[Ansteorra] General Event Question

[Stefan li Rous]

On Aug 17, 2010, at 3:36 PM, Elizabeth Crouchet wrote:

> Though I have a lot of dietary issues so I rarely eat the food served at a
> feast, I do so enjoy a big sit down feast!

Although it seems to be common in Ansteorra that you can eat among those who paid for the feast, even if you don't purchase the feast, in many parts of the Known World, you must buy the feast in order to sit with the feasters. Usually because the halls are barely big enough to accommodate those who have paid for the feast without trying to crowd in others. In other places, those eating off-board have to sit in a special section. This because the food is portioned out for tables of eight people (or whatever) and it is difficult to handle when there are tables of two feasters here and five there, etc.

> I always assume that if there is no feast that all the good parts of the
> event are over once people bail out to the restaurants. It usually turns out
> that way.

I have generally found that the events held at Canton (Steppes Warlord, Ansteorran 25th Year) to be the exception to this.

> And those pot luck, bring your own and join us all in one feast area feasts
> sound great but I have never seen one pan out. I am often the only one that
> shows up for them.

I think you must be speaking of an 'informal' type pot luck rather than one organized by the event people, right?

There are pros and cons to pot lucks in general. They're not period, but they do let folks try to cook some period-style dishes without having to cook for several hundred people. If not done right though, the first third of the people get lots of good food, the second third in line get some of the good food but get filled up and the last third don't get any of the good foods and they may not get much to eat at all. 

There are some good ways around these problems. See this file for some suggestions and experiences that have worked.
pot-luck-fsts-msg (20K) 7/16/02 Handling 'pot luck' feasts in the SCA.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FEASTS/pot-luck-fsts-msg.html

> I do like to see more period foods in the feast but in the end the overall
> feast should be edible, filling and good. I never complain if there is one
> really weird, period and almost inedible dish in the whole meal. That means
> it was an adventure, just so long as I did get to eat a full meal, anyway.

Agreed. I have had both good and bad food at feasts. It seldom has to do whether it is period food or not, but rather with how good the cooks are. And often it is more important how good an organizer the headcook is, and how good they are logistics, than how good a cook they are.

> I usually bring my own food, eat while tables are being set, then help
> serve. It is much fun.

Since I enjoy sitting and talking with folks, especially folks I don't usually see or who are new to the SCA, during feasts, that is one reason I often don't serve them. Maybe I should though.

> Claire

Stefan

--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****