Pennsic Supper Club 2008
As Pennsic approaches, it's time for my annual attempt to organize a supper club in our camp.
For those who haven't camped with Vair & Ermine before, while we do not have a meal plan, several campers have, in the past, agreed to share dinner and clean up duties so that no one has to do their own cooking every night. Also, it is only slightly more work to cook for 10 people than it is to cook for two. (Really!)
The plan is simple:
- You provide dinner one evening for all the members of the supper club, never more than 12 or so adults. You clean up your cooking.
- The other members then provide dinner and clean up for you for the other evenings of the supper club.
- We do not run supper club on the same evening as Atlantian court.
- The exact start night is negotiable, based on when people arrive and we have a "quorum" of clubbers.
- We try to coordinate what's being cooked which night so that we don't end up with spaghetti and meat balls 3 nights in a row.
- I use the term "cook" here, but if you want to order pizza for the other clubbers, that's fine too.
- We don't expect fancy medieval food, nor that you cook it over a pit fire.
That's it!
Our camp kitchen is pretty well equipped, so don't worry about having to bring lots of gear, unless you want to make something tricky.
Here are a few things we've discovered over time:
Unless we have LOTS of people arriving early at the war, it rarely makes sense to start the shared dinners prior to the middle of the war, around the 30th this year.
Approximate 7PM dinner time is a good choice, but negotiable. Knowing when you'll have dinner ready assures that everyone is there.
If you're arriving at war after the middle weekend and want to join in, then you may benefit from cooking at home, freezing it all and bringing it to war ready to thaw and reheat. I've done this many times.
Once I get a better idea of how many people are interested, we can sort out who else is cooking what when.
If you're interested, email me with your arrival day, your preferred "cooking" night and what you'd like to provide. Also, any food allergies or dietary restrictions.
I hope you'll join us at the table!
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We're in. Not sure of
We're in.
Not sure of arrival date, but would prefer to cook Saturday or Sunday of the middle weekend.
No idea what I'll cook.
Roland dislikes mexican and really can't stand onions. However, he is happy if they are on the side - like when Phillip made fajitas, Roland just didn't put the onions in, etc.
As for me, I'll eat most anything but black olives - which I hate but will contentedly pick out of a salad or off pizza, etc.
We're in.
The great short horde is in.
7 People total... 2 Adults, 4 kids, 1 toddler. When we do dinner at home, we normally cook for around 4-5 adults.
Mushrooms & raw tomatos are the only known food allergies. As with Roland, putting them on the side works fine.
Since we'd consume more than the average family, we'd be up for more than the average cooking, similar to last year. Perhaps 2 nights?
we are trying our best to be there for land grab. at the latest, I will be there for land grab and the family will be there mid-week the first week. (probably wednesday).
(edit for dates)
Corby & Thjora, also Hyrim & Anastasia
We're in of course, arriving Friday the 25th. Anastasia just wrote to me unable to post here, and they're in too.
I'll start listing TENTATIVE meal nights on the SCA calendar in the left margin.
Could everyone also please mention their arrival day and time? Not that I'll ask anyone to cook on their arrival day, unless you want to.
Que Les Mauvais Soient Dévoré de la Flamme
Guenievre and I are in.
Guenievre and I are in. Guenievre is quite a cook, so I'll let her plan what we'll do for ya. We're not allergic to anything, and are reasonably adventurous (though if someone wants to cook us Liver and Onions, we'll be heading to the food court a bit later). We don't have a preference as to what day we cook, though probably not the day we arrive (which will be Friday before the middle weekend).
Girard
Fear Helmut's Cooking
Dave and I are in too. He is allergic to tree nuts and neither of us care for fish. Other than that - bring on the food experiments!!! Our arrival time is currently somewhat up in the air, but presently looking like really late Wed of the first week or at a more rational time the following day. (But we will be coming up to help out with land grab as well, not that it's particluarly relevant to food ...)
Cindy & I are in as a team.
Cindy & I are in as a team. We'll probably do pasta and stew. We are arriving Saturday of the middle weekend and staying through the final Saturday. I would prefer we not have Tuesday or Thursday (since Wednesday is already not being done), but we would be fine with any of the other nights.
I have no strong food preferences and no severe allergies, so I look forward to trying what everyone else is making.
Philip, Susan and Leo on too. I THINK We're Full
Seems like we may be at capacity, though this sort of depends on when everyone is arriving. I'm still compiling all that. There's no reason there can't be two supper clubs, of course.
