Adapt and Overcome: A lifestyle, not a slogan. The holiday dinner for some 250 Marines and family members was enjoyed by all, though I suspect some of the children enjoyed the desserts most of all. :) The food was good, even if we did have a menu shift the day of the event. The USO of Indiana pulled out the stops as well, and even talked Santa into an early visit south for the kids (of all ages even). Cooking with the Troops is proud to have been a part of this. As it was, everyone enjoyed ham, smoked turkey, and deep-fried turkey from the fine folks at D&R Market in Lafayette, Indiana. My personal favorite was the smoked turkey, but I am biased and that was why I went and asked them to do the meats when we first realized the number of people to be fed. The roast garlic cheddar cheese (two pounds of ground white cheddar per batch) mashed potatoes were a hit, and the commander's wife wants the recipe for my sweet potato casserole. I was very pleased that the cornichons (baby pickles we used to call them) went over so well. The desserts, well, let's just say that there was almost nothing left. The Devil Dog Brew Coffee seemed to be appreciated too. It was a challenge, and I am sure that my "deer in a headlight" look at one point was a good one. Frankly, if Robert Irvine had stepped out and said it was a special holiday edition of Dinner, Impossible, I would have been relieved. Everyone had been assured by the people that own the facility that everything worked in the kitchen except the dishwasher. Even so, I took a portable chef stove just in case as you almost always need an extra burner. That didn't help when the hood didn't work, half the burners didn't work or work right, and the ovens, well, they warmed but that was about it. Nor did it help with non-kitchen power and other issues that came up. No real way to do the cooking we needed to do. So, Plan B was developed. Ran it by my lead volunteer as soon as she arrived, and she couldn't see any holes or a better way, so we had to drop the bacon wrapped green beans with brown sugar and dried mustard, the mushroom caps stuffed with Serrano ham and Manchego cheese, the bacon wrapped dates, and the additional mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. Plus a few other minor things. So, we "steamed" non-prepped green beans in chicken stock, sliced and sauteed the mushrooms, and did a few other major shifts -- and still served a full line on time. Not fun, and I have no pictures of the event as things were so frantic that I never even had a chance to give my cameras to anyone and ask them to take pictures. I am asking the USO and the Gunny if they got any and are willing to share, and if they do I will update and bump this post. Meantime, I want to thank my volunteers. This would not have been possible on any level, much less a major redo of the menu, without them. They were amazing, and it didn't hurt that one of them had food service experience and helped keep the buffet line running strong even as he trained two younger volunteers (his daughters) on how to do things from plating and presentation of items to go on the buffet to changing out chafing dish inserts. His wife jumped in on the stove top, and my lead volunteer -- Amy -- kept it flowing and kept it real. I met her and her father through the Standing for the Fallen events here in Lafayette, where they are part of the local Marine League. Amy recruited her family, and it was a pleasure to finally get to meet her mother, who was a delight. Amy's mother and father (retired Marine) took over the care, issue, and cleaning of dishes and left me with no worries on that score for the day. The rest of the volunteers were family as well, and they were a delight and good to work with. My full, sincere, and hearty thanks to them all for it, and for them already asking when the next event will be. I also need to thank American Legion Post 492, my post, for making this possible. They allowed me to use their kitchen for a few hours Friday morning to do prep work, and that prep is why we had just enough mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and some other items despite the stove issues. They are now onboard with what Cooking with the Troops is doing and already asking when the next event will be too. Special thanks go out to Lafayette Bank & Trust, who donated coffee cups and napkins to the event, to Baker's Peak for part of the desserts, and to Mammaw's Bakery/Sweet Shop for going above and beyond with what we ordered. Big thanks go to the Gunny for helping me unload that morning, and a whole group of Marines who loaded up the cargo van as fast as we cleaned up. I may add to this post later as I get the chance/remember more. Meantime, what truly counts was the laughter and smiles on the children's faces, and the fact that all seemed to enjoy the day and the food a good deal. For me, that's a wonderful Christmas gift to have gotten and both I and Cooking with the Troops would like to thank the Marines and the USO of Indiana for giving us the opportunity and that special gift. LW
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Posted
Dec 20 2010, 10:37 PM
by
BLACKFIVE