Catering for many

JAS_OH1 said:
Yeah, that helps a lot.
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I'm actually not tooooo worried about the food side. I'm more concerned about my DIL and my wife, who enter into mega-hysterical mode when there's a big event; and we've had a few. I'm definitely not a pro cook, but I've been in enough events and enough restaurant kitchens to know that the people behind the stoves do NOT panic; they just get on with it as quickly as possible.
 
rascal said:
We have 2 chest freezers and 2 door freezers so I keep a huge amount of.food in them.
I cook for 10 every Sunday and up to 15 xmas day.
I allow 3 to 3.5 kgs meat every Sunday.
I don't have a problem with 30 people.
Noone would go home hungry 😋

Russ
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I don't have room for 30 people in my house!
 
Nothing on earth would make me want to cater for 'many'. Its one of my worst nightmares. I don't really enjoy catering for 4 let alone 50 plus. I used to cook for around six when my kids and their partners lived here. I didn't mind that so much as it was not 'event' cooking, so lots of one pot family meals. The trickiest part was catering for vegan and pescatarian. We ended up eating vegan food most of the time.

What I am wondering is how you are cooking vast quantities of curry. Do you hire catering size pans? And if so how do you fit it all into just two large fridges?
 
I know the query is more aimed at karadekoolaid ;)
But I got big size catering pots left over from owning a lodge. And I mean very very big. One of 100 litres and a 150 litre one (both currently in use to store other stuff).
Also 2 x size 6 potjies (feed about 18 each as 1 pot meal), a 30 litre pan, 2 or 3 woks and some more odds and ends
 
Morning Glory said:
Nothing on earth would make me want to cater for 'many'. Its one of my worst nightmares. I don't really enjoy catering for 4 let alone 50 plus.
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That’s me as well…I can just about manage four total, counting myself and MrsT, before I start getting annoyed.

There’s also a little bit of a cultural difference - here in my area, chafing dishes of this or that stew would be fine, but there’d usually be an expectation of, “Looks nice…but where’s the real food?” - meaning, where’s the big centerpiece hunk of meat to be carved/sliced? Things in chafing dishes are usually seen as accompaniments to the main attraction, or alternatives to the main attraction…but there still needs to be a main attraction dish.

Informal cookouts, obviously, are a little different, but you still need the burgers, dogs, chicken, etc on the outdoor grill.
 
karadekoolaid said:
I'm more concerned about... my wife, who enters into mega-hysterical mode when there's a big event;
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Supposedly, we were going to the supermarket to buy the fresh veg this morning. Noooo, it was not to be. Firstly we had to go to a godforsaken shopping mall to change some trousers she bought me, which were the wrong size. Secondly, I was ready at 10am, but we didn't leave till 11.30, and had to be back by 1pm to look after the baby. Thirdly, "we" decided to take disabled son and grandson, aged 5, which meant everything was about 30 minutes slower than usual. Then I got an earful because she didn't believe I could ensure all the food would be hot on Saturday, and you did that once before! When my friends were at home! (all 6 of them). I said "I've got 3 chafing dishes to keep the stuff hot!"
"They don't work! They're only there to keep it warm."(Expert opinion, of course, because she uses one every single day)
We never made it to the supermarket, of course, because she was totally incapable of managing the GPS.haranguing me, following the map, telling me about her trip to Miami and driving the car.
Now I've got to prepare the first dish with only half the ingredients.
Rant over - I'm going to sit down with a nice cold IPA. :mad:
 
TastyReuben said:
That’s me as well…I can just about manage four total, counting myself and MrsT, before I start getting annoyed.

There’s also a little bit of a cultural difference - here in my area, chafing dishes of this or that stew would be fine, but there’d usually be an expectation of, “Looks nice…but where’s the real food?” - meaning, where’s the big centerpiece hunk of meat to be carved/sliced? Things in chafing dishes are usually seen as accompaniments to the main attraction, or alternatives to the main attraction…but there still needs to be a main attraction dish.

Informal cookouts, obviously, are a little different, but you still need the burgers, dogs, chicken, etc on the outdoor grill.
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Not many vegetarians or vegans in your neck of the woods then?
 
TastyReuben said:
Yes, a few, but within family circles, they usually prefer to provide for themselves, or just make do with the sides…if any of those are vegan.
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We are going to one of my DH's cousin's cookouts a week from Saturday for his little boy's birthday. I am bringing a slow-cooker of macaroni and cheese. I was just told that one kid coming is allergic to dairy and another has a gluten intolerance. They are not family members (for some amazing reason the 100 or so family members that live within 20 miles who share the same last name and/or gene pool have zero food allergies) so I guess I am bringing a small veggie tray with some sort of non-dairy dip to go with as a backup for these poor little tykes who can't have the macaroni and cheese. I know cousin A is smoking ribs or doing pulled pork/brisket, something like that...yum.
 
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karadekoolaid said:
I'm actually not tooooo worried about the food side. I'm more concerned about my DIL and my wife, who enter into mega-hysterical mode when there's a big event; and we've had a few. I'm definitely not a pro cook, but I've been in enough events and enough restaurant kitchens to know that the people behind the stoves do NOT panic; they just get on with it as quickly as possible.
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It sounds like you had a bit of a panic today because you were not in the kitchen and had to deal with shopping malls, traffic, your wife and some kids!
 
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