Chapter 137 - 137. Pizza? We Are Going To Have Them For Tea Time...!!! (1/2)
”There won't be rice for lunch and dinner today and we have to feed 100 guests today. So please choose your pick for lunch, mid-afternoon snacks, dinner and supper for tonight. I let you decide 5 minutes because time is precious.”
When the time is up, they've decided to make Spaghetti Meatballs and Sausages for lunch, followed by Chicken Bandits for mid-afternoon snacks, Classic Hawaiian Pizza dinner and Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups for supper.
”Alright ladies, we have less than 3 hours to prepare and serve lunch today for 100 pax. One person attends to the spaghetti noodles, another prep the fresh tomato for the grave, another prep the onions and garlic, oregano and all the spices and herbs, another decide to have chicken, beef, mutton or pork balls today since today menu is talking about chicken... Cluck... Cluck... Cluck...”
I clapped my hands and got everyone to work in a frenzied manner and see how they would work under pressure and see how well they could cope. Even myself was like a frenzied madman, gathering all the trays, firing up the rockets stoves to boil 25 packets of spaghetti in water that had been mixed with a bit of oil and salt.
I explained that we don't have to wait for the water to boil and then soak the spaghetti. They've decided to have chicken for the Meatballs and I took out 10 chicken from my storage bag and three cooks went about it.
I told them don't throw away the skin because it could be made into crisps when rubbed with salt and then deep-fried. This crisps would be used to sprinkle on top of anything we want to dish up.
The chicken was deboned and then pass through the meat grinder. Once it was complete herbs and spices were mixed and hands started to knead the meat to properly marinate it and were made into balls which would be deep-fried. To hold the balls together, a bit of flour and egg is used to dip them and fried over.
The spaghetti sauce was poured into the pan together with the noodles and sprinkled with shredded mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar before it was covered by one row of balls and halved sausages and then the process is repeated. It looked like morse code once it is ready.
5 trays of spaghetti were being baked inside the earthen oven and it was already 1 hour before lunchtime. ”Time to make garlic bread. Someone prepare finely chopped garlic about 10 large cloves. Another churn up the butter. One gathers 50 medium loaves of bread. Another get ready the rosemary, thyme and oregano leaves. Add some salt inside it.”
I took the French loaf and began to slice lengthwise about 4 slices without cutting through it. All the ingredients were mixed in a bowl and I took a pastry brush and brush the insides of all the spaces that I had cut inside the loaf of bread.
”1 loaf stayed inside the oven for 5 mins. Use a large tray and arrange a load of bread inside it. Spread open the slices before you put them inside so it would be fully baked. 5 minutes per loaf, ladies.”
”You can load 5 at one time and make sure its crispy on the outside and soft and brown on the insides. Go... Go... Go... ” I clapped my hands once more because I had led them by example on the first few loaves and everyone followed.
It was simply chaotic in the fairly large kitchen but everyone was smiling and giggling when I clapped my hands halfway midair like a mariachi dancer and was stamping my foot like a half-horse kick.
”Luckily its 10 interns and 2 cooks. I was half thinking to hold a class of 20 interns before.” I thought as I looked at the war-torn battlefield of chopping boards, knives, food and pots and pans.
Fortunately, they learnt that after each preparation, the utensils would be washed and kept. At least the sink would always be free of any stuff and the utensils would be ready for the next use.
”10 minutes before lunchtime, get the bread ready to be cut. I show you once and you repeat the rest.” I picked up the medium loaf of bread and it felt warm and nice and the spread of butter and garlic inside it was properly baked and was slightly brown in colour.
I halved it across and began cutting up the garlic loaves into bite-size sticks. I laid them in a small wicker basket that was lined with a linen towel. ”That's how it's done. Hurry, everyone starts cutting. I will prep the food trolley.” The 2 cooks who were the original ones working there began to assist to bring out the baking trays of spaghetti and I cut to make 20 equal portions.
Everything was loaded inside the food trolleys and were pushed out just in time to see our 60 merchants entering the compound and our members coming back. Everything was served as the members washed up and had seated themselves.
”Wow... Another creation by the master chef in the house. This should be wonderful, it looks like a pie to me but this is sure looks like spaghetti pie to me.” Patricia forked the food in front of her and I told her to flatten it with her cutlery because it was baked.