Many of us have attended events and been served feasts that were, shall we say, less than enthusiastically received.  This need not be the case.  Although feastcratting can be a harrowing experience, again, this need not be.  It is, more than anything else, a matter of planning and organization. It is not necessary to wipe out yourself and the kitchen crew in order to prepare and serve a successful feast.  By the same token, the populace shouldn't be expected to suffer through a bad feast.  There can be a compromise.  Feasts do not have to kill the cook to be good, nor do they have to kill the budget, also, the populace deserves to be served a good repast.  After all, for many of them, this is their favorite part of the experience we are trying to re-live.  Not all of us can fight, or embroider, sing or dance - but there are very few of us who don't enjoy a good meal, served in pleasant surroundings, in the company of good friends.

I've said it in the past, and reinforce it now "A good feast can save a bad event, but a bad feast can be the undoing of an event".  The populaces' stomachs tend to be a very reliable barometer of the type press your event will receive.  So as the feastcrat, you must concern yourself with planning, preparing and serving the best feast you possibly can within the guidelines of the budget you agreed to.  I emphasize 'planning, preparing & serving' because I feel you must be successful with ALL three steps in order to present a good feast:

If you plan the wrong types of food, no matter how well they are prepared, or how timely it is served you will miss the boat.

All the planning in the world can not save you if the food is not well prepared, and serving bad food isn't going to win you any friends.

While, on the other hand, it's great if everything is well-planned and well-prepared, but if it isn't served in a timely manner, when it does get to the table, it won't be the best it could be - not to mention that if people get bored between removes they tend to wander out of the feast hall.

For these reasons, and lots of others we'll get into later, I insist that successful execution of all three steps is necessary.

As I stated earlier - successfully feastcratting is a combination of a lot of things - but contrary to popular  belief, it is not something reserved for only superman or God to do well.  Lots of people have become successful feastcrats - some of them aren't even exceptional cooks - just organized people who devoted a lot of time, effort and consideration into their feasts.   And all of those things can be learned - you don't have to be born with  them  - in fact, I don't know of anyone who is!

I have a few very basic rules/guidelines which I always keep foremost in my mind when planning a feast - and I've found they're a good place to start (and have had this reinforced by many people I've help instruct in
'feastcratting'):

1)   First - if it is not recognizable as what it was in it's previous life, chances aren't very good that the populace in attendance will even try it (I personally won't eat anything I can't identify by sight and smell)

2)   If you can't do it within your budget, no matter how good it was it was not successful - in fact, I've known many an event that lost money because the feastcrat (for whatever reason) exceeded his/her budget by
astronomical sums of money - and in many of these cases the stuff was still barely edible! - that's a hanging offense!

3)   It should be planned in such a way that you (and your kitchen crew) do have an opportunity to get some enjoyment out of the event (other than your obvious joy when the populace responds to your 'work' with applause) - after all, we're supposed to be having fun - and the best way to get competent help in the kitchen at future feasts, they have to remember their last experience working in your kitchen as being worth the effort.

4)   And probably the most important of all is:  There is NO excuse for serving a bad feast!  If well planned, you can overcome almost any obstacle, from poor facilities, to lack of serving gear, to black widows in the privy - if you are aware of inadequacies of the site you can overcome them - again, here the key is awareness - which means yes Virginia, you have checked out the site PRIOR to beginning your planning.  If you don't, you may wind-up re-planning the entire thing to make it (here comes that word again) 'successful'.
 

At this point, I'll get into something I can't do without  -  lists.  I make lists for everything, and I do mean everything, and if that weren't enough, I file them as well.  If you do lots of feasts this can be a great
time-saver.  Things I make lists of:

1)   Appliances on the site (stove - # of eyes, ovens, griddles, refrigerators, freezers, can openers, dishwashers, etc.)

2)   Serving gear available on site - bowls, platters, knives, forks, spoons, ladles, water/liquid serving pitchers, etc.

3)   Cooking utensils available:  pots, pans, roasters, etc.

4)   Number of tables & chairs on site

5)   Amount of counter space

6)   Cleaning supplies provided; mops, buckets, brooms, soaps, washing and drying stuff, etc.

