Enjoyment. The strongest performers of the prior cycle are retained unchanged as anchors: braised short ribs with red wine gravy, filet tips bordelaise, chicken Marsala cream, wild king salmon, beef filet Bolognese, beef meatloaf with mushroom gravy, beef stroganoff, and slow-braised pot roast (replacing the prime rib-style roast per client direction, with pulled barbecue pork added to the rotation). Every dinner keeps a sauce or gravy per the house style — moist, tender, mild, depth from butter, cream, wine, and mushrooms.
Time on task. Prior-cycle days were running roughly 130–150 hands-on minutes. The new ceiling is 110. The gap closes three ways: (1) purchased deli sides where store quality equals scratch (Costco potato salad and coleslaw are the model); (2) a Sunday soup-base block (~20 min, outside the weekday window) so every scratch soup is a 9-minute finish on its service day; (3) day-before staging for every extra-long item so no single morning carries a braise, a gratin, and a bake.
Product volume. Buying the commodity cold sides also removes their ingredient trains (mayonnaise, celery, cabbage, pickle, eggs for dressing) from the grocery order and cold-storage load — fewer SKUs in the Atosa units, more room for RTE zoning.
BUY — store quality equals or nearly equals scratch; time saved noted per appearance:
MAKE — signature, non-negotiable: every dinner sauce and gravy, Bolognese, chicken salad, tuna salad, horseradish cream, Dijon cream, hollandaise, creamy cucumber salad, and every soup, all scratch — tomato basil, bisque, butternut squash, chicken noodle, corn chowder, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, potato leek, creamy potato, creamy vegetable, cauliflower, tomato rice.
Soup program: one Sunday base block (~20 min at two soups per week, alongside the Wk 4 pulled pork shoulder when applicable) builds the week's soup bases — velouté/cream mother base plus roasted or sweated aromatics per soup, chilled below 40°F. Each service day the soup is a 9-minute finish: add the vegetable or protein, cream, purée, season. Nothing purchased.
Judgment call — pasta salad: homemade Italian pasta salad runs 25–30 minutes. Rule: single weekly appearance (Wednesday, Week 4) — make it within the day’s budget or buy quality deli and recover the full 25 minutes. Never make it twice in one week.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft scrambled eggs, Comté & chive cream · multigrain toast · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Turkey, Swiss & avocado wrap, creamy herb dressing BUY base · potato leek soup MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish · seasonal fresh fruit (was soft fruit cup — cut fresh, no melon, no raspberry) | Beef meatloaf, mushroom gravy MAKE · creamy mashed potatoes · buttered green beans | ~91 |
| Tuesday | Creamy oatmeal, brown sugar, banana, walnuts · toast with butter | Chicken Caesar wrap, mild dressing BUY · side garden salad, creamy herb dressing (was tomato basil soup) · grapes (was melon) | Swordfish, lemon butter cream (was cod) MAKE · roasted red potatoes (was rice pilaf) · creamed spinach | ~92 |
| Wednesday | French toast on brioche · warm maple butter · chicken sausage (was turkey sausage) | Roast beef & Comté on kaiser roll (was wrap), very mild horseradish cream MAKE · potato salad BUY Costco · mixed fruit (no melon) | Beef filet Bolognese (was bison), pappardelle MAKE — start sauce 5:00, passive simmer · light garlic bread · zucchini, olive oil & Parmesan | ~95 |
| Thursday | Egg, cheddar & ham sandwich on multigrain · roasted breakfast potatoes | Tuna salad melt, Havarti MAKE salad · cream of mushroom soup MAKE — signature; Sunday base, 9-min finish | Classic Chicken Divan, sherry Mornay & broccoli crowns (was chicken à la King over rice — rice count drops to 2) MAKE — bake passive · buttermilk biscuit BUY bake-off | ~80 |
