Quantity Cookery: Menu Planning and Cooking for Large Numbers

by Lenore Richards; Nola Treat

FORMS

THE IMPORTANCE AND USE OF FORMS

Printed forms or other practical aids which may help to reduce menu planning to a systematic routine are invaluable. Forms such as the party engagement blanks, shown elsewhere, and the meat order blank and menu blanks below tend to a desirable standardization. Since meat orders for the week are usually made out first and the menus planned around the meats, a form similar to the one shown below, with adaptations for the particular institution, may be helpful.

The lists of foods and the list of seasonal changes and garnishes contained in this book will save mental effort and tedium in planning by suggesting new combinations and variety.

Probably no single device will serve different kinds of institutions, but the principle of using appropriate printed forms to help in remembering details holds good for all institutions.

MEAT ORDER

Week Beginning December 6, 1920.			Where University Cafeteria
Deliver	Amount	Cuts	Specifications	Cost	Use
Mon. A.M.	30 lb.	beef shoulder clod		.13	Mon. night
A.M.	2 lb.	bacon	Best grade, cut 36 slices to lb.	.37	Tues. morning
P.M.	40 lb.	pork loin	10 to 12 lb. loin	.26	Tues. noon
P.M.	20 lb.	beef stew	1-inch cubes, no bones, no gristle	.13½	Tues. noon
Tues. A.M.	20 lb.	short ribs of beef		.07½	Tues. noon
A.M.	15 lb.	sausage	best grade, no cereal	.18	Tues. night
A.M.	20 lb.	cottage cheese		.12	Tues. night
P.M.	50 lb.	chickens, 4 to 5 lbs. each	to arrive frozen	.24	Wed. noon
Wed.A.M.	20 lb.	veal steak	round, cut thin for rolling	.26	Wed. night
A.M.	5 lb.	sweetbreads	veal	.75	Wed. night
A.M.	1 qt.	oysters	standard selects, 80 to qt	.70 per qt.	Wed. night
P.M.	50 lb.	beef, round steak	1 inch thick	.13½	Thurs. noon
Thurs. A.M.	2	hams	14 to 16 lb. each	.30	Thurs. night
P.M.	55 lb.	veal roast	round	.26	Fri. noon
Fri. A.M.	2 qt.	oysters	standard selects, 80 to qt.	.70 per qt.	Fri. night
A.M.	20 lb.	rib roast of beef		.25	Fri. night
P.M.	20 lb.	pork chops	cut 4 to lb.	.18	Sat. noon
P.M.	15 lb.	veal hearts		.11	Sat. noon
Sat. A.M.	40 lb.	tenderloin	prime	.40	Mon. noon

MENU FORM
MENUS UNIVERSITY FARM AND SHEVLIN CAFETERIAS

Date	Date	Date
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
Fruits	Fruits	Fruits
Cereals	Cereals	Cereals
Hot Dishes	Hot Dishes	Hot Dishes
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
Soup	Soup	Soup
Meats	Meats	Meats
Vegetables	Vegetables	Vegetables
Salads	Salads	Salads
Breads	Breads	Breads
Desserts	Desserts	Desserts
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
Soup	Soup	Soup
Meats	Meats	Meats
Vegetables	Vegetables	Vegetables
Salads	Salads	Salads
Breads	Breads	Breads
Desserts	Desserts	Desserts

AN OUTLINE FORM FOR SPECIAL DINNERS

The efficiency of an organization is judged by the degree of routine which each phase of the work assumes. In most institutions the serving of special dinners is quite apart from the ordinary routine of business. If this service is to be handled simply and efficiently, all of its various steps must be listed and taken up in an orderly fashion with the end in view of perfecting an emergency organization as efficient as that which regulates the daily tasks.

First of all, arrangements made with those who are giving the dinner should be definite and complete. In order to prevent misunderstandings, a printed blank such as that shown below (with any adaptations found necessary) will prove helpful. This may be made out in duplicate, one copy being retained by the manager and one by those engaging the services.

Reduced to their simplest form, the steps to be followed in organizing this work are outlined below.

I. Fill in, in duplicate, the printed blank

DINNER ENGAGEMENTS

Date ___________________	Day of week _______________________
Time ___________________
Engagement made by ___________________	Phone ___________________
Organization or Club ___________________
Price ___________________	Probable Number ___________________
Room desired ____________	Flowers ___________________________
Style of service:
Cafeteria service ____
Table service ____
Tables set and served by guests ____
Date Guaranteed Number is to be reported ___________________

Leeway granted (either way) on guaranteed number
On 25-40		2 plates, more or less
50-60		4 plates, more or less
75-100		6 plates, more or less
125-175		8 plates, more or less
200 up		10 plates, more or less

Notice.--Care should be taken to have the guaranteed number of plates accurately stated.

1. For food
2. For dish rental (if necessary)
3. For printing (if necessary)
4. For flowers or other decorations

1. Rescheduling the regular help
   
2. Overtime for the regular help
   
3. Hiring of additional help

1. Directions to cooks
   1. Copy of the menu
   2. Recipes and amounts to be prepared
2. Service of the food
   1. In the kitchen
      1. Instructions for counting out and arrangement of utensils for the service of the food
      2. Organization of each serving center, where the number served is so large that more than one center is necessary
      3. Assignment of special duties to workers at the serving center
      4. A drawing or serving of a sample plate showing arrangement of food on the plate
   2. In the dining room
      1. Directions to the head waitress and waitresses
         1. List of dishes to be counted out and carried to serving center, warming ovens or refrigerators
         2. Directions for setting the tables. A cover may be set or a sketch made to show the proper arrangement of the silver, napkin and the glass
         3. Decoration of the tables
         4. Arrangement of the serving tables
         5. A copy of the menu
         6. Specific instructions for serving food to the guests

1. Cost of the food
   1. 1. Cost of food should be figured on basis of recipes and quantities used, and listed according to the order in which the food appears in the meal
   2. 2. Left-overs listed
   3. 3. Approximate value of left-overs as listed
   4. 4. Net food cost is total food cost less the value of usable left-overs
2. Cost of labor
   1. Time spent by regular employees
   2. Overtime spent by regular employees
   3. Extra labor employed for occasion
   4. Total labor cost
3. Overhead cost
   1. Flowers or other decorations
   2. Printing of menu cards or place cards
   3. Favors if supplied
   4. Dish rental and breakage
   5. Estimated heat, light, fuel, laundry and other overhead
4. Summary
   1. Total cost
      1. food
      2. labor
      3. overhead
   2. Total receipts
   3. Profit or loss
5. Number served
6. Per capita cost

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