We loved this task, but only confusion with the space-time continuum would justify going from dinner to breakfast. Consequently, we put the task through our Reverse-Time Vacuum so we could start at breakfast and end at dinner, like any right-thinking civilization.


Seeing how this task was pretty daunting to begin with, we decided to add more daunts by doing it on a grand scale. The setting we chose was the WarMice July 4th House Party, which has a history of praxis. This year there would be 50 people attending, and they would all be very hungry, so a six-dish breakfast seemed to be just the ticket.

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STEP 0: PLAN

Any plan this crazy requires immense amounts of preparation, carefully organized logistics, and lists to make sure that ingredients are bought in the exact right quantities. With a four-hour bus ride to DC in front of us, we figured we had plenty of time. The problem with bus rides to DC with friends is that you talk to your friends.


We finally buckled down at about hour 3 and managed to figure out what we were going to cook and what we would need.


Here's a segment of the planning document. You can see the rest of it in attached file SixDegrees.rtf:



Nonetheless, let's just say that we were lucky that there was a whiteboard in the dining room.



And the low-tech variant:

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STEP 1: SHOP

We loaded our shopping list onto Secret Cello's iPhone, and then we were off to the supermarket.


Shopping for six meals for fifty people at 10:30 p.m.? Sure, why not?



Fuck yeah, cilantro! (And Secret Cello)



The most crucial ingredient for the migas was eggs. Many eggs were required! Many eggs!



...okay, not quite that many eggs. This many eggs:



Still--many eggs!



The aisle of cheese and eggs. This was a strong and important aisle.



We didn't think to check if there was trunk space before we started. Luckily, there was, so we did not have to abandon any of our party members at the supermarket.

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STEP 2: EXECUTE

TooMuchExposition got up at 8:30 and beat a bunch of eggs. (Did we mention that there were a lot of eggs in this?)



Eccoglyph was of crucial assistance in the fields of cleanup and breakfast accessories like bacon and pancakes.



Cooking begins!



Ze eggs, zey must be scrambled.



Stab, stabbity stab stab stab!



Watch out, 2muchexposition!



Wrapping the wraps.



What ingredient doesn't belong with the others?



The marinade:

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STEP 3: TASTE

First degree: Migas

The dish:
The verdict:



Spidere says: "Seeing the migas again, I am honestly drooling and hungry. They were delicious. Seriously, every time I have looked at these photos since, I have had to make myself eggs of some kind--I am haunted by the delicious memory of the migas.


Two versions, spicy and mild. The peppers in the spicy version were not quite strong enough to permeate the dish, resulting in a somewhat mixed experience. The mild has the greater dish consistency overall, providing a strong sense of comfort food. There is more cheese than one might expect, and in combination with the tortillas, this results in a slightly gummy texture reminiscent of thick oatmeal. Good taste and interesting texture, and not unpleasantly drifted from its southwestern roots. A strong and solid first dish, with the cilantro providing a nice counterpoint. The egg nature puts this clearly in the breakfast category, but a solid breakfast, foreshadowing what is to come."

Second degree: Quesadillas

The dish:



The verdict:



Spidere says: "Delicious. Oil and butter make for a sweet quesadilla. The baby portabello mushrooms in particular have a beautiful texture and taste. Again, the eggs keep this in the realm of breakfast, but I can feel us moving towards brunch.

Third degree: Mushroom wraps

The dish:



The verdict:



Spidere says: "Some tactical consistency issues arise here, indicating that I should not have attempted to eat this with my hands. The mushrooms continue to stand out as delicious. The spinach's taste and remaining crunch bring this firmly out of breakfast territory. I am sad to see breakfast go, but am warily excited about the soup course."

Fourth degree: Tortilla Soup

The dish:
The verdict:



Spidere says: "After hearing the uncertainty beforehand as to whether or not one could really make a "dish' that was "edible" using the ingredients in this step, I was slightly worried about disaster. But this actually came out quite tasty. Served too hot for my delicate palate, but once cooled down, a remarkably flavorful soup. Moist tortilla maintain our connection to the earlier dishes by echoing the migas, a very good texture. Smooth and spicy, with deliciously cooked chicken. We are indeed fully in lunch."

Fifth Degree: Stir Fry

The dish:

(Extreme left.)


The verdict:



Spidere says: "The pepper really came out in this dish; never overwhelming, but enough to feel a bit of a kick through the stir fry. Somewhat liquidy, but not so much that it spoils the dish. I was slightly distracted by the attacking fluffy bunnies at the time. Also--no one serves stir fry for lunch."

Sixth Degree: Yakitori

The dish:
The verdict:



Spidere says: "A fine conclusion. Presentation is always a plus, and the skewers held delicious meats and vegetables. Baby portabello mushrooms are clearly the answer to humanity's ills. The soy flavor is strong and compelling, accentuating rather than detracting from the natural flavors of the ingredients. Definitely dinner, and a fine one at that."

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STEP 4: PROFIT

Elapsed time: 5 hours. People fed: 50. Time: reversed. Task: success!



And the icing on the cake? Leftovers. People were eating migas until at least Sunday morning.