| Friday | Greek yogurt parfait, honey, seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry), soft granola BUY granola · toast with jam | Ham, turkey & Swiss club on brioche bun (was wrap), creamy Dijon MAKE · coleslaw BUY Costco · seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house (was chicken noodle soup, then fruit cup) | Braised short ribs, red wine gravy EXTRA-LONG — braise Thursday, passive oven; Friday reheat in gravy · buttered egg noodles (was creamy polenta — all polenta removed) · roasted carrots | ~87 |
Soup days (2): potato leek Monday, cream of mushroom Thursday — both signatures, both scratch via the Sunday base block. Tuesday and Friday soups removed per the two-per-week rule.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft scrambled eggs, Fontina · multigrain toast · orange slices (was melon) | Beef filet burger on brioche bun (was bison burger), cheddar, mild burger sauce · kettle chips (was creamy potato soup; pickle spear deleted) · fruit salad (no melon, no raspberry) | Pan-seared chicken breast, spinach & Comté mushroom cream (stuffing deleted — sauté spinach into the sauce) MAKE · roasted sweet potatoes (was rice pilaf; broccoli florets deleted) | ~78 |
| Tuesday | Cream of wheat, maple syrup, cinnamon & cream · toast | Turkey cranberry cream cheese wrap · butternut squash soup MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish · grapes | Beef stroganoff, egg noodles, sour cream mushroom sauce MAKE · buttered peas | ~108 ▲ |
| Wednesday | Ham & Gruyère omelet · toast · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Chicken salad wrap, grapes, celery, mild tarragon MAKE · side garden salad (was creamy vegetable soup) · seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house (was rice pudding, then fruit cup — no melon, no raspberry) | Skinless salmon, dill cream sauce MAKE · roasted red potatoes (was herbed rice) · creamed leeks | ~96 |
| Thursday | Pancakes, warm seasonal fruit compote (no raspberry) · chicken sausage (was turkey bacon, then turkey sausage) | Roast beef, cheddar & caramelized onion on kaiser roll (was wrap), mild horseradish cream MAKE · tomato bisque MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish | Turkey pot pie, creamy gravy EXTRA-LONG — filling made Tuesday (light day, ~78 min); topping purchased; Thursday = assemble & bake · green beans almondine | ~105 |
| Friday | Ham, egg & cheddar breakfast hash, roasted potatoes, soft egg (was breakfast rice bowl — Asian-format removed) · toast optional | Grilled chicken & avocado ranch wrap (bacon removed) BUY ranch · creamy cucumber salad MAKE (was corn chowder) · seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house (was purchased fruit cup) | Filet tips, bordelaise-style gravy MAKE · mashed Yukon potatoes · buttered carrots | ~99 |
Tuesday is deliberately light (~78): that slack is assigned — Thursday's pot pie filling and Friday's caramelized onions are staged Tuesday morning inside the window.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft scrambled eggs with Fontina Val d’Aosta, multigrain toast (was poached eggs, light hollandaise) · chicken sausage (was turkey sausage) · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Turkey, Comté & roasted red pepper wrap, creamy herb spread · side garden salad (was cauliflower soup) · pineapple (was melon) | Beef Bolognese lasagna, ricotta & mozzarella EXTRA-LONG — sauce & assembly Sunday/day-before; Monday = bake only. Alternate: baked rigatoni Bolognese, saves ~35 min · Caesar salad BUY mild dressing · garlic toast | ~80 |
| Tuesday | Banana walnut oatmeal, cream & brown sugar · toast | Chicken pot pie filling over rice MAKE — same base method as Wk 2 · small side salad · seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house (was purchased fruit cup) | Swordfish, sherry cream sauce (was haddock) MAKE · roasted yams (was buttered rice — clears the rice-at-lunch-and-dinner collision) · creamed peas | ~95 |
