello * double sigh*

I did take an informal poll regarding a preference for either lasagna or spagetti and meatballs. Lasagna won hands down.

The meal for March 8th is Roast Chicken( I got roasters on sale for 99cents lb), mashed spuds. I havent figured out the salad or veg yet. I'm aiming for bread pudding for the dessert and either corn muffins or biscuits for the bread.

[Pam R]

Most of the senior have NEVER had perogies.  I was stunned. 

That is truly shocking. I also would have expected them to be familiar with perogies - aren't they made in every church kitchen across Canada? (or is that only on the Prairies?)

[snowangel]

Most of the senior have NEVER had perogies.  I was stunned. 

That is truly shocking. I also would have expected them to be familiar with perogies - aren't they made in every church kitchen across Canada? (or is that only on the Prairies?)

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Shock here as well.

But, did they like them?

[CaliPoutine]

Most of the senior have NEVER had perogies.  I was stunned. 

That is truly shocking. I also would have expected them to be familiar with perogies - aren't they made in every church kitchen across Canada? (or is that only on the Prairies?)

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Shock here as well.

But, did they like them?

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I think they did. I allowed 3 per person, but there were a lot left over. Maybe they didnt like the sour cream I put on the side. One man came into the kitchen and said " You're always giving us food we've never had before". I said " But do you like it" and he said " Oh yes, its delicious".

[prasantrin]

Most of the senior have NEVER had perogies.  I was stunned. 

That is truly shocking. I also would have expected them to be familiar with perogies - aren't they made in every church kitchen across Canada? (or is that only on the Prairies?)

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Shocking is an understatement! How can one live in Canada and not have an perogies? Not even Cheemo???

But I suppose if you consider the location (small town Southern Ontario), it isn't so shocking. I'm a little surprised they voted for lasagne! (My Dutch friend's father thought Italian food was "too foreign"!)

When you make the lasagne, CaliPoutine, make sure you use cottage cheese and not bechamel, or you might have a rebellion!

[CaliPoutine]

Edited February 24, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[Pookie]

Im not really surprised that Peirogies were a new thing. Around here - if it's not English or Scottish cooking - It's Crrrrap!

Peirogies are that funny foreign Eastern European stuff.

But I am glad they liked them.

You could do your lasagna with Ground turkey or even sausage meats. A little nicer than Ground Beef.

[K8memphis]

I was surprised that you were going to serve them. They are strictly a family dish for us. Now when I was in Toronto once a million years ago 'I discovered' a restaurant that made fresh pierogies and I was absolutly flabergasted.

I'm glad they liked them. I would never have served them. And I would only have served them fried if they already knew what they were. Boil first then dust with flour & fry crispy & serve with sour cream mmmm....

Edited February 24, 2007 by K8memphis (log)

[CaliPoutine]

I was surprised that you were going to serve them. They are strictly a family dish for us. Now when I was in Toronto once a million years ago 'I discovered' a restaurant that made fresh pierogies and I was absolutly flabergasted.

I'm glad they liked them. I would never have served them. And I would only have served them fried if they already knew what they were. Boil first then dust with flour & fry crispy & serve with sour cream mmmm....

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Well, technically they werent fried, more like sauteed. They looked too slimy to me after I thawed them, I thought the texture that way would be more of a turnoff.

Any salad suggestions for the next meal?

[Old Timer]

My few cents...

Potato Cheese Pierogi's are best cooked this way.

Boiled for a few minutes in salted water to cook them.

Sauteed in butter along with onions until golden.

Served hot with a good chunck of Kielbasa.

As far as lasagna, I always use Bechamel as a base as it keeps the bottom from drying out. Usually I put about a half inch in the bottom and proceed as usual.

[CaliPoutine]

This is a long post.....

Yesterday's meal was known as a comedy in errors. I left my house at 11, stopping at the grocery store in my town. Zucchini was on sale for .99lb, they carry russet potatoes( which I prefer for mashed) and I wanted to get some day old bread for the bread pudding. I ended up with 12lbs of zucchini( too much). I figured half a zucchini per person so I bought 25. That was way too much, next time I'd go with maybe 9lbs.

I checked out and was walking out the door when I realized I forgot the bread. I ran back in to get the bread. I then went to the grocery store in the town where the meal is held. No Frills is a lot cheaper than my towns grocery store and they just provided me with a store charge card. I bought the rest of the groceries and made my way over to the church.

I needed buttermilk for the biscuits I was making. I brought some from home since we're leaving town on Monday and I didnt want it to go to waste. On my way to the church, my open quart of buttermilk spilled in my backseat. I schlepped all the groceries into the church and was ready to start on the bread pudding when I realized I forgot the eggs. It was after 1pm by this point. So, I ran back to the store for eggs. The puddings took forever to cook.

