A Taste of the Caribbean!

Marena Bajrami Amanda Spagnolia Neeka Tabatabaei Denise Ulloa

The Livingston Club Room

Lunch was served to faculty on April 15, 2015
Approximately 25 faculty members partook in our meal
The Caribbean cuisine was chosen due to the bold flavors
and colors of the dishes

The (Intended) Menu

~Caribbean Pumpkin Soup
~Caribbean Mango Salad
~Caribbean Kale Salad
~Jerk Chicken
~Coconut Rice and Beans
~Twice-fried plantains
~One-pot Curried Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas
~Sofrito Zucchini Pasta

Some Challenges We
Encountered...

Several food items were not ordered (limes, butternut

squash, cloves, ripe avocados, scallions)
Our Caribbean Pumpkin Soup was omitted from the
menu during the initial planning with the kitchen and then
the day of we discovered we were serving New England
Clam Chowder
Measuring utensils (measuring spoons, cups) were not
available in our kitchen, and a lot of estimation took
place

Therefore, our final menu ended up as....

~New England Clam Chowder (soup of the day in the dining hall)
~Caribbean Mango Salad (with half of the intended avocado portion)
~Caribbean Kale Salad (with dressing on the side rather than tossed in)
~Jerk Chicken (minus scallions, lime juice and chilies)
~Coconut Rice and Beans
~Twice-fried plantains
~One-pot Curried Quinoa with zucchini squash and chickpeas
~Sofrito zucchini ribbons (rather than in spaghetti form)
~BBQ Beef Ribs (added by Chef Ana)

Meal Preparation

Day Before:
~ Created shopping list and went
downstairs to collect all items
~Chopped vegetables (onions,
celery, peppers, tomatoes)
~Mangoes chopped
~Made marinade, prepped the
chicken thighs, and placed into
marinade overnight
~Kale Salad Dressing prepared

Day Of:
~Prepared meal with Chef
Ana
~ Chicken cooked
~Ripened avocados
available day of and
chopped for salads
~Plantains fried
~Zucchini ribbons made
for sofrito dish
~Coconut rice prepared
~Kale prepared for
salad

Action Shots in the Kitchen!

Service and Execution

Buffet Style
Self-Serve
Serving trays (food kept warm with sternos)
Long, straight serving table right in the
dining area
Serving spoons and tongs were used

Buffet style, self-serve area

background)

Dining Area (with buffet in

Salad Station

Professor Vernere!

Forecasting
The forecasted number of guests: ~50
Enough food was prepared for:
~30 guests (Chef Anas guidance)
Actual number of guests: ~22
We did not run out of food--there was
enough for all!

Meat:
Chicken Thighs 25 lbs
Starch:
Quinoa
2.78 lbs
Long Grain Rice 6.25 lbs
Dairy:
Heavy Cream
Butter

6 fl. oz.
0.577 lbs

Produce:
Lime Juice
109.36 fl. oz.
Mango
29.16 lbs
Avocado
18.75
Cucumber
3.13 lbs
Red Onions
8.13 lbs
Mixed Bell Peppers
22.93 lbs
Butternut Squash
6.25 lbs

Produce:
Garlic
1.62 lbs
Yellow Onion
4.15 lbs
Fresh Ginger
0.094 lbs
Green Olives
1.88 lbs
Thyme
3 oz.
Cilantro
4.2 oz.
Scallions
1.56 lbs
Kale
50 large bunches
Green Plantain 16.5 plantains

Zucchini
Chili Peppers
Limes
Shallots
Garlic Clove
Black Beans

Chickpeas
5.47 lbs
Lemons
3.13 oz.
Fresh Parsle
1 oz.
Pumpkin
6 lbs.
Sweet Potato
3 lbs.
Spanish Onion 0.976 oz.
Scotch Bonnet Pepper 3 peppers

25 lb
1.5 lbs
5 lbs
6.24 oz.
1.25 oz.
17.7 lbs

Spices:
Salt
17.88 oz.
Black Pepper
2.88 oz.
Curry Powder
2.84 oz.
Ground Ginger
1.56 oz.
Ground Turmeric
0.52 oz.
Ground Cardamom
0.23 oz.
Cinnamon Sticks
3 sticks
Bay Leaves
6 leaves
Jamaican AllSpice
3.7 oz.
Ground Cinnamon
2.08 oz.
Ground Cloves
1.04 oz.
Dried Thyme
4.17 oz.
Ground Cumin
4.15 oz.
Smoked Paprika
4.15 oz.
Ground Nutmeg
3.74 oz.