| Wednesday | Cheddar scrambled eggs with ham · toast · orange slices (melon dropped) | Philly-style beef on kaiser roll (was wrap), provolone, mild cheese sauce MAKE mornay · creamy potato leek soup MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish · seasonal fresh fruit | Prime New York strip, onion-mushroom pan gravy (was bison Salisbury steak) MAKE — pan-seared, rested, gravy to finish · mashed potatoes · buttered corn | ~88 |
| Thursday | Cottage cheese bowl, peaches, honey, soft granola BUY granola · toast | Tuna, Swiss & tomato wrap, creamy dill dressing MAKE · cream of chicken soup MAKE — Sunday base, 9-min finish · vanilla Greek yogurt cup with honey BUY (was rice pudding) | Chicken Marsala cream sauce MAKE · butter noodles · buttered Savoy cabbage (was roasted zucchini) | ~90 |
| Friday | Belgian waffle, maple cream · chicken sausage (was turkey bacon, then turkey sausage) · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Ham & Gruyère on brioche bun (was wrap), creamy Dijon MAKE · seasonal fresh fruit (was tomato rice soup — rice count drops again) · creamy cucumber salad MAKE — no store equivalent | Pot roast, red wine pan gravy (was prime rib-style roast) MAKE EXTRA-LONG — braise Thursday, passive oven; Friday shred-slice & reheat in gravy · potato gratin par-bake Thursday, finish Friday · glazed carrots | ~102 |
Friday note (~102): pot roast braise and gratin par-bake land Thursday (braise oven-passive); Friday is reheat, gratin finish, and sides. Tomato rice soup removal took this day off the ceiling.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Soft-scrambled eggs, Comté · multigrain toast (to order) | Pulled barbecue pork on brioche, mild sweet BBQ sauce (added — replaces chicken avocado wrap) MAKE pork BUY premium sauce, butter finish EXTRA-LONG — shoulder cooked Sunday/day-before, 6+ hr passive; Monday = shred & sauce, 15 min · coleslaw BUY Costco | Tenderloin beef tips, Pinot Noir red wine mushroom gravy (was beef tips, mushroom gravy) MAKE · roasted sweet potatoes (was buttered rice) · steamed broccoli | ~85 |
| Tuesday | Farmer's omelette — potato, shallot, red pepper, ham, cheese · toast | Black Forest ham & Swiss on rye swirl · potato salad BUY Costco | Wild King salmon, lemon-caper sauce MAKE — gently oven-baked · rice pilaf · asparagus tips | ~85 |
| Wednesday | Italian frittata — Parmesan, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, spinach, basil · seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) | Turkey, avocado & sliced apple on classic ciabatta roll — Havarti, arugula, grainy mustard (was bison meatball sandwich) · Italian pasta salad TIME FLAG — single appearance now; make (25 min, in the ~90) or BUY deli and save 25 min · seasonal fresh fruit | Chicken & wild mushroom casserole — mushroom medley of shiitake, king trumpet & oyster MAKE — day-before braise Tuesday (light day), gentle reheat · buttered carrots | ~90 |
| Thursday | Buttermilk pancakes, warm maple butter · chicken sausage (was turkey sausage) · fresh fruit (no melon) | Roast beef, Havarti & caramelized shallot on brioche, mild Dijon spread MAKE · side Caesar salad, mild dressing BUY (was pasta salad from Wednesday batch) | Pork tenderloin medallions, apple sauce BUY base, butter-cinnamon finish · roasted potatoes · green beans blanched & buttered | ~100 |
| Friday | Cheese omelet, Gruyère & chives · multigrain toast (to order) | Chicken salad on brioche bun (was wrap), crisp lettuce MAKE · potato salad BUY Costco | Beef filet Bolognese (was bison), rigatoni MAKE — start sauce 5:00, passive 90-min simmer · tender broccolini | ~88 |
Wednesday note (~90): the cold-build ciabatta keeps Wednesday off the ceiling. Pasta salad is now a single weekly appearance (Thursday converted to Caesar) — make it in the ~90, or buy deli and run ~75.
