sca-cooks Re: End of the Feast

[Philip W. Troy]

	I am Baroness Mistress Ceridwen o Cahercommaun (OL) from Trimaris. I
started in the East Kingdom as Ceridwen of Erehwon in 1987. I have cooked in
and out of the SCA for about 15 years and would just have loved it if my
Laurel had been in cooking (Costuming and Domestic Sciences instead). I
welcome any and all comments, would love to share recipes redacted from
period sources, and share newly found sources.
	A thread has been heating up on my other listserver and I would like
to ask you all your opinions. The discussion is on "yeast", for brewing and
baking. The argument seems to be split between those who believe that
"yeast" was unknown in period and therefore should not be used in any
authentic period cooking, baking or brewing. The other side is that although
folks in period did not neccessarily call their leavening "yeast" we know
now that most starters work because wild yeasts have taken up residence in
them, and that therefore to ensure a quality product for SCA consumption it
would not be a leap of logic to use packaged yeast for baking and brewing.
Comments?
thanks
Ceridwen