SC - A Real Siege Cook Challenge

[S. Noss]

Mark Schuldenfrei wrote:

> As I'd alluded: making a list of period ingredients (from memory) and trying
> to keep it within a reasonable region, and not dictate the recipes, was
> ROUGH.  And very edifying.

I'm sure. I was afraid if I was the only person who responded, I'd be
asked to do that. Uff-dah! You essentially have to put yourself
completely in persona, in period, and look back through a sort of
crystal ball, and see what you might find around you. Not everyone can
do that very well, which is why my response was more or less out of
persona.
> 
> That was one of the two reasons I wrote so many "cook's choice" items into
> the list.  The other reason was that with the presence or absence of just
> ONE ingredient, you can change the entire menu.

Oh, yeah!  I realized later, and said to myself, "Hey, jerk! Three
pounds of unshelled almonds works out to about 1 1/2 pounds shelled.
There goes the subtlety!"
 
> I'd urge everyone to try and think about what sort of list YOU could make:
> one that didn't contain anything foolish, and which doesn't constrain the
> cook too much (everyone makes Blanc Mange) and yet is narrow enough to
> challenge.

Naw, I was gonna make Mortrews with the pork, some chix stock, and some
breadcrumbs, but I couldn't think of anyone who could face that on a
July afternoon...
 
> It was hard. I'm very glad for the feedback.

You realize, of course, you may have invented a role-playing game. Keeps
and Kitchens? Roll a dice to determine you have a palate of 8, but knife
skills of 10. My character is the crafty steward... . (I have never
played a role-playing game in my life, which you can probably tell.)
 
> Actually, another fun exercise, that I thought about a few years ago: take a
> modern recipe that is "period compatible" and reverse it into a period style
> recipe, without going too crazy.
> 
> I'm rambling and disconnected today.... (too much cold medicine: I'm sick as
> a dog).  

I wondered what had happened to you on deadline day...I hope you feel
better!

> Did anyone else catch the "humorous" article in the latest Serve It
> Forth?  The one from Baron Steffan and Countess Elspeth, that was a spoof on
> fast food?  The original article appeared in "Not Necessarily The
> Pikestaff", and Eastern fundraiser that spoofed our newsletter.  Both
> versions are very funny.
> 
> The article attempts to falsify period documents and notes for a Burger,
> Fries and Strawberry Shake, in a period style.  I exploded when I read about
> the BurgerKoenigsMuseum.  (:-)

Some time I'll look for Master Richard the Poor's challenge to the Known
World's Cooks to redact his period receipt for To Make A Floffer Notter.
Probably along similar lines.

Adamantius
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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