| Item | Where | Full-Scratch Reality | Mitigation (assigned, not optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braised short ribs | Wk 1 · Fri | 3–3.5 hr braise | Braise Thursday afternoon, oven-passive; Friday reheat gently in gravy. Flavor improves overnight. |
| Bolognese lasagna | Wk 3 · Mon | ~150+ min (sauce + assembly + 50-min bake) | Sauce and assembly day-before; Monday is bake-only. Alternate: convert to baked rigatoni Bolognese (−35 min) if day-before slot unavailable. |
| Turkey pot pie | Wk 2 · Thu | ~150 min full scratch | Filling made Tuesday (78-min day); topping purchased puff pastry or bake-off biscuit; Thursday assemble + bake. |
| Pot roast | Wk 3 · Fri | 3–4 hr braise | Braise Thursday, oven-passive alongside the gratin par-bake; Friday shred-slice and reheat gently in red wine pan gravy. |
| Potato gratin | Wk 3 · Fri | 20 min prep + 75-min bake | Par-bake Thursday, finish and brown Friday. |
| Scratch soup program | All weeks | Scratch soup ~22 min day-of | Two soups per week (Wks 1–3), zero Wk 4. Sunday base block ~20 min outside the weekday window (velouté/cream bases + aromatics, chilled <40°F); each soup is a 9-min finish on its service day. |
| Pulled barbecue pork | Wk 4 · Mon | 6+ hr low oven | Shoulder cooked Sunday or day-before, fully passive; Monday hands-on is shred and sauce only (~15 min). Mild sweet BBQ sauce: premium purchased, butter finish. |
| Beef filet Bolognese (sauce) | Wk 1 · Wed / Wk 4 · Fri | 90-min simmer | Passive, not hands-on: start at 5:00 sharp, build the rest of the day around it. No day-before needed. |
| Chicken & wild mushroom casserole | Wk 4 · Wed | Braise + assemble | Day-before braise Tuesday (standing policy); gentle reheat Wednesday. |
| Homemade pasta salad | Wk 4 · Wed | 25–30 min per batch | Single weekly appearance (Thu now Caesar). Make within Wednesday’s ~90, or buy quality deli (−25 min). Never twice-made in one week. |
| Where | Was | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 Tue dinner | Baked cod, lemon butter cream | Swordfish, lemon butter cream |
| Wk 3 Tue dinner | Haddock, sherry cream | Swordfish, sherry cream |
| Wk 1 Tue · Wk 2 Mon/Tue · Wk 3 Mon/Wed lunches & sides | Melon / sliced melon / soft grapes or melon | Grapes · orange slices · pineapple — melon removed everywhere |
| Wk 2 Thu · Wk 3 Fri breakfasts | Turkey bacon | Chicken sausage (via turkey sausage, superseded v1.21) |
| Wk 2 Fri lunch | Chicken, bacon & ranch wrap | Chicken & avocado ranch wrap — bacon removed |
| Wk 4 Mon lunch | Chicken bacon avocado wrap | Pulled barbecue pork on brioche, mild sweet BBQ sauce, Costco coleslaw — added per client request; bacon item eliminated |
| Wk 3 Fri dinner | Prime rib-style roast, au jus & horseradish cream | Pot roast, red wine pan gravy — braised Thursday, reheated in gravy Friday |
| All berry callouts | "Fresh berries" (unspecified) | Blueberry, strawberry, blackberry only — no raspberry |
| Wk 2 Fri breakfast | Breakfast rice bowl, soft egg, ham & scallions | Ham, egg & cheddar breakfast hash — nothing Asian, rice-bowl format removed |
| Wk 1 Tue · Wk 2 Mon/Wed · Wk 3 Tue · Wk 4 Mon dinners | Rice pilaf / herbed rice / buttered rice (5 dishes) | Roasted red potatoes (Wk 1 Tue, Wk 2 Wed) · roasted sweet potatoes (Wk 2 Mon, Wk 4 Mon) · roasted yams (Wk 3 Tue) — rice reduced from 7 dinner sides to 2 (à la King over rice, Wk 4 Tue pilaf) |
