Thank you to those who helped in the kitchen and those who ate the food. For those who are checking for the recipes have a look back here on the 19th of December. You will find a Yule gift just for you.
What I learned:
- This feast would not have been possible if not for the skills and very hard work of my most amazing kitchen staff. I am not one hundred percent sure if this difficulty of the feast was due to the food items or if it was the sheer volume of food going through the kitchen. But, given I have made many of the dishes in the past for up to 50 with a much smaller crew and no issues, I will say 250 is a very large number for a feast. 300 for lunch is doable, but it will tire your team.
- Of course, everything takes longer to get done that you expect or have trialed.
- Mongolian food is about the differing flavours and textures - keeping it all balanced and juxtaposed while complementing flavours and textures so that one can experience the variances. It is challenging to the average, modern palate.
- It’s better to feed the ‘scary looking stuff’ in the dark of night.
- Not surprising, the dishes that looked, smelled, and sort of tasted like familiar foods were more readily received. However, with enough planning and good plating, other foods can become favourites.
- When you say, “Mongolian Feast” many people are looking forward to Mongolian Beef and Black Bean Sauce.
- Someone asked me, “Why are there no pies? I like pies.” So, maybe I need to manage expectations better?
- Always have a Dish Pig. I am very lucky to have a wonderful Dish Pig. This is the person on the team whose job is to keep the dishes clean. They wash during the entire cook and service portions of the feast. It is always a great idea to have a cleaning crew for the end of the feast so that the poor Dish Pig can rest. They need it.
I guess that these are the main things. I am still trying to catch up on sleep. I also learned that I am not as young as I used to be!
If you have questions about the feast, please contact me. And don’t forget to come back on or after 19 December for a small treat.
Until the next time, remember that if you want to build high, you must dig deep.
~ Natal’ia