7)   Preparations stuff (sometimes this falls into other categories) buspans, cutting boards, knives, graters, blenders, etc.

This may seem like a lot of stuff - and it is, but this information is essential to have BEFORE you begin planning the menu - what is included in the above list (or rather what is not) can place pretty large constraints
on items you'll be capable of preparing.
 

LIMITATIONS:

There can be a lot of limitations to consider when planning your feast, the main ones to consider are as follows:

1)  Buget
2)   Site restrictions
3)   Time of year (is it hot or cold out - this can be a 'biggee' when choosing what to cook
4)   Amount of 'help' you can count on - or
5)   Amount of advance preparation you can do

The five items listed above must be some of the first things considered.  Without planning around all of them, you increase your chances of error.  Let's go over them one at a time:

(1)  Budget:  This should have been decided when the cost schedule for the event was planned, and it should have been understood at that time what meals would be included in this budget.  Generally, $5.00 per head is more than adequate for a standard feast, two breakfasts (and can include a 'Hospitaler's Table' to greet travelers Friday evening).  Standard breakdown can be 3.75 - 4.00 per head for the feast, leaving 1.00 - 1.25
per head for the other meals.  Actually, for breakfast this is generally more than adequate, as, on the average, only half the populace eats breakfast.

(2)  Site_Restrictions:  Amount of refrigerator space, cooking apparatus, pots, pans, counter space, etc..  This is one of the single largest considerations when planning what you will be able to cook (and again, this can be affected by the time of year).  It may mean the difference between fresh and canned vegetables, fruits, etc.  However, it is not a totally insurmountable problem.  Ice chests, yes those little wonders that keep things cold, can generally be borrowed/commandered from group members.  By freezing things which respond well to such treatment in advance, you can load up ice chests with these items (and if carefully monitored), things can be kept safely in them for a day and a half.  This can free up a great deal of space in the refrigerators - and they come in handy again.  The same ice chests that kept things cold can be washed out (although you really should have put clean plastic garbage bags - doubled - in the chest before adding whatever you wanted to keep cool), using hot water, and then cooked items which can be prepared in the early stages of the actual cooking, and will keep well.  Soups, vegetable dishes, any number of things!  They also make transporting things a breeze!
 
     Pots/pans/utensils:  Again, you'll need to refer to your 'list' to get a count of these items when planning your menu.
     Serving Gear:  If you have to count on what the site has (if your group doesn't own any/or you can't borrow it from somewhere), this, yet again, can be a large handicap to overcome in planning your feast.

(3)  Time_of_year:  This is pretty much common sense - thereby one of the most often forgotten considerations!  Obviously, piping hot beef stew is NOT the thing to serve at an event in July in our climate!  Something like baked ham, served chilled or at room temperature with fresh veggies and a dip/sauce with fruit would be a lot better option.  Also, you need to consider carefully what is "in season", because if it is not an "in season" item, the cost can be astronomical (so much for the budget).  Wow, a lot of these things really tie in to one another, don't they?

(4)  Amount_of_help_you_can_count_on:  This would include the number of people from your group (and outside - if you KNOW you can count on them to be there) who will be available to assist you with the feast preparation.  This includes all phases - start to finish.  They don't all have to be able to cook.  You don't need rocket scientists to chop veggies, slice meats, boil water or wash pots, pans and dishes - warm, willing bodies are sufficient!

(5)  Help_with_pre-cook/advance_preparation:  This is an alternative that is worth looking into.  If some of the items can be done 'in advance', it can be very beneficial - it gives you more time on site, less hassle on site and a little piece of mind.  If you're taking frozen meat (say beef or chicken), and it needs to be cut-up, do this in advance.  Have several people over, put on a good album, do your prep work and then relax.  You can go it one better:   depending on how you'll have to be set up, you can opt to freeze it in  large containers (to keep it frozen longer), or in small containers (to allow for less thaw time); in either case 'freezer bags' are worth the expense, because they don't leak and are available in several sizes - and you throw them away! no  washing/drying or toting them home!

