SC - Feast Budgets

[LrdRas@aol.com]

Par Leijonhufvud wrote:
> > That's it, I'm moving to Meridies!
> 
> Hm, this is perhaps the time for culture-shock: here in Nordmark
> (Principality of, mundanely Sweden) a feast might run SKR 100 (at a
> generous 7.5 SKR/US$ this is over $13). But prices tend to be higher
> here (and a 25% sales tax doesn't help).

Regrettable, but true. I myself am generally allowed, or allow myself,
what some might consider a huge budget ($9-12, US, usually settling on
an even 10). But, site fees on the site I generally work out of are low
(read zero), and I usually spend almost all of the money that comes in
on food. I have made some judgment calls with regard to buying things
like beef from a wholesaler, where something like an eye round might run
$1.79 - $2 a pound. I have decided that the relative extravagance of
buying prime beef from a prime butcher, who will charge $2.50 - $3 for
that same pound of eye round, but who will also custom cut all the meat
I buy, season / marinate it if I wish, and throw in bones for the
stockpot (also custom cut), beef or pork fat (again, cut or ground as
requested), sausage casings, caul fat, and the occasional tray of veal
kidney or sweetbreads for free, is worth the extra money. (BTW: he also
usually includes a cup of coffee, a loaf ot two of semolina bread, and a
small assortment things like prosciutto, mortadella, etc., for the
kitchen staff to munch on, also gratis.) Certainly I have heard no
complaints. 

I really miss my produce man, who closed his little stall two years ago.
Arrangments were similar with him...

My goal has been to provide a meal that is viable as a good period
recreation, with a level of quality that meets or exceeds that of most
of the area restaurants, at a better price. All that being said, there
are times when I will try to keep the costs as low as possible, and
still produce what I consider a good feast for 5 or 6 bucks. It
generally means that my time is structured differently, and the feast is
therefore different, but just as good.

Adamantius
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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