Calling all event planners!
#11
  Re: (...)
Ever work a telethon?

October 5th, a local physical-therapy clinic (with branches throughout the country) will be having their annual telethon. During the 8AM-to-Midnight event, they will also be selling food from booths they'll be setting up in a local gymnasium. In addition to typical Honduras food, they will also have a booth with some Germans who live here and maybe a couple of other booths.

The director of the clinic (the same guy for whom I recently made the Thai chicken wraps and the apple cake) has asked me to set up a booth with American food...

...for around 100 people - maybe more.

Today, we met to take a first glimpse at planning. Because of how and where the booths will be set up, there will be limited cooking facilities, so we decided against things such as Pot Roast, Monte Cristos, Corn Dogs, Cheesesteaks, etc and settled upon Pulled Pork, Chili, BBQ Beef, Corn Bread, PBJs, and Chocolate-Chip Cookies. In particular, since a microwave will be available, we'll be able to prepare the meat items ahead of time and reheat them easily, whether the actual order is for a sandwich or a platter. Theoretically, some kinds of electric griddles or so may also be available, but staying with things that only need reheating, not actual cooking, will help with "Keep It Simple, Stupid."

A few notes on each item:

Pulled Pork: Since I don't have a smoker or a pit, I'm going with Tyler Florence's oven-based recipe. No problem getting any of the ingredients for it, either. A great thing about Pulled Pork is that it works well either in a sandwich or just upon a plate (slaw on the side and corn bread instead of a roll). Still deciding on exact portion size and bread for the sandwich: hamburger buns, mini-sub rolls or sliders.

Chili: Gotta go with Bills "Texas Chili" recipe for this, of course. Again, it will pair well with the corn bread.

BBQ Beef: Although I may not have the facilities to handle the mopping and grilling, for this, I like to use at least Walter Jetton's sauce recipe. This is another dish that will lend itself well to the sandwich/platter option.

Corn Bread: Oddly enough, the easiest and least expensive way to do this, here, is to use Jiffy - especially with so many other things to prepare.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches: Believe it or not, most Hondurans have ever even heard of this. Nothing fancy with this - just something in case kids don't want the other stuff (although, around here, they actually may be more afraid to try the PBJs than the other stuff; who knows?).

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Only the Tollhouse recipe, of course. A good, simple, portable item.

Beverage: Had thought about Root-Beer or Coke floats, but for this many people, the cost of the ice cream may be prohibitive. Still need to think of other ideas that may not already be something common here.

Now, for those of you who have handled events and/or crowds like this before, what suggestions do you have - anything from other food or beverage suggestions to planning, organisation, etc.? They will be providing a couple of people to help with the food preparation and with the serving and I only need to take care of food. They will be providing the seating, plates, cups, utensils, etc.

Thanks!
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#12
  Re: Calling all event planners! by labradors (Ever work a telethon...)
You have said the lemons there are awesome. Would lemonade be too "common"? Lemon sorbet out of the question?
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#13
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by Gourmet_Mom (You have said the le...)
For me, the menu does not seem balanced to represent American food. I would do the pork or the beef but not both, and does you chili have beans? It feels very Mid southern states, no fish or greens, are the North or West represented? Plus American without hamburgers, hot dogs or fried chicken, blts? even pizza? No clam chowder (which I dislike btw.)?

For the PB & J, can you offer some with honey instead of jelly? My kids always preferred that.

I noticed you mentioned cole slaw, but did not see it on the menu. Otherwise there are no veggies or greens, or fruit.

I don't know what cookie recipe you use, but if you put the raw dough in the fridge, at least overnight if not for a couple of days, they will be awesome.
Also shortbread keeps very well and you can do it plain or even lemon. I always used to do an almond shortbread for my toy store's Christmas open houses because it could be made ahead and stayed fresh.

Are people going to be walking with the food plates? If so, then the more finger foods the better, because if is hard to cut anything and even keep silverware from falling when walking around.
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#14
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by Cubangirl (For me, the menu doe...)
I was going to suggest lemonade, but Daphne already did. What about ice tea? Alina made a good point. That's kind of a lot of meat, and I don't think I would do the beef. Little burgers would be nice, if you can get slider buns. Coleslaw made with vinegar and sugar (no mayo) would keep well.

Edited to add: Don't forget that you can always use a plastic cooler to keep things warm if you need to.
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#15
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by Cubangirl (For me, the menu doe...)
Daphne, I've though about lemonade, but it is pretty common here. Iced tea is maybe less so, but still not unknown. I may go with the iced tea, but am still trying to think of something less common, here, if possible.


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For me, the menu does not seem balanced to represent American food. I would do the pork or the beef but not both,




Alina, I had much wider range on my original list, but these were the things that they selected AND that could be handled with the available facilities. As much as I'd like to make a "sea to shining sea" presentation, their objective is to raise funds with something that's relatively [i]comida típica - not necessarily all-encompassing.

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and does you chili have beans?



No. I specifically chose Bill's recipe because it does NOT (and should not) have beans). Also, they DO know a little about chili, here, but the only type they know has beans (and usually comes from places like Wendy's), so I wanted to provide something that was not only a better quality, but also truly American and less like the misleading stereotypes they have of it (as well as the fact that they eat beans day after day after day after day).


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no fish or greens,



Simply due to cost/budget, for the fish. There will be a typical, American-style coleslaw, with mayo, instead of the lemon-juice "cabbage salad" they make here. Other salad-related greens do need to be disinfected with Chlorox, here, so that type of thing is a bit cumbersome to handle at that volume close enough to the event for it all to stay fresh. I may add something like broccoli but, again, it will have to be something I can either serve cold or reheat in the microwave, not something I'll actually have to cook at the event. Of course, "greens" such as collard and mustard greens would be hard to handle for this, too (aside from the fact that they aren't available here, anyway, except, occasionally, for mustard greens).