THE FEAST:

Now that you've determined you budget and limitations it's time to make the decision as to just 'what' you'll prepare for the populace.  Here there is room for a lot of different things, but from experience, I'll list what is a tried and true outline for a feast destined to be 'devoured' by the populace in attendance at any average event.

Generally, this is served in three 'removes' of three dishes each to be followed by a 'dessert':

First Remove:

This can be as simple as bread, butter, honey butter and, depending on the time of year, either soup or fruit.

Second Remove:

A meat (or poultry or fish) - an Entree'
A starch
A vegetable (fruit is an option, if not served in the 1st remove)

Third Remove:

A meat (poultry or fish) - an Entree'
A starch
A vegetable (fruit is an option if not in the previous remove)
 

Dessert:

Whatever your energy, and the budget will allow!

Yes, I realize that this is very simplistic - it works so I don't argue with it.  Also, it is very simple to serve - more on that later.

Although the 'outline' above is very simplistic, it accomplishes everything necessary to make a feast a success.  It offers a variety of dishes, which should compliment each other, to the populace.  And generally, even if no one eats every dish, there is sufficient for them not to go hungry.  Of course, this can be expanded upon, four remove feasts (or even five remove ones) are not that unusual.  However, three removes plus dessert, is usually the norm.

Another standard part of this outline is that the assorted removes should follow a pattern:

Light, Heavier, Light or vice versa:  even in cold weather it is not a good idea to follow a heavy remove with another heavy remove, the same would apply for following a spicy remove with another spicy remove -
you're trying to achieve 'variety', and the individual removes are more memorable if they don't get monotonous.

Another thing to consider is making sure that the dishes served together in a remove compliment one another.  They should not 'clash' in taste, if there is a conflict - it should be subtle.  They should also compliment in texture and color.  The idea that we eat by candlelight so we won't have to see the stuff is nonsense!  You can see it by candlelight, so it should 'look' appealing to the diners.  You wouldn't accept 'ugly' food in a restaurant - why settle for it in the Society?!?    This is much easier to accomplish than it sounds, you just have to take the time to think about it.

This, I suppose, is where I get up on the next soapbox.  Although we are recreating the Middle Ages (and I always say "as they should have been, not necessarily as they were), it is very important to realize a few
things.  The most important being we do not have period palates!!!!!!!!  Due to the life we have all lived prior to realizing this wonderful "other" world of ours existed, our parents, grandparents, the media, and God-know-who else were cultivating for us the palates we now have.  Although some of us are more willing to experiment than others, even the most 'adventurous' of our ranks tend to balk at most things that were
considered 'common' fare in the 'past' middle ages!  Our tastes are pretty much established during our childhood years and by the time we get around to being active in the Society we wouldn't touch a lot of the stuff people have attempted to serve me with a 10-foot pole!!!!!  Yes, I have tried some of the food I classify "exotic" dishes at feasts in the past, and although in every case they were prepared  by people I knew and trusted (at least knew & trusted their cooking!), more times than I care to remember I have had to stifle a look that could kill and choke down something that, had I been served it in a restaurant - I would have not
only demanded my money back - I'd probably have called the Board of Health, the Better Business Bureau & City Sanitation!  "Down Rhiannon - down girl!!"  Sorry, but I don't have a period palate - and don't know
anyone who does - well, one person, and given half a chance - I'd make him 'history' - and I didn't intend that as a bad play on words!

This is not to say that you can't, if you really have your heart set onit, serve a few "exotic" dishes in your feast, but please make sure they are not "necessary" to fill up the populace - and don't be surprised if you get alot of it back!

There are many things that we eat today that were fare in the middle ages - they might not have been "recorded & documented", but someone wiser than me once told me that you could just about bet that if the ingredients existed, someone used them in just about every conceivable combination!  This goes a long way toward making the populace happy!  Serve them food they can recognize, present it 'medievally' if you will, and sit back and watch them enjoy!  After all - that's what you're aiming for!

 The Test-Cook:

Now that it's planned - have some friends over for the evening and serve 'the whole thing' just as it's planned to go out for the feast - this is the only way to fly.  You'll get some very good indications as to what you can expect as hassles in serving these items on a larger scale - and if you can't cook it in your home or apartment for 8 people - you darn sure can't cook it on site for a mob!
 