Condiments:
Red Wine Vinegar
9.36 fl. oz.
Olive Oil
111.5 fl. oz.
Light Coconut Milk
87.5 fl. oz.
Brown Sugar
1.75 lbs
Chicken Stock
1.13 gallons
Regular Coconut Milk
81 fl. oz.
Soy Sauce
25 fl. oz.
Rum
6.25 fl. oz.
Apple Cider Vinegar
8.35 fl. oz.
Shredded Coconut
8.34 lbs

Caribbean Mango Salad

Neeka Tabatabaei
Original Recipe:
Yield: 14.4 oz.
Serves: 2 Serving Size: 7.2 oz.
Ingredients:
2-3 teaspoons red wine vinegar, divided
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ripe mangos, diced
2 large ripe avocados
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
small red onion, sliced very thin (stem to root)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
In a medium serving bowl, whisk together one tablespoon red wine vinegar and lime juice. Slowly whisk in
oil. Toss in mangoes, avocado, cucumber, and red onion to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve
immediately.

Caribbean Mango Salad

Expansion
Neeka Tabatabaei

One-Skillet Curried Quinoa with Butternut Squash & Chickpeas

eeka Tabatabaei
Ingredients:

Instructions:

Original Recipe:
Yield: 61.7 oz.
Serves: 4 Serving Size: 15.4 oz.

One-Skillet Curried
Quinoa with Butternut
Squash & Chickpeas
Expansion
Neeka Tabatabaei

Caribbean Mango Salad

Neeka Tabatabaei

Total Cost (for 50

people): $51.84
Total Cost (per 7.2 oz.
portion): $2.07

DISHWASHING AREA
LIVINGSTON FACULTY LOUNGE

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Hand Sink
Drying Racks
Rolling Drying Rack
Hobart Dishwasher
Rinsing Sink
Dirty Dish Placement
Soap and Water Sink
Clean running water
Sanitizing Sink
Doorway

Dimensions: 22 x 14
Scale: = 1

Montague Convection Oven

Neeka Tabatabaei

Manufacturer: Montague
Fuel Source: Natural Gas
Cooking Method: Dry Heat
Usage: To cook the jerk chicken
Advantages of using a convection oven:
Uses forced air to circulate the heat evenly around the
cooking area
Prevents hot or cold spots
Improves texture, flavor, and appearance
Cuts down overall cooking time

Neeka Tabatabaei

29 returned surveys!

Jamaican Jerk
Chicken=greatest hit!

Many were partially filled out

Overall, feedback was positive!

Summary of Surveys

Only 9 of the 30 surveys returned had tried ALL of the dishes

There was confusion over the Vegetarian Dish because our zucchini pasta was
prepared as ribbons so didnt look like pasta
Several commented on the kale salad being dry and needing dressing. The
dressing had been served on the side rather than being tossed with the greens.
Overall, more found our meal to be excellent than not for everything except the
fried plantains.m

What We Learned...

It can be very stressful when you dont have all the ingredients you
expect/need on hand! -Denise

Planning and executing a meal for a large quantity of people requires a lot
of work, especially when compared to cooking at home. -Neeka

Not all goes as planned and as calculated by the formula in a kitchen.

You must be able to be practical, efficient, and have the ability to think on
your feet!- Marena

Dont assume the recipe is read beforehand in the kitchen. It is essential to

communicate clearly with the kitchen staff. Clarify exactly which supplies
will/will not be available and what the final result of the recipe will be given
that information. - Amanda