The club, in approximate arrival order, listing same
Corby/Thjora (7/25)
Brian and the Great Short Horde (At least Brian 7/25-26)
Theo/Roland (7/31?)
Helmut/Kymber (7/31)
Girard & Guenievre (8/1)
Hyrim/Anastasia (8/2)
Philip et al (May be coming and going)
Cyn and Kendra (8/2)
That's EIGHT nights of cooking, or something. Looks like we might be able to start Supper Club as early as 7/31, the first Thursday. Thoughts?
Have I forgotten anyone?
Here's the compiled allergy/dislike/restriction list:
Must Not Have Due to Allergies
Mushrooms
Tree Nuts (peanuts are OK)
Raw Tomatoes
Strong Dislikes
Onions
Bell Peppers
Hot peppery spices
Cream Sauces
Fish
Blueberries
Other Restrictions
We have one person who does not eat beef, lamb or veal, but will work around these if they're in the meal.
Tree Nuts (peanuts are OK)
It seems reasonable to say that if you really want to cook with something on one of these lists, it is simply important that you let everyone know about the worrisome ingredient. And that allergy stuff be left out of main dishes. So if you want to make a sliced tomato and onion salad with blueberry cream dressing, it should be a side dish, not the main course. Thoughts?
Que Les Mauvais Soient Dévoré de la Flamme
Schedule for Discussion and Approval
Here is the TENTATIVE schedule, at
http://ical.mac.com/WebObjects/iCal.woa/wa/default?d=28&u=mdawson&v=0&y=2008&m=6&n=SCA.ics
Look at the bottom of the pages for "6:00pm X and Y cook". It says 6, but dinner is usually at 7 unless you have a better idea. I included prep time so you can see where things might bump into other events you want to do.
Generally, when I have not been given preferences about when you want to cook, I have put your cooking date relatively close to your arrival date +1. This is in case you want to pack a bunch of frozen stuff to serve once you arrive, and also to allow you to do your meal shopping at the same time you do your unavoidable "trip to town after arriving."
There is a bit of a difference between the amount of work and cost people clubbing in the first week have to do compared to those in the second week. I don't know if anyone cares about this, but if you do, I solicit your ideas on how to make this fair.
Brian has also offered to do more than one night, but we don't have enough nights unless I've misunderstood how early people are arriving. Maybe he and his can provide some material support one or two other nights? What do people think?
We are already short on nights for cooking vs. people who want to participate, since the kitchen is going to be packed down by dinner time on last Friday. So I have two suggestions:
Please discuss!
Silence=Consent
We're about down to the last moment here, and I would greatly appreciate input on things previously asked and one more thing too.
IF I DO NOT HEAR BACK FROM YOU OR YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, I ASSUME YOU DON'T CARE OR THAT YOU'RE HAPPY AS THINGS ARE.
1) I asked if anyone cared, and if they cared, what we should do about the disparity between those who cook early for fewer people and those who cook later for more people.
2) To broaden the supper club while short of days, Philip, Susan and Leo have offered to do clean up through the club.
3) Arianna and Kathall wanted in on the club from very early on, and I failed to put them on the list. They arrive at land grab, so we have the option of starting Supper Club as early as Wednesday the 30th. Alternately, perhaps we might add a brunch in there somewhere--perhaps Tuesday the 5th, after the woods? Or Final Friday Pizza?
UNLESS THERE IS SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, THIS IS THE DEAL AND SCHEDULE:
Philip & crew do the club's cook dishes, not personal dishes.
We ignore the difference between Arianna & Kathall cooking for 6 or so at one end of the spectrum, and Corby cooking for 18 at the other.
Brian kicks in something, somewhere to recompense for having many tiny mouthes to feed.
Arianna/Kathall 7/30 OR Pizza 8/6
Brian 7/31
Helmut/Kymber 8/1
Guenievre/Girard 8/2
Theo 8/3
Cyn/Kendra 8/4
Hyrim/Anastasia 8/5
Corby 8/7
Your silence is consent, in this case.
And finally, may I strongly recommend that no one bring any kind of nut oil or mushrooms to the war, or at least not into the common kitchen.
On which every day Arianna &
On which every day Arianna & Kathall do not handle dinner, I would like to provide dinner as our additional kickin. Either day works for me.
What others say so far via email
Theo is happy. Which is good, because if Theo isn't happy....
Guenievre is happy, Girard is happy, Arianna is happy and interested in picking up something extra, Brian is willing to do more as determined later, I'm happy.