SC - The siege cook challenge.

[Mark Schuldenfrei]

Mark Schuldenfrei wrote:

> I'd like to echo Adamantius sentiment: how can we get the rest of you to
> come out and play?
> 
>         Tibor

What I asked Tibor was if he thought perhaps the scenario was a bit
intimidating for some folks. I gathered from some of the sideways
references that people would be happy to listen to what other people had
to say, while not necessarily contributing directly.

I have an alternative proposal: How would it be if the larder and pantry
were well stocked, and you were the cook, and you had to make one dish?
What would it be? 

Suppose, for instance, dinner was almost ready, and all the household
cooks, except for you, were involved in the preparation of it. The
master cook suddenly comes to you and says, "The steward has just
informed me that four extra guests have just arrived. Dinner is almost
ready, but it will go on for a couple of hours. Start cooking one dish
now, so there will be enough food for all the guests without skimping,
and it will be ready when we want to serve it in two hours."

This is probably a rather unrealistic scenario, but perhaps it makes a
good jumping-off place. If it proves to be too easy, we can make it
tougher next time, if folks want that.

So, my suggestion is this: You are you, whoever, whereever, and whenever
that may be. Lady Katerine  chose to be an obviously English cook from,
approximately, the 14th century, although she was working in Savoy. I
was A Generic Medieval Cook, also 14th century, relying on some English
and some French sources. I figured that since the English gentry of the
time would be, for the most part, still similar to their Norman
counterparts, the food of Norman England and France would have a lot in
common. Of course, Savoy is a long way from Normandy, but I don't have a
copy of, or a memorized working familiarity with, Chiquart, who is the
only source of Savoyard cuisine I know. It just happens that the 14th
century is when a lot of European cookbooks appear for the first time.
You could decide to be 16th century German, for all that it matters.

This could prove to be helpful in getting to know who your persona
really is, in trying to determine what you would have eaten in your
native, period, non-SCA setting. 

People are certainly welcome to suggest refinements on this idea: I just
want to know what game people are comfortable playing.

It's a beautiful day! C'mon out!

Adamantius


______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================