sca-cooks Re: intro

[Mark Schuldenfrei]

Uduido at aol.com wrote:
> Ah, I wish it were so esy! After cooking for 200 for several days ahead and
> all the time at an event before the feast, I have several well-meaning
> friends that insist on saving me a portion of everything that is served at a
> feast. When I go to the table and sit down for a change to smile and watch
> everyone eating. I am always faced with my feast sitting in front of me.
> 
> After being around it for so long, you can imagine that the last thing I want
> to do is actually eat it! How does one deal with this without being rude or
> appearing unappreciative?

I think you may be failing to give credit to folks' understanding of how
hard you have worked and how tired you are. I have had similar problems
with well-meaning people attempting to shove my own cooking into me, but
I have to put it in perspective of their intent. Under the
circumstances, they usually allow the cook (who, being an artist, can
sometimes be rude and have it labelled "eccentricity") a bit of slack.
So, tell them the truth, as politely as you can.

I generally say that I wouldn't dream of serving anything to my friends
unless I had tasted it and passed it for human consumption. They know my
standards are high. Over the course of the day, little tastes of ten or
twenty dishes, over various stages of preparation, add up.

So, now those gentles who know and love me (incredible, I know, but they
DO exist) are more likely to wrap up securely any such tidbits for me to
deal with another day, at home. Often I enjoy this after the event is
over, and I no longer see the food as a tangible symbol of hard work
and, sometimes,  frustration.

Hope this helps...

G. Tacitus Adamantius