Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Tables, and other Common House questions

[cynthia . e . carpenter (cynthia.e.carpenter]

Liz wrote:

> We do buffet style meals
> mostly, because cleanup and prep are much longer with family style, not
> to mention we always have special diet considerations, and those meals
> would have to be brought individually to the tables.  We have one couple
> who's team occasionally puts on a big feast and they serve family style,
> but they're always cleaning up at 10:00.  I think family style would be
> more advantageous for small groups, but large is too difficult.

The buffet vs. family-style is a question we're looking at, too, as we have
just begun common house meals.  We surveyed our members about their
preferences and found an almost 50/50 split for family-style and buffet, so
we've been experimenting with both.  This isn't something you have to
decide before you move in!

Personally, I have a strong preference for family-style.  It is much easier
for families with young children and anyone with any kind of disability or
infirmity to manage, and encourages, well, a family atmosphere at the
table.  The buffet table feels too much like a cafeteria to me.
Family-style also reduces traffic and noise - a big issue in our dining
room - even though we put alternatives on a separate table, so there is
some getting up and down.  I cooked at a large summer camp one year where
we served most meals family-style and I didn't feel like it caused a lot of
extra work.  We often cooked or prepared directly in table-sized bowls and
pans which simply meant there were more small things to clean up instead of
a couple large, not really more all told, and often easier to handle, both
in cooking and cleaning.  Other times we did cook in a large pot and serve
in smaller dishes, but usually there were only a couple of dishes per
table, and they're not hard to clean since they're just used for serving.
My experience, YMMV.

BTW, we have rectangular tables that fit 8 (6 on long sides, 2 at ends) and
they're working well (both for eating and for meetings, in various
configurations).  I seem to remember hearing that somewhere in cohousing
experience someone figured out the exact optimal table width for
conversation - any else remember this and know where to find it?

- Cindy
Cambridge Cohousing
(pardon my long employer-attached tag)


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