I've learned a good lesson from this meal. Don't use a recipe you've never tried before. I thought the biscuits were a disaster. I got the recipe from a book called "Process This", basically a book about using your food processor to its fullest potential. The one good piece of equipment the church has is a cuisinart( but not big enough to handle all the dough as I soon come to find out). Anyway, these angel biscuits use a combination of yeast, baking powder and soda. They also use buttermilk and shortening. The crisco is supposed to be frozen for a few hours( whoops, didnt read that). So, I just chopped it up and put it in the freezer while I was getting everything else ready. The original recipe made 36 so I needed 1.5 times the recipe. My cutter was smaller so I got way more than 36. I could have only used 1 recipe, but oh well. They didnt rise that much and I thought they were ugly, but the seniors loved them.

The salad was very popular too which surprised me because I used balsamic vinegar. Sorry for the picture, they dished it up before I could get a good photo so you get leftovers. I diced up a red onion and sauteed it in evoo, bacon fat and some mustard. I added balsamic and a bit of honey until it tasted right. The rest of the salad was 2lbs of baby spinach, a dozen hard cooked eggs, sliced mushrooms, and 1lb of bacon. There was hardly any salad left.

The chicken was a disaster with a capital D. After the biscuits were on their way, I left one of the volunteers in charge and I went to pick up the chickens. They were defrosting in the walk in at my other job. I picked those up, my boss's thermapen thermometer( I forgot mine) and her pepper mill. I guess I didnt realize how big 6lb chickens were because in my dreams I imagined 4 would fit in a roasting pan. LOL, think again. I barely got 3 in a pan and they were touching( do you see where this is going?) I cooked 8 in total and while I was prepping them I was dismayed to see their necks still attached. I had NO time to deal with them as it was almost 3:30 by this point( the meal is at 5:30). I stuffed them with lemon and onion and put fresh rosemary under the skin. I rubbed them with evoo, then sprinkled them with salt and pepper and fresh thyme.

They would not freaking cook!! I turned the oven up to 425, then 450 and parts of the chicken were still registering 140f. I tried turning them over, then roating the pans, then I said fuck it and turned the oven up to 475. Then the smoke alarm went off for a good 10 minutes. Some of the legs were 200f, while other parts of the chicken were barely 162. Talk about frustrating. I finally pulled them out at 5:20 and they rested for about 10 minutes. I cut them up and then a new volunteer helped as well. I cut my finger and that slowed my progress while I wrapped my finger in a towel and then a too small surgical glove. Are you tired yet from reading this? I'm exhausted!!

I was dismayed to see bruises and blood on some pieces of chicken. I dropped two of them while they were frozen and I wonder if that was why or maybe they were rejects because they were so cheap at 99lb. If I saw any blood or bruising, I didnt serve it, into the trash it went. The volunteer, she did the exact opposite of me.

So, two plates of chicken came back into the kitchen with complaints. I was ready to cry. No one EVER complains about my food.

The veg went over well. I must have sauteed 7 batches in a single layer but I swear, I am not feeding these ppl frozen veg. I sprinkled each batch with parmesean.

They loved the dessert too. I pulled some recipe off Allrecipes.com. It didnt look right though, 22slices of bread for 7 cups of milk and 15 eggs. I just disregarded the recipe and kinda did my own thing and crossed my fingers that it would come out. I made some custard using Birds custard powder. I ran out of custard, but I didnt give a crap at this point. I was exhausted and just wanted to go home.

The co-ordinator told me that 2 ladies approached her and said " Does the cook have to make the food so spicy". I laughed because I dont use much spice at all. I think they are refering to the sausages. I bought mild Italian last time, I guess it wasn't mild enough. Oh and another person said " I'm not coming next time because she is making lasagna". Last time I cooked, I polled them. I gave them a choice between lasagna and spagetti and meatballs and they picked lasagna They picked it, but they really dont want it. They just want meat and potatoes.

She told her that I'm not making the lasagna until the end of April. The co-ordinator told me that we should make an announcement at the next meal telling them in advance when we'll have the lasagna so they can decide ahead of time if they're going to come.

I can NOT wait to get on that plane for my vacation!!

Edited March 9, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[Kouign Aman]

Oh my. What a day!

and how did the car smell?

Those are lovely plates. It must be nice to serve on them.

[K8memphis]

I'm so sorry about the chicken! Eeghads the smoke detector for ten minutes, shit! But in another sense and after you come back from vacation, you will live to laugh uproariously about this. Not now of course.

[ Much later ]

But man that salad sounds fabulous. And all the extra effort in the zucchini is very kind and generous of you.

On the dessert--"Can I have some more, sir?" (from Oliver of course)

Looks really good!

And the chicken looks great.

Edited March 9, 2007 by K8memphis (log)

[CaliPoutine]

Oh my. What a day!

and how did the car smell?

Those are lovely plates. It must be nice to serve on them.

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Actually, the car doesnt smell yet. The plates are nice to serve on, but as I also found out yesterday, they can't go in the microwave as they are rimmed in gold!!

