ProjeCkt ZuCkErPaLoOzA
A Diary of Sorts!
Updated Last on 07/25/2008
Wednesday 7/09/08
G'Day Mates! Green lights all around with ZuCkErPaLoOzA! Well, at least I don't anticipate any real estate transactions interfering, as previously thought. This is going to be the toughest one yet to pull off though, mainly because I'm so busy with commercial catering jobs this year....as you've probably noticed from the sparse attention to the ZP website. Ya know how when you have a party, you want everything spotless and perfect? I can guarantee *that* ain't gonna happen. My house is a shit-heapin' mess with all sorts of half done projects and eyesores. (New Windows installed, and I haven't gotten around to dealing with the window treatments. Haven't even gotten the old curtains off the floor). I'll be lucky if I even manage to get the laundry off the floor in time for ZP. No gardens this year. Weeds sticking out of everywhere. Chipped paint and other surfaces in need of attention. Piles of crap everywhere. But so *(&%^% what!!!! You're not coming to look at my window treatments, gaze at my gardens, and you can step over my piles of crap. You're coming to party...and I suspect that will happen.
Every year, people say the same thing to me, "Hey, why don't you ease up a bit. Tone down the menu so you can spend time with your friends.". This year, my thought is to try to heed some of this advice. I'm going to make efforts to streamline a little bit...if I can. More self serve stuff. Maybe a somewhat less aggressive menu (or at least menu selection based on minimizing task-loading on myself during the party). One thought is to try to do this with only ONE trailer onsite (the one with the flat top grill and smaller roaster). My original trailer can easily support 150ppl or more, so I see no reason why ZP can't be supported very well with only one rig.
I'm so busy that I haven't really been aggressive with the email reminder invitations and such. Hopefully that won't have a major impact on who shows. So please be sure to spread the word to those who ought to be there, as I feel I'm dropping the ball with this too.
OK, that's it for the moment! See you soon!
Sunday 7/20/08
Ok then! It's ZuCkErPaLoOzA week, and I'm happy to say that I've taken some first steps!!! A few days ago, I sent out some email reminders. Early today, I "reset" my catering trailer after back-to-back gigs (Friday & Saturday). As soon as that was done, I was finally able to turn my attention to the first ZP chores. I crawled under the shed to remove the plastic tubs, and gave them a good scrubbing. Also scrubbed the white resin deck chairs, picnic table, and stainless prep table. Weeded the gardens to make it look like somebody actually lives here. Inside, I started to attack some of the eyesore piles of shit that haven't moved in 4 months. Later in the day, I made runs to the Costco & A&P for the beverages/snacks/etc. Also called in the order for the keg of Yeungling, and placed the order for the Sheet cake. Still a gargantuan list of chores to accomplish, but if I put one foot in front of the other, it always happens.
It's decision time on the menu. I need to call in the meat order on Monday Morning. I can say with certainty, we're NOT doing a pig roast. I had enough of fucking pigs for a while. The phone call I make Monday directly dictates the task loading I place on myself the day of ZP. I'm going to rely more heavily on a grill-your-own menu, prepared trays (heat and serve), and maybe one or two items from the roaster (versus a million items as I've done in the past). Intent is to spend more time with my guests!!! I can't totally eliminate my foodservice commitments, but I can likely eliminate an hour or two of it, especially during the prime time. We'll See!
As always, I'm concerned over the "help" I get. Particularly for the Sunday cleanup. Anybody willing to commit? Please?
My senses tell me the crowd may be smaller this year. Last year, I estimated about 110 came over the course of the day. I suspect we'll be more like 75 to 80 this year. Tough to tell though. Every year I sense the same thing, and every year, it's "business as usual". Seems best just to prepare the same old quantities.
Ok then...see you there hopefully.
Tuesday 7/22/08
Work Continues. The stars, sun, moon and planets appear to be aligning properly. The meat order is placed, and I do believe I've somewhat chilled out my prime time task loading. Examples: No ribs, no fish... Oh, I'll be busy, but I haven't loaded up the roaster with too many high maintenance items. The main culinary event will be what's called a "Steamship Roast". An 80lb one! It's basically the entire back leg of a cow! I've never done this before, and I'm kind of psyched about it. Sort of Eddie's Portable Pig-Out R&D, as it has potential to be a regular menu package offering. I know what internal temp to cook it to, and I have remote read thermometers galore, but..get this...I don't know how long it'll take!!! Online advice varies greatly! LOL. So the sombitch is gonna be ready when it's ready, not necessarily when I want it to be!
Last night, I attacked some additional chores. A Costco run for all of the ice cream, and other cold products. I spent some time outside the house, mowing/weedwacking... It's been so dry out that the lawn is burned, and it may not need another cutting till after ZP. I also pulled out the ZP signs from the attic. I was sort of annoyed that I'd be unable to get to the Window treatment project (new windows installed about a month ago). The big bay window is very dramatically bare, and likely will remain that way till after catering season. Not anymore! That big bulky flashing ZP sign and some lava lamps now temporarily adorn the bay window! Looks really cool! Advantage is, one less thing to break down from the band area. I also cleared out the "Adult changing room".. except it was at the expense of the "Children's changing room", which is now cluttered with crap, and may not support diaper changing, or floor space crashers. Also started to move other crap around, ie. garage stuff.