Organizing to Save Your Sanity:

Now that you have decided on a menu, one that is suited for the climate, site, your energy and the budget, it is time to do some organizing.

Get with your autocrat/reservationcrat and determine a priliminary number of people you can expect to serve.  This can be tricky to accomplish, but if it's an annual event, base it on past attendance (consider what other
events scheduled close to you might effect your 'draw').  Once a priliminary number is decided on, divide it by 8.  The reason for this is that most tables seat 8 feasters, whether the tables are round, oblong or square - it's a pretty standard number.  Then you can talk in number of tables rather than number of feasters in attendance - it makes planning the serving a lot easier.  Also, converting from 'mundane' recipes is generally a snap this way, as they usually serve 4 or 8.

The next step is to list individual ingrediants require for 'each dish' for a 'recipe' to serve 8.  List everything out, down to cups of water for preparing the rice or noodles, amount of meat per person (generally 1/4 of a pound), amount of veggies (usually 1/2 cup to 1 cup per).

Once you have done this, you can compile a total amount needed shopping list (I do it this way because there are lots of things that will be used in more than one dish; butter or margarine, oil, salt, other spices, sugar, etc.  I break my lists down into categories:  meat, dairy, canned, frozen, etc.  I go it a few steps further and break the list down into different suppliers:  the produce market, the bulk food market (i.e. - Sam's Warehouse, Super Saver, etc), meat wholesalers, bakery thrift stores.  You might be amazed at how much money you can save with a little extra energy expended by shopping at several different places.  Also, you
can watch the grocery sale ads - a lot of times they'll run pretty unbelievable specials to draw people into the store, and if it's something you can buy in advance and freeze - by all means go for it!

Scheduling the Preparation:

As you've already been shopping around, and you know which items you can prepare (or partially prepare) in advance, you can begin doing some of these things (as early as 4 - 6 weeks in advance in some cases).  And
there are things you can do without actually 'cooking' the items.

With meat dishes, if they require chopping, cubing, etc., and you've just caught a heck of a sale on roasts, get some friends together one evening and do that prep work, then freeze them (invest the few extra cents in
'freezer' bags rather than just plain storage bags - it's worth it).  If it's non-perishable (canned, dried, etc), go ahead and buy it.  Bag or box it up out of your way and have that part done.

Here we get back to lists.  When you figured out your menu, you should be able to draw up a tentative schedule by which you wish to have things done (yes, give yourself deadlines).  By doing as much as possible in advance, you have a lot less to do as the event draws near (and if you're in a small group, they can probably use your help with other things as well).

Another list I draw up when I'm planning exactly what's to be served is a list of things I'll need to cook and serve them.  Number of pots/pans/burners needed per dish (or oven space), number of platters/bowls/forks/spoons I'll need to serve these dishes (per table) and then a total number of each item (including all dishes/all removes).  This way I can determine how often (if at all - and generally there'll be
a need) the serving gear must be washed and re-used during the course of the feast - this can necessitate more folks in the kitchen to scrape, wash and dry gear between removes (pray you'll have enough for two removes, so the populace won't have to wait for the dishes to be washed before you can send out the next remove) - bored feasters aren't happy campers! All these things can really effect your proposed feast.

Okay, so you've done your planning, it's within the budget and your energy to do this particular feast.  You did the test-feast and everyone (or at least a majority) felt it was good and balanced, you know how much serving
gear you're going to need, you've done all the prep work you can and everything is bought and ready to go.  Do you have a time-table for what needs to happen 'on-site'???

Well,,,,,,,,,,upon arrival, you should immediately refrigerate your  perishables.  The next step is to organize things so you can find them in your 'pantry for the weekend'.  If at all possible, seperate the feast items from the breakfast items - this avoids a great deal of confusion and some possible bad feelings (not to mention what could result in a frantic dash to the nearest grocery - which can sometimes a time-consuming process).  Go a little further and try to group the items together by dishes - obviously you'll need a seperate section for spices/staples.  Then go back to the fridge or cooler and organize it in the same fashion (again, seperate breakfast stuffs).

