sca-cooks Creativity

[Sue Wensel]

> 
> I never was asking about including modern dishes - I'm not "childish"
> (as another poster insinuated) with my food tastes - I dove into my
> first turnip/parsnip dish last night and loved it. I was asking about
> the historical problem of 1) when did "new world" foods, including corn,
> chocolate, and squashes get over to Europe, and 2) how were they
> accepted into the diets of different members of Europe and its castes?
> 

A perfectly acceptable question for a learning/discussion forum such as this.


 
> I bet you'll find it amazing that I agree with you.. but I do believe a
> balance must be struck between plausible medieval dishes, that is,
> dishes of quasi-medieval nature prepared in a medieval way, and those
> that are truely authentic that everyone at a feast will turn their nose
> up at. Educating 150 feasters would be wonderful, but I'd also like to
> feed them. The menu for my upcoming feast (<plug type=shameless>
> Panteria II, in north-central Vermont </plug>) is all very easy,
> tasteful medieval dishes that try to be faithful, a few dishes that are
> 90% authentic, and some that are probable pretty modern, but are
> prepared in a "medieval" fashion. My shire finds that acceptable and
> edible.

I have the same philosophy that feeding people is more important than creating a
perfectly period piece of art.  In fact one of my favorite pasttimes is looking
at modern recipes and going "How can I make this Medieval?".  I don't use the
obvious out of period ingredients and I make sure everything has the right "feel".
I have now been using mainly period dishes but I still make exceptions depending
upon the type of feast I'm serving.  Do not dispair, you are not alone.

> 
> So I do agree with you, and also need to apologize _yet again_ for
> opening a debate that has obviously been going on for some time, with
> some bad feelings still floating around. I would ask, however, that I
> never again recieve the nasty, spite-filled mail that I did receive on
> this issue - I simply posed a historical question and wold have liked to
> have recieved a knowledgable answer rather than the diatribes I did
> receive. To those that posted, sent privately, or pointed me in a
> direction positive sources of _real_ info rather than a position paper,
> my thanks.
> 
> -Eogan of the Open Kitchen-
> 
> -- 
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-		
> 	      jeffm at genghis.com
>     http://luna.genghis.com/jeff/index.htm
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> 

I apologize that you recieved some nasty mail.  Please remember that cooks are 
artists and therefore passionate about thier art.  A warning to the subscribers
on this list:  This list is for the intelligent discussion and education of the
culinary and historical aspects of the Society.  Insults, flames, or behavior that
is outside the bounds of reasoned argument will not be tolerated.

Let's play nice, kids.

Yers,

Gunthar
List Administrator