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Thursday 7/24/08
Well, plodding along. Wrestling with the menu (as usual). Already, I know I have too much. Gotta trim it back, or I'll have leftovers galore, a situation that completely sucks. If I had a clue how many people are coming, I'd be able to plan better. Last year, headcount was about 110. I suspect this year, it'll be a lighter crowd, perhaps more like 80. Always tough to tell. Culinarily, I'm already off to a bad start. I made a huge batch of Macaroni & Cheese, and it didn't turn out so great..sorta picked up the flavor of the scalded pot bottom (cooking with milk requires patience that I don't have). I'll try some later today. If it sucks, the Mac & Cheese will likely be served from the bottom of a garbage can (that's one way to trim the menu). I'm also a little worried about the Steamship roast, since the length of roasting time remains just a big guess.
Today, I started making Ice. Emptied the machine into large coolers, and I set up the soda cooler. The ice machine will run straight thru for the next 3 days. We're on our way!
Thursday Evening Edition 7/24/08
I've gotten a few RSVP's from some unexpected folks, and I really must say that it's given me a much needed psych boost to forge ahead. Culinarily, my day was sort of hit or miss. I made 3 batches of things today: The Mac & Cheese (3 trays, of which we'll use 1), the Rice & Beans (2 trays, of which we'll use 1), and the Lasagna (2 trays, of which we'll use 1). 2 of 3 of these dishes get a rating of C- Not quite ready for the trash heap, but kinda embarrassing for a caterer to serve somewhat unimpressive stuff. (the Rice & Beans fails on Texture, The Mac & Cheese fails on taste (see above)). My Oh my, am I out of practice with standard catering trays. Now that I've mutated into the Pig Roast guy, I seemed to have lost whatever touch I had with all the other stuff.
Earlier in the day, I hit the Wharton Farm produce place, and bought a huge load of stuff. Did A&P run #3. Later in the day, I went to the Restaurant Depot, bought the clams, and some other odds and ends.. Also tried to move the trailer, but failed. The Dive shop has a class running, and the parking spots were taken. Trailer swap aborted till the morning. I scrubbed the uphill neighbor's (CJ/Caroline) resin chairs which have been loaned to us. Set up the juice cooler. I have a couple more odds and ends to do tonight before I call it a night. One of which is a shower. I smell like the stable where the cow lived, the one that's about to feed us. Tomorrow, I have to hit the ground running. Mammoth amount of stuff to do.
I think I've succeeded in streamlining ZP. There will only be one trailer here. I've eliminated Ribs and Fish from the menu, and don't have a million other things programmed from the roaster. Prime Time Task loading should be diminished somewhat. I'm thinking about blowing off the popcorn machine too (which is located at work). Maybe I'll make some fresh bags of popcorn instead... I've also aligned lots of help this year, so things should proceed smoothly. As long as the Steamship Roast cooperates, we'll be OK.
Friday Late Afternoon Edition 7/25/08
Got the trailers moved. I'm so smart...I backed the trailer into the Driveway first, unloaded the big stuff (grill, roaster, red canopy) THEN moved the trailer across the street. That's Because I R a engineer! I drove to Morristown to get the Snow Cone block Ice. Then did the meat run, then Costco run #3 for the breads and watermelon, and A&P trip #4 for Pineapple juice and some more Soda. Cut the lawn again, moved some equipment around, worked on Signage. Hung the Hydro Alley sign. My biggest complaint of the day: *everything* has taken far longer than it needed too. Examples: Moving the trailer spawned a Trailer light repair timeout. Waiting on lines at the Costco. Waiting for the guy at the Ice place to move a truck. Even hanging the Hydro Alley sign, normally a 5 minute chore, became a half hour. Pulling out things that theoretically should be clean, aren't. Endless. That's why I take 2 vacation days to run this party. The garage sink has been acting funny...so I shut the water off, dismantled the offending faucet and found that the gasket inside was unattached and squished. To make a long story short, I thought I had it put back together right, but the faucet shot apart. High pressure water shot all over the garage ceiling for about a minute till I could run to the water main shutoff. Like a Three Stooges episode, except there's only one Stooge here. Anyway, that's fixed.
The Butcher gave me a 96 Lb Steamship Roast. 16lbs more than I asked for. 16lbs more meat to roast for an unknown length of time. Probably 30lbs more meat than we'll consume. They suggested 20 minutes per pound roasting time. Doing the math: 32 Hours!!!!...sorry, I don't buy it. What I'm gonna do is put the fucker up first thing in the morning. And when dinner hits, we're gonna carve off what's done, and let the rest roast more. And if it's that rare, then it goes on the grill as thin cuts. Not gonna play games. I started out this week somewhat excited about this experiment, assuming I'd figure out how long to roast it for. But here it is, the day before ZP, still don't have a clue...so I'm almost regretting introducing such an unknown into the equation. But I'm still psyched because it'll be fun, and the outside will cook. Nobody will go hungry. But it threatens the "task loading" I had hoped to minimize, if this thing gets delayed.
in Another hour or so, the tent erection crew comes. Tent/Electric/Lighting/Heavy lifting on the menu for this evening.
Friday Evening Edition 7/25/08
Lenny, Octavio (across the street neighbor), and Hunter (da kid!) came over and helped knock out a buttload of work. The big top is up, electrified, lighted. Hydro Alley is ready. The deck zone is all decked out. And the stage is set. I'd say we're in good shape "scene wise". Culinarily, I'm in the weeds though. A handful of things aren't quite in place yet, and may be abandoned. I don't quite have my act together. I really needed a few more hours today. I think I built myself into the same old situation: High Task loading during the prime time of the party. Right now, I'm just pretty much exhausted. I doubt I'll be able to make any additions to this page till after the party. Hope to see you! OK l8er!