| Wk 1 Fri dinner | Creamy polenta (with short ribs) | Buttered egg noodles — all polenta removed cycle-wide |
| Two lunches per week, all four weeks | Wraps (15 of 20 lunches) | Converted to kaiser roll (Wk 1 roast beef, Wk 2 roast beef & onion, Wk 3 Philly beef; the Wk 4 meatball kaiser was later replaced — see below) and brioche bun (Wk 1 club, Wk 2 bison burger, Wk 3 ham & Gruyère, Wk 4 chicken salad) — wrap count reduced 15 → 7 |
| Wk 2 Mon dinner | Stuffed chicken breast (spinach & Comté), asparagus tips | Pan-seared chicken breast, spinach & Comté folded into the mushroom cream · broccoli florets — day drops ~107 → ~92, ceiling flag cleared |
| All soups, cycle-wide | 8 purchased premium soups, cream-finished | All soups scratch — Sunday base block + 9-min day-of finishes; buy list now carries no soups |
| Wk 2 Wed · Wk 3 Thu lunches | Rice pudding cups | All rice pudding removed — fresh fruit cup (Wk 2 Wed) · vanilla Greek yogurt cup with honey (Wk 3 Thu) |
| Soup count, Wks 1–3 | 14 soup appearances (4/5/5/0) | Two per week — Wk 1: potato leek, cream of mushroom · Wk 2: butternut squash, tomato bisque · Wk 3: potato leek, cream of chicken. Removed soups replaced with salads, fruit, cucumber salad; tomato rice removal also cuts another rice item. Wk 3 Fri drops off the ceiling (~102). |
| Wk 4 Wed lunch | Bison meatballs on kaiser, mild tomato cream | Turkey, avocado & sliced apple on classic ciabatta — Havarti, arugula, grainy mustard. Cold build; Wednesday drops ~105 → ~90, ceiling flag cleared |
| Wk 3 Mon breakfast | Poached eggs, light hollandaise | Soft scrambled eggs, multigrain toast — hollandaise dropped; Monday ~93 → ~80 |
| Wk 3 Wed dinner | Bison Salisbury steak, onion mushroom gravy | Prime New York strip, onion-mushroom pan gravy — pan-seared; Wednesday ~92 → ~88 |
| Wk 3 Thu dinner | Roasted zucchini (with chicken Marsala) | Buttered Savoy cabbage — time-neutral |
| Cycle-wide | Water-bath method callouts (NY strip, wild king salmon, green beans, pack rules) | Method references removed cycle-wide — conventional pan-sear, oven-bake, and blanch methods throughout; times unchanged |
| Wk 3 Mon breakfast | Soft scrambled eggs, plain | Soft scrambled eggs with Fontina Val d’Aosta — time-neutral |
| Wk 4 Wed dinner | Wild mushrooms, unspecified | Mushroom medley specified: shiitake, king trumpet, oyster — per client direction; nothing-Asian rule governs dishes and preparations, and this medley is served in the French-style cream casserole |
| All breakfasts, cycle-wide | Turkey sausage (5 appearances) | Chicken sausage — mild, no bacon products of any kind remain |
| All breakfast fruit, cycle-wide | Named berry pairs (blueberry/strawberry/blackberry) + berry compote | Seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry) — chef selects by market; compote becomes seasonal fruit compote |
| Soft fruit cup & soft fruit sides | Purchased soft fruit cup (Wk 1 Mon) + soft fruit sides | Seasonal fresh fruit, cut fresh in house — no melon, no raspberry |
| Wk 2 Mon lunch | Bison burger | Beef filet burger — ground filet/tenderloin trim, brioche bun, cheddar, mild burger sauce; time-neutral |
| Wk 1 Wed · Wk 4 Fri dinners | Bison Bolognese | Beef filet Bolognese — ground tenderloin trim; technique, simmer, and times unchanged. No bison remains in the cycle |
