[Ansteorra] Good idea Let us share info

[Michael Gunter]

>The one thing I still haven't been able to solve was my cooking over an 
>open
>fire not being period, was it my method or my equipment tsk tsk maybe I'll
>never know.
>Regina

Well, the spit you use isn't what is seen in the period woodcuts of camp
life. They were rather like sawhorses with various tools for leveling and
basting of foods and hooks on the legs for lesser spitting.

You cook with cast iron which wasn't invented yet. A proper camp kitchen
used ceramic, tin and forged metal cookware.

You aren't using the proper camp tools such as flesh hooks, skimmers, 
tasting
spoons, etc...
You don't pound your spices and rubs in a proper mortar and pestle.

The dishes you prepare aren't documented as being period.

See? You horrible modern person you! I'll bet you even sometimes rely on
that devil's tool.....the....(shudder!)....Co-Co--COLEMAN STOVE!

Basically, if someone really wants to be anal they can rip apart any attempt
at period. You perform a wonderful service for anyone in camp and I'd rather
have your wonderful cookware and spits in my camp roasting meats and
creating dinner than a coleman stove. One of the reasons we call this ugh,
The Dream (tm, pat pend) is that we don't adhere to strict recreation. We
ignore eyeglasses and obvious modern items like nylon tents. But we can
also take baby steps along the way and inspire others to become a little 
more
period.

Take cooking, since we are on the subject. It wasn't too long ago when a
"period feast' meant no tomatoes or potatoes. Now documented food is
on tourney feasts as often as not. People have discovered that period 
cuisine
actually tasted good. No, we don't cook in period kitchens but that doesn't
mean we can't have someone taste a period dish and have them get excited
about it.

The way you correct non-period behavior is to get the person excited about
the "right way" of doing it.

Gunthar