SC - Modern Myths-period

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-10-01 12:57:11 EDT, you write:

<< and since I collect cookbooks, many of the ones I have use spices
frequently, and the European and Aisian cookbooks use spices heavily...what's
yer point?>>

I also collect cookery manuals (300+ and growing :-)) I do NOT consider
either European food or Asian food particlarly "heavily" spiced. They do use
a large variety of flavors in one dish tho'.Some cuisines  like Thai food are
relatively speaking very picuant but the use of one particular spice that was
not period anyway does not an example make. :-)
 
 <<I am not sure what you call 'ethinic' foods...>>

Cookery characterizing a particular nationalistic group such as Thai,
Chinese, Greek, Hungarian, German, Middle Eastern, African as opposed to
regional cookery such as Creole, Pennslvania Dutch
 
<<...<snip>... NOT hot, but full of spices [cinnamon, nutmet, etc.] hot is
hot is hot....  I grew up on French Creole and Low Country Carolina
foods...ALL contian ooodles of spices. What one has to remember that is that
this country is a melting pot....
 when one writes a cookbook, one hopes to sell that book.  In picking recipes
 authors tend to go for a broad audience.>>

I fail to see the relevance of this part of the argument. :-(

<<NOW, if you want to see what America reallye eats, go buy the local
cookbooks of church groups, jr league etc....those are the recipes those good
ladies use on a
 daily basis...and some of the best you can find...>>

I agree that these are excellent examples of some of the finest common
cuisine in the "American" tradition but once again I am not grasping at what
this has to do with the subject of Middle Ages spicery. The ladies you
mention use these recipes for picnics, family gathering and bring a dish to
pass not for inclusion Medieval style feasts. And yes, for American food , I
would tend to agree that is is probably the best you can find.

 <<There are many ways to take advantage of todays conveniences and still
 make meals from 'scratch' . Unfortunately there are some who haven't a clue
as to how to do this...>>

We are in total agreement here. :-).
 
<< now about that over spiced period feast....most of the time it iis....
 spices should add to the flavor not knock one down...
 and many poor feastcrats go into the pit thinking that cooking for 150
people
 [or more] is just going to be the most fun thing...there is a whole world of
 difference in making dinner for a family and making sure 200 pounds of pork
roast
 comes out perfect gets served on time and still warm.
 I still remember the hockey pucks [er chicken breasts] that came out 20
mites
 ahead of the frozen angel hair pasta.........>>

I truly wish you could attend one Of Lady Aiofe's , Master Adamantius', Lord
Valerio's, Viscountess Judith's, my own or any number of excellent cooks who
ALWAYS serve a feast that can only be called wonderful. Your entire outlook
 on period food would be forever changed for the better. My sympathies go out
to you for your bad experiences. :-(
 
 <<I think one of the most thankless tasks in the Society is that of
Feastcrat.
 If the meal is not perfect than we gripe...but not realize that the poor
person in
 teh kitchen may have never had the experience, to just get the darn meal on
the
 table is a feat unto itself....
 aine  >>

Perhaps. Depends on where you live. Here cooks are appreciated for the most
part. And, IMHO, to allow an unexperienced person to be in charge of the
feast is totally irresponsible on the part of the autocrat and the sponsoring
shire. We always find out who would be interested in doing a future feast and
appoint them to co-feastocrat at least one or two events with an experienced
cook before handing over the reigns to the kitchen. Preparing menus, finding
tasty
period recipes,organizing a kitchen staff, and being personally responsible
for 750 to 1000 dollars in budget outlay is not something for the
unexperienced.


Lord Ras
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