Edited March 10, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[ruthcooks]

Randi, I don't know why people are objecting to having potatoes more often, if that's what the Seniors want. If these were Orientals, not one person would object to giving them rice every time!

The biscuits weren't a disaster if they loved them.

A question: why didn't you take out the chickens first thing so they could thaw?

[prasantrin]

About the spiciness, for a lot of people, black pepper is spicy enough. I've been told by the seniors around me that though have seem to have lost the ability to taste many different flavours, the flavour of black pepper has become more pronounced. There seems to be ground black pepper on the zucchini, and you mentioned black pepper on the chicken. That could have been too much black pepper for some.

[CaliPoutine]

Randi, I don't know why people are objecting to having potatoes more often, if that's what the Seniors want.  If these were Orientals, not one person would object to giving them rice every time!

The biscuits weren't a disaster if they loved them.

A question:  why didn't you take out the chickens first thing so they could thaw?

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Because I don't want to cook potatoes every single time. I did take the chickens out, they were put in a walk in fridge on Monday after sitting on the counter for a good 6 hrs. They were cooked on Thursday.

[CaliPoutine]

About the spiciness, for a lot of people, black pepper is spicy enough.  I've been told by the seniors around me that though have seem to have lost the ability to taste many different flavours, the flavour of black pepper has become more pronounced.  There seems to be ground black pepper on the zucchini, and you mentioned black pepper on the chicken.  That could have been too much black pepper for some.

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You're right, there was pepper on the zucchini, but the pepper on the chicken was on the skin which I mostly removed before plating.

[sadie_siamesecat]

I lurk here all the time, just wanted to tell you how fascinating this thread is to me! I get nervous just making dinner for my husband--so cooking for 50 finicky people, regardless of their age, is just mind-blowing. FWIW, I'd happily eat anything you cooked for them myself except no seconds on jello--I'd eat the extra cupcake.

I think, though, that the comment of older gentleman ("you're always making us food we've never had before...oh, yes it's all delicious") is quite telling. In only a few times there you are giving them food that they've never tried and really like! You can't please everyone, but perhaps one of your guests is saying to his/her family "You know, we tried these crazy things called Perogies and I liked them!" After 6 times, who knows what could happen! I'm sure a lot of it is about their building trust in you, as well--kind of like the song "Getting to know you...getting to know all about you..."

In any case, I love reading about what you're doing! Thanks!

[Rebecca263]

I keep reading this thread, hoping to see the epiphany moment. The joy that could come to you from this opportunity. See, I'm a little different. For me, this would be an opportunity to connect and give people pleasure at the table, to INTERACT and SHARE, not to teach them what to like. Because, let's face it, this is not about money, if it was, you'd be a lawyer. When I read your posts, I see that you feed people because of what's in your heart.

These people have lived long lives, surely they can teach us a thing or two? You can send out 3 x 5 cards and ask them for their favorite food memories, or recipes, if they are so inclined. You might find something great comes out of that. Like, oh, I don't know, a new way of cooking potatoes.

[CaliPoutine]

I keep reading this thread, hoping to see the epiphany moment. The joy that could come to you from this opportunity. See, I'm a little different. For me, this would be an opportunity to connect and give people pleasure at the table, to INTERACT and SHARE, not to teach them what to like. Because, let's face it, this is not about money, if it was, you'd be a lawyer. When I read your posts, I see that you feed people because of what's in your heart.

These people have lived long lives, surely they can teach us a thing or two? You can send out 3 x 5 cards  and ask them for their favorite food memories, or recipes, if they are so inclined. You might find something great comes out of that. Like, oh, I don't know, a new way of cooking potatoes.

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Hmmm, I don't really understand what you're trying to say to me. Do you think I'm being critical?

I am trying to SHARE my love of good, healthy non-processed foods. I did not grow up in this area, I grew up in a Jewish family in Ft. Lauderdale. The way we eat and shopped is very different from anything I've seen here. In my personal opinion, its not healthy to eat red meat and potatoes 5x a week. I'm trying to give the Seniors a different way of eating, or give them something familar( potatoes) in a different form( perogies). The sole reason I made the bread pudding was because I knew they would love it. Like you said, I'm not doing this for the money, but honestly if I could practice law in Canada, I would.

Thursday was a very stressful day. I chose too many labor intensive dishes because I WANTED to give the Seniors home-made biscuits instead of the same store bought buns they eat each time I cook. I wanted to give them a nice roast chicken and mashed potato dinner because chicken is normally very expensive and I got a good deal on it. I put way more time into this meal than what I was paid for. Additionally, I did poll the seniors regarding Lasagna or spagetti. They chose lasagna. I was trying to find something that I could do the day ahead to free up the ovens.

Oh and the next meal that I cook will be ham and scallopped potatoes. I know many ways to cook potatoes, I just chose not to make them at every meal. If you want to criticise me for that, then there is nothing else I can say.