| All remaining fruit cups (Wk 1 Fri, Wk 2 Wed/Fri, Wk 3 Tue) | Purchased fruit cups | Seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house — no melon, no raspberry; fruit cups removed from buy list entirely |
| Wk 4 Thu lunch | Pasta salad (carried from Wednesday batch) | Side Caesar salad, mild purchased dressing — Thursday ~95 → ~100; pasta salad now a single weekly appearance |
| Wk 1 Thu · Wk 2 Mon lunches | Pickle spears | Deleted — no replacement; Wk 2 Mon keeps kettle chips |
| Wk 2 Mon dinner | Broccoli florets (was asparagus) | Deleted — plate is chicken breast, spinach & Comté mushroom cream, roasted sweet potatoes; Monday ~82 → ~78 |
| Wk 4 Mon dinner | Beef tips, mushroom gravy | Tenderloin beef tips, Pinot Noir red wine mushroom gravy — tenderloin tips join the ground-filet butcher order; time-neutral |
| Wk 1 Thu dinner | Chicken à la King over buttered rice, peas & carrots | Classic Chicken Divan, sherry Mornay & broccoli crowns — broccoli built into the dish; rice and peas & carrots removed; Thursday ~92 → ~80. Rice count now 2 (Wk 3 Tue pot pie over rice, Wk 4 Tue pilaf) |
| Cycle-wide | — | Nothing Asian — no soy, teriyaki, sesame, ginger sauces, stir-fry, or rice-bowl formats in any menu, sauce, or side; cuisine held to French/American/Italian technique |
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week One | ~91 | ~92 | ~95 | ~80 | ~87 | 80–95 |
| Week Two | ~78 | ~108 ▲ | ~96 | ~105 | ~99 | 78–108 |
| Week Three | ~80 | ~95 | ~88 | ~90 | ~102 | 80–102 |
| Week Four | ~85 | ~85 | ~90 | ~100 | ~88 | 85–100 |
All twenty days land inside the 90–110 window (Tuesday Wk 2 runs light by design and carries staging work for Thursday/Friday). ▲ marks days at or near ceiling — the relief valve on each is listed in its week's footnote. No day exceeds 110.
| Version | Date & Time (ET) | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0 | July 8, 2026 · 11:50 AM | Initial Cycle Two game plan built from Weeks 1–4 review: make-vs-buy policy, 90–110 min time budgets, extra-long register, dietary compliance (no melon, no raspberry, no bacon/turkey bacon, swordfish & salmon only). |
| v1.1 | July 8, 2026 · 12:30 PM | Nothing-Asian rule added cycle-wide; Wk 2 Fri breakfast rice bowl converted to ham, egg & cheddar hash. |
| v1.2 | July 8, 2026 · 12:33 PM | Wk 3 Fri prime rib-style roast replaced with pot roast (Thursday braise); pulled barbecue pork added Wk 4 Mon lunch with Costco coleslaw. |
| v1.3 | July 8, 2026 · 12:35 PM | Version control and date-time stamp added to cover, footer, and this revision history. |
| v1.4 | July 8, 2026 · 12:40 PM | Layout reformatted: each week now begins on its own page (one page per week; two if content overflows). |
| v1.5 | July 8, 2026 · 12:48 PM | Five rice dishes replaced with roasted red potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted yams; clears the Wk 3 Tue lunch/dinner rice collision and the Wk 4 Mon/Tue back-to-back rice dinners. Rice dinner sides reduced 7 → 2. |
| v1.6 | July 8, 2026 · 12:52 PM | All polenta removed. Wk 1 Fri short ribs now served over buttered egg noodles. |
| v1.7 | July 8, 2026 · 12:58 PM | Two wraps per week converted to kaiser rolls and brioche buns (8 conversions); wrap count reduced 15 → 7. Buns purchased; bread never pre-toasted rule applies. |
| v1.8 | July 8, 2026 · 1:03 PM | Wk 2 Mon dinner: stuffing deleted — pan-seared chicken breast with spinach & Comté mushroom cream; asparagus replaced with broccoli florets. Day ~107 → ~92; item removed from extra-long register. |
