nyf 2002 - the timeline

Every time i'm working on a dinner that has more than 2 courses, or is complex enough to require more than a few hours of cooking, i throw together one of these timelines and tack it to the cupboard above my main prepsurface. This one is pretty complicated, but even if the timeline is scrawled on notepaper by hand, and only has 7 line items, i find it invaluable. They help me verify that i'm hitting all the steps towards service, keep me sane during service, and serve as great notes for anyone who has been kind enough to step in and 'sous' for me. So, without further ado, here's what the timeline for NYF 2002 looked like.

Monday:
shop for veg
shop @lucca
shop @fish & meat market

smoke bell peppers
dice bell peppers

make pain de mie (morning!!)
make puff pastry (start in morning!!)

make veg stock

clean crab
make potato dressing
make basil vinaigrette

make salad dressing

make rosemary nuts
parmesan croutons
make candied citrus
--lemon, lime, blood orange

assemble tart shells? (evening)
make tart dough

puff pastry
chill 1
chill 2
chill 3
 Tuesday
AM: leek filling
AM: knifework for tartare
AM: clean and slice chanterelles
AM: breadcrumbs
AM: dice tuna
AM:jam cookies
8am: arrive at andronico’s for meat
8am: start tart shell
9am: tart shell in oven; start orange curd
10am: start mushroom soup
11am: assemble ice bowls
12noon: cook, dice & dress potatoes
dice, cook & dress artichokes
1pm: start lemon curd
2pm: start watercress soup
3pm: boil blini potatoes
4pm: blini batter done
4:15: grind meatses
5:00: slice pain de mie

5:30: guest arrival
key lime pies served
warm rosemary nuts out

5:45: make blinis

6:30: cavair tasting
open champagne
plate caviar

7:15: plate soups
7:30: soup tasting (seated)

8:00: dress fish course elements
dice avocado, saute chanterelles
plate fish course – basil garnish!
8:30: serve fish course; preheat oven for tart; filling out to room temp

9:00: mix tartare; plate tartare; toast bread
9:15: assemble tarts
9:25: fire tarts
9:30: serve meat course – parsley garnish!

10:15: dress salad
10:25: tarts done
10:30: serve salad course

11:30 serve dessert course
12:00 midnight: champagne