ANST - new thread on food & drink ... the old one was out a bit to long

[j'lynn yeates]

On 9 Sep 98, at 19:37, Decker, Terry D. wrote:

> Sorry.  I was considering the application of ethno-genetic norms to the
> SCA bunk, not the problem which is very real.  The SCA is culturally and
> genetically eclectic.  The ethnic and genetic differences apply only to
> the individual in the context of the SCA.  In addition, the SCA has a
> relatively high educational average which usually translates to a
> willingness to experiment.

not a problem ... sometimes it takes a bit of explaining to get full meaning 
through the aether of net communications ...
 
> My opinion is that much of the SCA suffers from aversion therapy to
> inedible meals produced by idiots who justify it by saying, "oh, but it's
> period."  I avoid many feasts from previous experience, so I suspect most
> people use the excuse "medieval food is yucky" to avoid telling people
> they are bad cooks.

probablt too true ... it's not a new phenomena, this one got burned out on 
the same "bad feast experiences" 10-15 years back.  learned to always 
pack a backup meal.  you know it's a really bad feast when you start 
thinking about breaking out the emergency MRE's that you keep stashed in 
the truck.

> "Replica" meal, that sounds like something made out of plastic, which
> certainly would send me home in gastric distress.  

ahhh, "something plastic" ... as in anything with a velveeta base (g)
 
> I am concerned that you have left supposedly period feasts in distress. 
> It gives those of us who prepare medieval dishes a bad name.  

dun'na get me wrong, while i've had some *disaster* meals (in this kingdom 
and several others over the last almost 25 years) there have been some 
marvelously good ones.  

> If the distress was gastric, it is likely the problem is "food
> poisoning" or an intolerance to one of the ingredients.  

i'm sure it was mild food poisioning in several cases ... no drinking so that 
wasn't a component.  some not-so-fond memories of trying to find a out of 
the way place to be privately ill in ... and vowing *never* to eat the food 
again (g) - all while listening to the next couple of trees similarly occupied.  
and funny how the cooks responsible made themselves really scarce the 
next day ..... (++g) 

ah well, you pay your dues, you take your chances ...

> My personal experience with these problems is limited, although I hear
> they exist.  I found a number of foods I disliked (smile and eat it for
> courtesy's sake), but very little my system couldn't handle (I don't even
> mind a good kim chee, especially with beef bulgogi).

ahhhh bulgogi (yum) .... one of my favorite "after clubbing" (as in dancing / 
live music) is a nice chunk of "raw" sirloin that's fresh from the fridge and 
the lime/garlic/soy/habinero marinade ... many a pleasant night sitting out 
front *late* ripping semi-raw beef-flesh and chasing it with warm guiness 
(great recovery food) - sharing with the current female-type companion 
(learned a long time ago that a solid relationship has to be based on many 
shared comonalities - food, drink, music are all prime) 

> A fine way to eat meat, though I do like a little salt and pepper.  I also
> like properly marinated meats, some wine sauces, and especially pepper
> cream sauce (which is not period unfortunately).

not big on standard salt ... have always prefer soy.  another decent addition 
- quality horseradish, the more fiery the better (period in western cultures 
???).  though i do love black peppers of all kinds (even if they are not the 
best for ones health ... something i learned last spring to my surprise)
 
> As for the game processing recipes, the people who wrote them down were
> not the ones who did the work, just like a number of cooking recipes. 
> I've met a Jaegermeister whose family has been doing it for at least five
> centuries with the butchering techniques being handed down from father to
> son.   

fun-o-fun ... slaughtered and dressed my share of cattle for the freezer 
when growing up and used to love hunting for venison.  killing and 
processing a food animal gives one a much better perspective about the 
necessary cycles of death & life.  i do wonder if animal flesh would be such 
a dietary staple in this culture if the consumers had to at least once in their 
lives process their food from living animal to the table.  would probbaly do 
wonders for moderating our societies diet into a more sensible manner. 
while i do *love* red meat and animal flesh of all kinds, i try to ration it in 
my diet for health reasons (heavy consumer of beans, rice, whole grains, 
vegitables, and fruits) 

> > and they call me a barbarian!  kimchee is a true food of the gods.  i'm
> > sure that it's a favored feast food in the halls of Valhalla!  can think
> > of few foods better for winter.
> > 
> I know better than to argue with an addict.

actually, i learned to love it by linking up with the Sikh's at a ashram near 
my house in Houston in the late 70's (their version was *awesome*, have 
yet to find it's like) .... they figured anyone into chain-mail (wore it on my 
riding jacket) was enough like them to be made friend of the clann (traded 
chain mail making instruction for yoga lessons).

have had no luck finding any locally in the stores (even the oriental markets 
that i frequent) that was edible, so think i'll put up three-four batches this 
fall / winter and see if i can work up a decent recipe or two
 
> > true ... but my experience has been more "fun" with the "looser" events
> > than the more highly orchistrated ones.  when things started getting
> > more "produced", i noted a lot of my cynn (and later self) drifting off
> > to do other things.  always thought it would be better if there were
> > more of a balance  between the "high" and "low" events to give everyone
> > a option .... and provide a wider range of options to attract and keep a 
> > more diverse populace base.
> > 
> I won't disagree.  Most high persona events get boring because the
> populace is not in the action.  When ever you get a set piece pomposity
> going, it's a mess.  The problem is not with the highness or lowness of
> the event, but that many people are forced to be spectators rather than
> participants.  

agreed ... though when those set pieces of pomposity start failing, they can 
be hilarious and well worth the price of admission.  i guess the secret is to 
realize when things start getting to that point, it's time to step out of the 
scene, pull up a chair, open a beer, and watch the comedy unfold and be 
entertained by the actors ....

one of my sore spots is when people start attempting to force their views of 
how things should be done while disregarding my opinions (equally valid in 
all cases ...) on the matters at hand.  have always considered it good form 
to allow people to be as they will as long as they don't attempt to impose 
themselves on one, though *always* happy to speak my mind, trade 
opinions and personal viewpoints (traits that have always made me so very 
popular ... ++grin)

"the emperor is naked" , pass it on ....
 
> My first feast was at a local, but high persona event, an Althing.  I
> organized the entertainment for the feast around the reciting of Kipling's
> series of poems beginning with The River's Tale.  I used a Viking horn to
> announce the courses, got the people quieted down, and continued the
> entertainment while preping the next course.  After dinner, we reveled,
> drank, played music, sang, drank, danced and drank (I was younger then and
> imbibed mightily).  Great event, minimal court by the Baroness.  

to this day, my most memorable feast was at my first event - Steppes 
Warlord I ... it was a simple shared potluck spread on a blanket on the 
ground.  to this date, none have passed it in quality.  also learned a valued 
lesson .. sca types like to drink and share, and you are likely to over 
indulge unless careful ... some of my treasured photo's are from that period 
when many notables were just starting and tended to get el-blotto 
(remember dragging a current duke, and a couple of now & ex knights by 
their feet off of a main trail and out of the rain & mud under a tarp and 
tossing a blanket over them ...)
 
> I'm not sure how to change things for the better, so I get my enjoyment
> from cooking, historical research, and partying with my friends.

in the words of one of primary mentors, "follow your bliss" and people will 
tend to follow you because of it

'wolf


... When we hunt, we all function with one mind
... - Boingo, Pedestrian Wolves
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