| v1.9 | July 8, 2026 · 1:12 PM | All soups converted to scratch. Sunday soup-base block added (~35 min, outside weekday window); every soup finishes in 9 min day-of. All day totals recomputed; every weekday still ≤ 110. Buy list no longer carries soups. |
| v1.10 | July 8, 2026 · 1:16 PM | All rice pudding removed (Wk 2 Wed, Wk 3 Thu) — replaced with fruit cup and vanilla Greek yogurt cup; dropped from buy list. Only remaining rice: à la King over rice (Wk 1 Thu), salmon pilaf (Wk 4 Tue), pot pie over rice (Wk 3 Tue lunch), tomato rice soup (Wk 3 Fri). |
| v1.11 | July 8, 2026 · 1:24 PM | Soups reduced to two per week (Wks 1–3; Wk 4 remains zero): 14 appearances → 6. Kept: potato leek ×2, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, butternut squash, tomato bisque. Sunday base block trimmed ~35 → ~20 min. Wk 3 Fri clears the ceiling (~102); tomato rice removal cuts rice count to 3. |
| v1.12 | July 8, 2026 · 1:28 PM | Weekly Time Summary moved to its own page. |
| v1.13 | July 8, 2026 · 1:33 PM | Wk 4 Wed lunch: bison meatball sandwich replaced with turkey, avocado & sliced apple on classic ciabatta (Havarti, arugula, grainy mustard). Wednesday ~105 → ~90; only one ceiling day remains (Wk 2 Tue). |
| v1.14 | July 8, 2026 · 1:37 PM | Wk 3 Mon breakfast: poached eggs with hollandaise replaced by soft scrambled eggs with multigrain toast. Monday ~93 → ~80. |
| v1.15 | July 8, 2026 · 1:41 PM | Wk 3 Wed dinner: bison Salisbury steak replaced with prime New York strip, onion-mushroom pan gravy (pan-seared). Wednesday ~92 → ~88. |
| v1.16 | July 8, 2026 · 1:44 PM | Wk 3 Thu dinner: roasted zucchini replaced with buttered Savoy cabbage (chicken Marsala plate). Time-neutral. |
| v1.17 | July 8, 2026 · 1:47 PM | Water-bath cooking references removed cycle-wide — replaced with pan-sear, oven-bake, and blanch-and-butter methods. No time impact. |
| v1.18 | July 8, 2026 · 1:52 PM | Document labeled CHEF’S VERSION on cover and in a running page header, with note that a Guest Version (menus only) is issued separately. |
| v1.19 | July 8, 2026 · 1:56 PM | Wk 3 Mon breakfast: Fontina Val d’Aosta added to the soft scrambled eggs. Time-neutral. |
| v1.20 | July 8, 2026 · 2:00 PM | Wk 4 Wed casserole: wild mushroom medley specified as shiitake, king trumpet & oyster per client direction. Time-neutral. |
| v1.21 | July 8, 2026 · 2:20 PM | All turkey sausage converted to chicken sausage cycle-wide (5 breakfast appearances). Dietary rule updated: bacon replacements are chicken sausage or ham. Time-neutral. |
| v1.22 | July 8, 2026 · 2:26 PM | All named berry garnishes and the berry compote converted to seasonal fresh fruit (no melon, no raspberry), chef’s market selection. Time-neutral. |
| v1.23 | July 8, 2026 · 2:31 PM | Soft fruit cup (Wk 1 Mon) and soft-fruit sides converted to seasonal fresh fruit, cut fresh in house. Purchased fruit cups elsewhere unchanged. Time impact negligible (~3 min cut, absorbed). |
| v1.24 | July 8, 2026 · 2:35 PM | Wk 2 Mon lunch: bison burger replaced with beef filet burger (ground tenderloin trim). Time-neutral. Remaining bison: Bolognese (Wk 1 Wed, Wk 4 Fri). |
| v1.25 | July 8, 2026 · 2:39 PM | Bison Bolognese converted to beef filet Bolognese (Wk 1 Wed pappardelle, Wk 4 Fri rigatoni, extra-long register). No bison remains anywhere in the cycle. Time-neutral. |
