ANST - Feast regulations?

[maddie teller-kook]

There are no real 'rules' concerning putting a feast together.  I have seen
feasts range from purely modern food to completely documentable period feast
and much in between.  I can tell you what my rules of thumb are when I put
my feast menu together.

FIrst, I try to blend the feast into the theme of the event (if there is
one).  In other words, If the event has an Italian renaissance theme, i will
do foods from that time period.
 I also use documentable recipes when they are available.  They are not for
some time periods and cultures. Early Irish is one that does not have any
cook books in writing.  Most of the information on food is gleaned from
archeological journal articles on what foods were available but no
information on exactly how they were cooked... so.... perio-oid recipes
(these recipes may be ethnic recipes that are adapted to the what we know
was available).

As for serving feasts from mixed cultures... there is no historic data to
back this up.. BUT, some of the most interesting feasts have been done this
way. I have seen feasts based on Marco polo's journey into china ..... each
course from one of the places he visited... for example... an Italian
course, then a Chinese course and then a Persian course....and there have
been others.  I guess in a nut shell... the feast is up to the feastocrat.
only restrictions are the budget, time constraints and available facilities
and equipment.

in service...

Meadhbh
(who hopes she hasn't rambled too much)

 Original Message -----
From: Crescentia _ <crescentia3 at hotmail.com>
To: <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>
Sent: Saturday, February 27, 1999 7:11 PM
Subject: ANST - Feast regulations?


>The tofu talk has made me curious in a related issue.  Say,
>hypothetically speaking, a Feastocrat decided to serve some form of tofu
>dish because tofu is undoubtedly period in certain geographical regions.
>Now, would that make the rest of the feast have to revolve around that
>time period/geographical location?  What exactly are the stated
>guidelines for planning an event's feast?  Is it merely accepted form,
>or is it a rule, to take a region and a time period and serve something
>that might have been served then?  Say, instead, you wanted to serve a
>13th c. Spanish feast, and include tofu as a part of it.  Can you say,
>"Well, it's possible--" (and perhaps make up a story of a cousin who
>traveled to a far-off place and came back with soybeans and a tofu
>recipe) or do you have to actually have documentation about the
>recipes/ingredients used; or at least get respectably close to what
>would have been fixed? Or is it done for continuity; or is it merely
>something to do to prevent nits from being picked? ^_^
>
>-Crescentia
>
>
>>>
>>so, the silk road existed from before christ to the present, tofu was
>>invented some where from 618ad to 906ad, and marco polo was in china
>>from 1280 to 1295. that much is clear. but does any one know for sure
>>when tofu was introduced to the west? it may or may not be period. you
>>may want to go with tofu until some one can prove it isn't period. but
>>then, if it's for health, personal, or whar ever reasons, use it. if
>>people complain about it, explain your reasons why you use tofu. if
>they
>>still complain, you'll have to decide who you want to listen to. them
>or
>>your self. choose wisely.
>>km
>
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