Foods!

[pensnest]

A quick word about food provision.

I'm sure we will be sharing out the cooking duties as usual. Just to remind you all, we ought to be trying to set down to eat at around 7 - 7.30pm, ideally. That gives us plenty of time for whatever is planned for the evening, and those of us who are Getting Old (koff) will be able to digest our dinners before bedtime.

If you are planning to sign up for cooking, check the Timetable post to see which day would be a good one for you. I think we all get caught out by how much more time it takes to prepare food for many people—and this time there will be *19* of us for most mealtimes, and at least one vegetarian and one gluten-free to be catered for—so please sign up for Kitchen Minion duties as well so that nobody has to do this alone!

I *think* I'm remembering correctly that there is a Morrisons supermarket close by at which we'll probably do the Big Shopping, so you can check for ingredient availability in advance. There's also an Aldi just up the road, and… a Co-Op?

Anyway. Signing up.


Friday:
pensnest, the usual Pies, unless there is a rebellion

Saturday: turlough
NB You'll need to get a list of requirements together in time for the Friday Big Shop.

Sunday: chalcopyrite, ephemera
NB Ideally you'll get a list of requirements together in time for the Friday Big Shop.

Monday:
Wedding Reception/Feast nopseud and pensnest will take charge.

Tuesday:
nb All-Day excursion day on the timetable. stellamira suggested that we might do pizza for one of the meals, and I think this might be a good day for it. We can buy some pizza bases and make up pizzas to preference. There could also be salad, garlic bread, onion rings or whatever. I think what this means is that if we're all out all day, it should be a reasonably quick dinner, and whoever volunteers to take charge needn't be good at cooking, just willing to be traffic police and make sure that things go into ovens at the right times.

ETA: just need a volunteer for this one. Basically to figure out the shopping list and to make sure appropriate ingredients are put out.

Wednesday: ninjetti75, minion pensnest

Thursday:
nb This is down as Afternoon Tea day, and traditionally is also Leftovers and Takeout day, so we probably don't need anyone taking charge. We could, though, set a Dinner Time for anyone who wants to talk about plans for Camp Sparkle 2016 to bring their food and their ideas to the table, which I think would be a good thing to do.

Signups welcome!

Comments

[turlough]

Since I'm not going on the trip to Penrhyn Castle I can do the cooking on Saturday.

I'll try to remember and put together a list of ingredients in time for the Friday shopping. I should probably mail it someone since I won't arrive until almost seven in the evening.

[adelate]

I'll be a minion at some point! :)

[nopseud]

Can I just add a couple of things, building on previous experience at Camp.

- Please don't cook something that you haven't made before. Stick with a recipe that you know well, preferably something you've made in volume.

- The ovens at the Ship Inn are not the most powerful, and they don't deal well with being overloaded. Make sure you'll be leaving space for air to circulate and not trying to heat up too much volume from cold.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bettina_/]

Cooking is not my forte at all, so I'm signing up to be a kitchen minion as always. :)

[rikes]

There will be a rebellion if we don't get pies, I think.

Will minion whenever necessary!

[chalcopyrite.livejournal.com]

I can, as usual, make pasta and sauce, unless that's too much Italian with the pizzas (great idea, btw). I can do it any day, as the sauce can if necessary be put together the night before, after dinner. Sunday? I have a list somewhere of what went into pasta for 18; I'll look that out and give you a shopping list, in case the Big Shop happens before Turlough and i get there.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking of volunteering for Sunday night with Saturday night prep - can I minion for you, as per usual ;)

(How do you feel about marscapone & lime cheesecake dip & biscuits to follow?)

[pensnest]

(How do you feel about marscapone & lime cheesecake dip & biscuits to follow?)

I can't speak for anyone else, but I feel distinctly enthusiastic!

[turlough]

I know Jenny eats Quorn, but I don't know if you do. I'm planning on making a dish with chicken breasts and Quorn filets should hopefully be an acceptable substitute.

Also, does a vegetarian alternative to bacon exist?

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

I do, indeed, quorn, and I think the fillets are a pretty easy swap for chicken breasts in most recipies :)

Bacon depends partly on it's purpose in a recipie- if for chopping up and adding flavour to things, you can get Bacos, which are sold as bacon crumbles for salad but which are actually veggie. If for cooking as bacon, Quorn (oddly) does two kinds. I like the frozen kind, and let's just say that the more expensive chilled type is known in my house as "the bacon of bitter disappointment".