| v1.26 | July 8, 2026 · 2:43 PM | All four remaining purchased fruit cups converted to seasonal fresh fruit, cut in house; fruit cups removed from the buy list. All fruit in the cycle is now fresh-cut seasonal. ~3 min per appearance, absorbed — no day leaves its band. |
| v1.27 | July 8, 2026 · 2:47 PM | Bold operational note added: clearly label all menu items; take pictures and send to Morgan daily prior to delivery. |
| v1.28 | July 8, 2026 · 2:51 PM | Wk 4 Thu lunch: pasta salad replaced with side Caesar salad (mild purchased dressing). Thursday ~95 → ~100; Wednesday pasta salad now single-appearance with make-or-buy option. |
| v1.29 | July 8, 2026 · 2:56 PM | Chef’s Notes section added as the final page: staging map, ceiling watch, sourcing, fruit program, delivery protocol, Cycle Three seeds, and ruled space for handwritten notes. |
| v1.30 | July 8, 2026 · 3:00 PM | Pickle spears deleted from Wk 1 Thu and Wk 2 Mon lunches. Time-neutral. |
| v1.31 | July 8, 2026 · 3:04 PM | Wk 2 Mon dinner: broccoli florets deleted. Plate runs protein, sauce, and roasted sweet potatoes. Monday ~82 → ~78. |
| v1.32 | July 8, 2026 · 3:08 PM | Wk 4 Mon dinner: upgraded to tenderloin beef tips with Pinot Noir red wine mushroom gravy. Time-neutral (~85). Pinot Noir added to Wk 4 order; tips join the tenderloin butcher call. |
| v1.33 | July 8, 2026 · 3:13 PM | Wk 1 Thu dinner: chicken à la King replaced with Classic Chicken Divan, sherry Mornay & broccoli crowns. Rice and peas & carrots removed; Thursday ~92 → ~80 (bake passive alongside the short-rib braise). Rice count 3 → 2. |
Weekly staging map. Sunday: soup bases (~20 min) and, in Week 4, the pulled-pork shoulder (passive). Tuesday is the workhorse stage-day in Weeks 2 and 4 — pot pie filling (Wk 2), casserole braise (Wk 4). Thursday stages Friday in Weeks 1 and 3 — short-rib braise, pot-roast braise, gratin par-bake, all oven-passive alongside Thursday service. Never let a Friday inherit raw work.
Ceiling watch. One ▲ day remains: Week 2 Tuesday (~108), carrying its butternut finish plus the pot pie filling. Nothing gets added to that morning. Week 4 Thursday now runs ~100 with the Caesar swap — fine, but it is the second-heaviest day of that week; keep the pork tenderloin sequence tight.
Sourcing. Ground beef filet (tenderloin trim) for both Bolognese nights and the Wk 2 burger is a special order — call the butcher the Friday prior, or grind filet tails in house (~5 min, absorbed). Mushroom medley for the Wk 4 casserole: shiitake, king trumpet, oyster — client-approved on record. Swordfish center-cut 1" thick; wild king salmon only, never farmed for that plate.
Fruit program. All fruit is fresh-cut seasonal, selected at market — never melon, never raspberry; any berries limited to blueberry, strawberry, blackberry. Summer: stone fruit and berries. Fall: pears, grapes, citrus start. Cut morning-of, packed dry, below 40°F.
Delivery protocol. Clearly label every menu item. Photograph the completed pack and send to Morgan daily, prior to delivery — no exceptions. Sauces in 2-oz cups, gravies separate from protein, bread never pre-toasted.
Cycle Three seed thoughts. Rotation candidates that fit the rules and the 90–110 window: veal Marsala, chicken Français (lemon butter, no wine-forward finish), roasted pork loin with cider cream, shepherd’s pie (day-before assembly), swordfish au poivre (white pepper). Retire before repeat: any dish served twice this cycle.