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Plus American without hamburgers, hot dogs or fried chicken,



All of those fail for my only being able to reheat at the event, not THAT level of cooking. In addition, those things are SO common here that they wouldn't stand out enough.

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blts?



Thought about club sandwiches. Hadn't considered BLTs. I like the idea, but the price of bacon would really put a dent in the budget available for other things.

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Even pizza?



No oven at the event.


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No clam chowder (which I dislike btw.)?



No clams (or very hard to find - everything here is shrimp or conch). Anything I could find (fresh or canned) would be way out of budget. BTW, having grown up in New England, I thought of clam chowder early in my list-making. Even so, I don't like it, either. LOL!

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For the PB & J, can you offer some with honey instead of jelly? My kids always preferred that.



That's a thought. I love that combination, myself and good, fresh honey IS easy and relatively inexpensive, here. Had also thought of Flufferntutters, of course, but the fluff isn't cheap and not always available. It IS on my price-check list, though, to see if the hosts would approve it.

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I noticed you mentioned cole slaw, but did not see it on the menu. Otherwise there are no veggies or greens, or fruit.



Just forgot it list it above, but I had been emphasising the main items that needed actual cooking. Fruit and other veggies are still being decided - again, because of the initial emphasis upon narrowing down what would need cooking in order to check prices and establish a budget.

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I don't know what cookie recipe you use, but if you put the raw dough in the fridge, at least overnight if not for a couple of days, they will be awesome.



I use the traditional "Tollhouse" recipe that has been on the package for decades, but particularly, the OLD version of it, with shortening, not what they print, nowadays, which won't make crispy cookies. I HATE soft chocolate chip cookies. Except for when the naturally crispy ones are fresh from the oven, chocolate chip cookies should NOT be soft. That is why, for me, the only store-bought, mass-produced chocolate chip cookies I've ever had that were actually just like my mom used to make are NOT Mrs. Fields, Grandma's, Soft Batch, et al, but Pepperidge Farm Nantucket.

Quote:

Are people going to be walking with the food plates? If so, then the more finger foods the better, because if is hard to cut anything and even keep silverware from falling when walking around.



The people who are putting on the telethon will be providing tables, seating, utensils, etc. Of course, some people will probably mill around, anyway, so the plan will probably be to make the sandwiches more like sliders so people can order as few or as many as they wish for whatever portability they wish. That was on my extensive list of questions for them today, though, but they insisted that there would be plenty of tables set up because they would also be accommodating their own booth, a German booth and maybe a couple of others. BTW, they did say that the German booth primarily serves German sausages (maybe having their own electric grill to use that I don't, so I scratched the hot dogs or any thoughts of bratwurst, etc. to let them handle that and so that I wouldn't have to burden the group with getting additional equipment for me.

Thanks for all the ideas. Sorry if it seemed as though I were just shooting them down: there's just a lot of additional information I didn't type earlier and I DO value your suggestions.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#16
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by labradors (Daphne, I've though ...)
Maryann,

Thanks for your ideas, as well. Obviously, I was busy typing my previous, lengthy response when you posted that.

Most of what you mentioned I have addressed in that longer response.

As for the coleslaw, they did say that refrigeration would be available at the site, so I should be okay with the mayo-based coleslaw that would normally go on a pulled pork sandwich.

I like the idea with the cooler. Maybe, someday, I'll be able to afford one at the local prices. For now, it just wouldn't work with the rest of the budget.

Around here, even the street vendors who sell ice-cold coconuts (you drink the water from them with a straw, first, then hand it back to the vendor who splits it so you can dig out the flesh), on their modified, Frankenstein-welded bicycles, don't carry that kind of cooler. They take small, no-longer-functional chest freezers from the dump and use those as coolers. I guess I could do the same, but I really don't have that much call to use one, anyhow.

Interestingly enough, one of the local milk companies (which also packages and sells orange juice, tamarind juice, guava juice, pineapple juice, etc.) did a give-away, last year. They bundled up six of their pint containers of orange juice and, when you bought those, you got an insulated tote that could hold a six-pack (or, just barely, the six juice pints). Well, I go through enough of that juice that I wound up with six or seven of those totes. In fact, they're perfect to take a six-pack of canned juice (those pint cartons really have to be wedged in there, so cans work better) and a pair of sandwiches with me on the long bus trip to and from Guatemala. I may be able to press them into service for holding some of the hot foods.

Thanks!

P.S: Something else that came to mind early in my making the list was s'mores, but no Graham crackers here.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#17
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by labradors (Maryann,[br][br]Than...)
One last thought, are apples available? Apple pie can also be made ahead and does not need to warmed. Or for a wonderful variation on the idea, C@H's Apple Pie Bars are one of my favorite cookies.
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#18
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by labradors (Maryann,[br][br]Than...)
Sounds like fun!!! I hope the chili goes over well--can't wait for a report!!
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
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#19
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by Old Bay (Sounds like fun!!! ...)
Alina,

Is THIS the recipe for the bars? Apple pie was something I really wanted to do, but they thought it might be neater and easier to have cookies. I'll have to see if these bars could work.

A question: have you ever baked pies in those disposable tins? Normally, I'll only use Pyrex, but if I could convince them on the pies instead of the bars, I'd have to use the disposable tins to be able to have enough pies (that or I'd have to buy a lot more Pyrex, but $$$).

Bill,

Thanks. Did you get my email question about the tomatoes?
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#20
  Re: Re: Calling all event planners! by labradors (Alina,[br][br]Is [ur...)
Labs, just sent you an answer--if you don't receive it let me know.
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
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