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

I shall try and roughly calculate how many multiples of ingredients to request, then. It's pretty straight forward, so can show up as desert or as fridge-raider supplies ;)

[turlough]

You're supposed to wrap the chicken breasts in bacon so the frozen Quorn bacon should probably be the best alternative. We definitely don't want any bitter disappointment at Camp :-)

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

I'm still on the fence for the Wednesday expedition, so I'd be willing to cook then. I'm thinking a Cajun chicken stir fry (it's chicken breast strips, so I'm sure the Quorn filets would substitute just fine), with a semi-chef's salad on the side- -I've two splendid from-scratch salad dressing recipes. One of them uses bacon drippings, however...does the Quorn frozen bacon produce comparably flavoring drippings/grease, ephemera?

[pensnest]

I'm not planning to go on the Snowden trip, so I can minion for you. We will need to check that there are enough pans to do a stir fry for 19, in plenty of time to change plans if necessary.

As for the salad dressings, I suggest one that incorporates bacon and one that's purely vegetarian.

We're down to do sparkly cookies that day, so dessert is sorted! Or, OMG, could we do Candle Salad as well?

[fleurrochard]

I can totally minion, and I could also bake cake(s) at some time? If cake(s) would be wanted? :D?

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

I can be head volunteer for the pizza although I'd definitely appreciate some help with toppings brainstorming and how much to have of stuff :D:

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

There will be a rebellion if we don't get pies, I think.

Oh, absolutely! WE WANT PIES WE WANT PIES WE WANT PIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

Pen's enthusiasm is my enthusiasm!!! :D

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

I'd go with Pen's suggestion - the veggie bacon doesn't really produce dripping.

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

CANDLE SALAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[saba1789.livejournal.com]

I seem to have blessed this post with an exclamation mark or 76, WHOOPS. Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

That's what I figured, but it couldn't hurt to make sure. The other dressing recipe is veggie-friendly.

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

I agree:

CAAAAAKE!!!!!!!

(Also, cake is worthy of exclamation points. And marks. Seventy-five, or even more.)

[pensnest]

Wellllll, every wedding day ought to have a Wedding Cake of some kind, don't you think? If you want to email me about cake tins and such, we can make sure you have the right equipment.

[fleurrochard]

I can make cake, I am not really practiced in making Wedding Cake - I guess it tasting good will have to be enough. *g* (Will we need 1 or 2 for the Wedding Day? Given that with number of people the pieces will be rather small?)

[fadedsouls.livejournal.com]

I can minion when/if needed.

[chalcopyrite.livejournal.com]

I would welcome a minion! Saturday night prep, or Sunday morning is free and some could happen then.

I feel very positive about that, and would be happy to provide reciprocal minioning!

[chalcopyrite.livejournal.com]

There's quorn bacon? o.0 The things you learn...

[turlough]

Should I send the shopping list to someone or is it enough to post it here? Anyway, here it is:

18-20 boneless & skinless chicken breasts
c. 700g thin-sliced streaky bacon (to wrap the chicken breasts in)
2-3 quorn filets
c. 100g frozen quorn bacon
1.25liter double cream
c. 400g mango chutney (mild)
c. 1.2kilo basmati rice
c. 750g frozen sugar snap peas (or something similar)

[ihearthings-ii.livejournal.com]

I'll gladly cook and also minion, and I'll bring stuff for Kringle :D

[chalcopyrite.livejournal.com]

Shopping list for pasta and sauce Sunday dinner:

Main ingredients:
2 kilos spaghetti (half white and half wholewheat, preferably)
1 packet gluten-free pasta squiggles (rather than spaghetti) for Turlough
8 tins chopped tomatoes
4 tins tomato paste (I'd really rather tins than the squeezy tubes, but if that is all you can find it'll do)
3 onions
500g bag frozen quorn mince
700 or 750 g mushrooms, about
Parmesan cheese

Salad stuff -- a couple of heads of Romaine and maybe some bell peppers would do here

Small extras:
garlic (paste or powder acceptable, or fresh)
olive oil
bouillion powder (GF)
salt and pepper
basil (fresh would be awesome but dry is fine)

Thank you!

[nopseud]

Do the sugar snap peas need to be frozen, or will fresh be okay? I spotted some new season UK-grown in Morrisons this week.