[Ansteorra] Thanks to a great crew

[Richard Threlkeld]

I recently had the honor to work with a talented and fun group of friends to create a feast to remember, Steppes 12th Night 2018.  I decided to cook dishes from "The Opera of Bartholomeo Scappi" a late 1500's chef to two popes. Honorable Lord Guyon Depre helped create a menu from the dishes and we costed it to fit in the budget.

Period recipes rarely give more than a short description and a list of ingredients, so we examined similar recipes from other SCA and modern cooks to select the best ways to make each dish. The Elfsea Cooks' Guild made and consumed many menu items and gave us advice. Thanks to each of them.

Her Excellency KerMegan of Taransay (Pyro) made bread, ran innumerable errands, made the rib marinade, vacuum packed the ribs in it, and washed up after all our trials. Without her efforts, the feast would have been a 20th Night celebration.

HL Guyon, Capten Rhys, HE KerMegan, Lady Kawamoto Aotaro Torakageo, and I all made homemade fettuccine (20 lbs) and homemade ravioli (560 squares) for days. The ravioli required cooking and shredding much chicken.

When we found the site had a catering kitchen suitable for warming and plating food we realized we would have to bring most of a kitchen with us and set up in the parking lot. So HL Guyon, Capten Rhys, HE KerMegan, Ldy Kawamoto, Lord Conor Dupre, and I loaded a large amount of equipment and food into HL Guyon's trailer and drove to the site where, of course, the same crew had to unload and assemble the kitchen.

All the vegetables were cleaned, parboiled, and some subsequently roasted in our outside kitchen. Lady Gwennllyan verch Wilkin had joined us by then and worked tirelessly. We carried at least 100 gallons of water from the inside kitchen, up the stairs, into the outside kitchen. All the food had to be carted in, put in refrigeration, carted out to be cooked, carted back to the warmers, then served. Mistress Adriana Lorelle had agreed to be our Server Wrangler on late notice, but she is a skilled cook too and jumped in.

Sir Arthur of the Fen and Ld Connor chopped onions, cut bread, sectioned oranges, halved grapes, shredded ribs, and did whatever else needed doing. Ldy Kawamoto and Ldy Gwennllyan made risotto, poached pears, and made Alfredo sauce. HE KerMegan kept washing all the dishes like a mad-woman between courses so we could reuse them.

HL Ian the Green and Lady Hroswitha von Lippe worked in the kitchen but had to leave early without eating any of the feast.

HL Guyon, with occasional help from me, Ld Connor, and Capten Rhys ran 7 Cajun Cookers and two large griddles to cook most of the food. I think he was an Octopus in a prior life. Pretty much everyone helped with the short ribs (beef).

Ms Adriana, between cutting, cooking, and arranging, recruited servers, determined the best ways to deploy each dish, and made the magic look fairly effortless.

Two wonderful gentlemen helped wash up after the feast. Unfortunately, I did not get their SCA names. And several nice people helped carry our kitchen back upstairs where HL Guyon, Ld Connor, and Capten Rhys reloaded it into the trailer and unloaded it at my home the next day.

Finally, Anne House was the most helpful and useful Steward I could ask for.

Thanks to the best crew ever!

Master Caelin on Andrede