Short: Prepared, West Virginia
(This is a rough draft. When I complete the series, I’ll assemble them into one cohesive story.)
After coffee with Brad, I felt better about West Virginia. And, with a little more than a month before the event, I began to plan a menu for the volunteers. It’s at this point in the story where I need to admit, I’d never been given such a responsibility before, though I was strangely confident I could pull it off. For starters, my roommate Malik, had managed several restaurant kitchens and I picked his brain on the subject of feeding large groups of hungry college kids.
Breakfast was simple- scrambled eggs, bacon cooked on sheet trays in the oven, same for the breakfast sausage and biscuits. And to provide a few more options, we’d also set out apples and bananas, a selection instant oatmeals, and bagels with cream cheese and jams. For lunch, each student would make a sandwich from the provided stacks of ham, turkey, and cheese, then select a snack or two- chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, and more apples and bananas.
The only real challenge was dinner each night. The group would arrive late (after dinner) on Friday evening, then head home after breakfast the nextthe Wednesday. The schedule meant I had to come up with four meals. And on Malik’s advice, I opted to meals with big carbs and plenty of protein. In world of professional cooking, that means potatoes smashed, pasta, ground beef, and chicken thighs. Happy with my menu of spaghetti with meat sauce, chicken noodle soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, lasagna, and roasted chicken with smashed potatoes and peas, I picked Malik’s brain again.
“Hey man, uh, how much chicken do I need for the soup? And the roast?” I asked a week before.
From his seat on the coach he turned to me and took a moment to let the question settle in his mind. Then he chuckled to himself. “Boy, you don’t know shit, do you?”
“Nope. I do not.” I laughed back.
Then Malik explained to me the concepts of yield. I soaked up as much as possible. After lecture on meat which sheds water and fat while cooking, Malik went on about pasta, which gains weight. After the conversation and some quick calculations, I was set.
* * *
The day before Brad and I were set to ride up to West Virginia, I was hit by a waves of doubt and anxiety. Why did Jonathan call me? Who else did he call? And why did they say no? Am I a sucker? And I was most worried I’d munk up dinner every night. That evening, I spent on the back porch with Malik. We sipped beers and talked football. Then he asked for more details about the adventure to come, but I had little to offer. And then I asked him about his girlfriend, which required the rest of the evening to unpack. It was fine conversation, which when combined with a few beers, eased my mind about the days ahead. And while I was thankful for the calm moment, I completely forgot to check the weather forecast for Welch.
