Serving food for thousands
Feeding thousands of people at a single stretch is no mean job. Every youth festival venue throws up a big challenge for the organisers in feeding the thousands of children, teachers and organisers who throng the venue for days.
The vast dining hall set up in the compound of St. Albert's HSS to serve food for the participants of the 46th State School Kalotsavam came alive on Thursday morning. Meticulous arrangements have been made to provide meals and refreshment for the participants and organisers who have arrived from all over the State.
The 90-member team of cooks led by Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboodiri, is busy in the temporary kitchen and storeroom set up in the St. Albert's HSS compound. The work for the next day's lunch has to start on the previous afternoon itself. The kitchen and store for a mega event like this has to work non-stop.
Mr. Namboodiri, hailing from Kurichithanam near Uzhavoor in Kottayam district, had ventured into professional cooking 18 years ago. For years, he assisted Malaman Neelakantan Namboodiri, who had been cooking for youth festivals for over 30 years.
This is the first time Mr. Namboodiri is cooking for the festival. But he has no panic, armed with the experience of having served for events like the State Schools Science Fair, State Higher Secondary School Festival and Malayalappuzha Sathakodi Archana.
The budget earmarked for feeding 20,000 people per day for five days is Rs.8 lakhs, which is lower than last year's allocation. The requirements are huge, with 9,500 kg of rice, 1,000 kg of tuvar dal, 1,250 kg of coconut oil and 400 kg of sugar are needed. Nearly 7,000 kg of vegetables is required for the event. "But the quantities will fluctuate," Mr. Namboodiri says.
The rice and other materials will be supplied by the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, while the Horticorp will supply vegetables.
The menu will include curries like sambar, pulisseri, aviyal, thoran, koottukari, mulakushyam, theeyal, vellarikka pachadi and rasam apart from pappadam, pickles and buttermilk. Dosa, idly, uppuma and appam will be served for breakfast. The evening tea will have snacks like laddu, bread roast, bajji and pazhampori.
From Friday onwards, payasam will be served with lunch. The payasam on Saturday has been sponsored by the Deputy Director (Education) of Ernakulam V. Sanu and other staff of the Education Department in the district. For breakfast, the organisers expect around 5,000 people everyday, with 8,000 people for lunch and around 7,000 for breakfast. The breakfast will be served from 7.30 a.m. - 10 a.m., lunch will be from 12 to 2.30 p.m., evening tea from 4 to 5.30 p.m. and dinner from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu-20/01/06, Friday)
Feeding thousands of people at a single stretch is no mean job. Every youth festival venue throws up a big challenge for the organisers in feeding the thousands of children, teachers and organisers who throng the venue for days.
The vast dining hall set up in the compound of St. Albert's HSS to serve food for the participants of the 46th State School Kalotsavam came alive on Thursday morning. Meticulous arrangements have been made to provide meals and refreshment for the participants and organisers who have arrived from all over the State.
The 90-member team of cooks led by Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboodiri, is busy in the temporary kitchen and storeroom set up in the St. Albert's HSS compound. The work for the next day's lunch has to start on the previous afternoon itself. The kitchen and store for a mega event like this has to work non-stop.
Mr. Namboodiri, hailing from Kurichithanam near Uzhavoor in Kottayam district, had ventured into professional cooking 18 years ago. For years, he assisted Malaman Neelakantan Namboodiri, who had been cooking for youth festivals for over 30 years.
This is the first time Mr. Namboodiri is cooking for the festival. But he has no panic, armed with the experience of having served for events like the State Schools Science Fair, State Higher Secondary School Festival and Malayalappuzha Sathakodi Archana.
The budget earmarked for feeding 20,000 people per day for five days is Rs.8 lakhs, which is lower than last year's allocation. The requirements are huge, with 9,500 kg of rice, 1,000 kg of tuvar dal, 1,250 kg of coconut oil and 400 kg of sugar are needed. Nearly 7,000 kg of vegetables is required for the event. "But the quantities will fluctuate," Mr. Namboodiri says.
The rice and other materials will be supplied by the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, while the Horticorp will supply vegetables.
The menu will include curries like sambar, pulisseri, aviyal, thoran, koottukari, mulakushyam, theeyal, vellarikka pachadi and rasam apart from pappadam, pickles and buttermilk. Dosa, idly, uppuma and appam will be served for breakfast. The evening tea will have snacks like laddu, bread roast, bajji and pazhampori.
From Friday onwards, payasam will be served with lunch. The payasam on Saturday has been sponsored by the Deputy Director (Education) of Ernakulam V. Sanu and other staff of the Education Department in the district. For breakfast, the organisers expect around 5,000 people everyday, with 8,000 people for lunch and around 7,000 for breakfast. The breakfast will be served from 7.30 a.m. - 10 a.m., lunch will be from 12 to 2.30 p.m., evening tea from 4 to 5.30 p.m. and dinner from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu-20/01/06, Friday)
posted by renuramanath at 12:01 PM
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