You should have a list (I know, that four-letter word again) as to what items need to be done, and in what order.  Post this, and check things off as they're accomplished.  Also, this lets any 'volunteers' know what is
next on the list so you're not constantly interrupted with questions.  Do as much as possible Friday evening.  I usually have two lists:  the 'preferred' timetable and the 'not-so-preferred' timetable (in the event you don't get as much as you wanted to done Friday evening).  You have to remember that the kitchen will be tied up Saturday morning, generally from 6:00 a.m. til about 9:00 a.m. with breakfast and after-breakfast clean up.
 You need to be sure it is clear to the breakfast crew that you expect to find the kitchen clean and ready to go when you've scheduled to begin (this also means you should have left it in the same condition for them).
If you've worked it out, you may not need to begin until after lunch, which frees you (and your crew) up to sleep late, watch the tourney - or help with other things in the morning hours.  Make sure you and the crew
eat a good lunch prior to starting your preparations.  Something I try to budget in is (at the very least) sodas and snacks for the crew.  In some cases you can get lucky and budget in a inexpensive lunch (burgers,
sandwiches, hot dogs or something) as well.  Another thing that'll bring 'help' back to your kitchens time and time again.

From here on, you just follow your schedule and be sure you'll be ready to put it on the table at the scheduled time.  Here is where I've had to put my foot down with autocrats.  I don't care if the tourney ran late, or the
quest wasn't over on schedule - the feast is going to be on the table on time.  Not everyone was in the tourney - or the quest - or at Court, but you can bet they'll all be waiting to set up there feast gear at the appointed time and will expect their dinner when it was promised them.  The only times I've consented to change the agreed upon time was when they asked if I could serve it early and I could (without compromising the
quality of the feast).

Again, this is where all that planning pays off.  You've gone to the effort of figuring out in which order to cook things so that they'll be ready when the populace is - stick with it!!!!

I generally like to have the servers meet 45 minutes to an hour before the feast so my head server/hall steward and I can issue instructions as to how the feast will be served and what provisions have been made for
feeding the servers.  A lot of people advocate feeding the servers early.  This is up to you.  I have two different methods - and much depends on the schedule of the event - whether there is Court or not being a major consideration, and how many available tables there are:  I either have a 'servers table' set up, at which they can place their feast gear, or set aside serving gear (platters, bowls, etc) for the servers and keep their
food in the kitchen for afterwards.  Both methods have worked well for me, there are pros and cons to each.

I am a firm believer in 'on the table' feasts.  By this I mean having a server deliver a tray, or platter and bowls to each table (with utensils) and allowing the feasters to 'serve themselves' (you can also use a variation of this and seat a server at each table - they bring out the food, serve to the table if they wish, then partake themselves).  However, the High Table, if there is one, should always be 'served' and I generally will have 2 servers for high table, one to tote it and another to dish it up - and if at all possible, you should use experienced servers for high table and remember - High Table is always presented the removes FIRST.

This is where it pays off by having determined the number of serving items required in advance.  Set aside a counter (or section of one) and pile up the required number of items for EACH REMOVE.  X number of plates, bowls, spoons, forks, etc. - by remove.  Then it is just a matter of serving it up from the pots onto these items, having the server pick up the prescribed items (I situate them in 'assembly line' fashion) and taking
them to the table.

For this reason I use the following formula to determine the number of servers needed:

1 server per table
2 servers for high table
several servers (if available) to serve only beverages - this is great for children who want to help

In addition, it is a good idea to have your servers circulate after removes to collect 'leavings' from each table (or at least every other remove), let's face it, bones, things you didn't like and misc. junk on the table is very unappetizing.

Your servers should also be able to tip you off as to how quickly things are being consumed.

As they are finishing up one remove, the next one should be coming out.  Don't give them time to become bored between removes.

Since things are a lot more hectic in the kitchen, it is easy to lose track of the time.  For this reason I like to start my feasts on the hour or half hour and serve removes at 15 minute intervals.  Use your timer if
necessary to alert you that it's time for the next remove to go out.  However, if you've organized the serving gear as recommended, it works out fairly smoothly and can easily be presented to the populace in 15 minute
intervals.