SC - Re: A couple questions . . .

[Decker, Terry D.]

>  I have a couple questions:
>	1) I have a marvelous recipe for Barley-Mushroom Risotto taht while it is
>from a modern source seems *perfectly* Period.  How can I introduce this ??
> The ingredients are all found within other recipes (barley, 'shrooms,
>onion, allspice,broth)  and the cooking method also (slow simmering, adding
>broth as absorbed)

What you have here is a barley frumenty with mushrooms and spices.  I
would be willing to serve it at a feast, as it would be the kind of dish
a cook would be expected to create without reference to recipes.  If I
were in competition ar trying to be total authentic, I would either
avoid it or document its relationship to similar dishes (I would
probably also ignore the recipe and create my version of the dish with
my choice of spices).

<deleted> 
>	3) What about subsitutions?   I am in the midst of gathering recipes for a
>killer menu for Crown Tourney this next weekend,  and I was thinking about
>the "Strawberye" but using cherries and Kirschwasser instead ('coz I have
>cherries) 

My personal opinion would be go for it.  Substitutions are how new
dishes are often created.  Kirshwasser is cherry brandy and is late
period if I remember correctly.  I might; however, go 50/50 Kirschwasser
and water as I seem to remember that period distillation produced 40 to
50 proof spirits.

>	How adventurous is a "newbie" allowed to be without offending the
>Authenticity Mavens or being sniffed at as OOP?   I don't have access to a
>regular group, being in the nether regions of Artemesia, so I am relying on
>you Good Gentiles to guide me before I make a grand Faux Pas at
>competitions or impress people the wrong way. 

I don't know Artemisia, so you will need to depend on local talent for
guidance.  You have also asked a question whose answers  depends on
personal views.  My opinions are:

I've seldom seen people complain about a properly prepared feast.
Feasts are industrial cooking under trying circumstances and sometimes
you have to settle for medievalish.  Understand what the trade-offs were
and be prepared to discuss them.  The ultimate goal is to produce a
satisfying and completely authentic feast.

When the goal is absolute authenticity, you need to be able to document
the recipe, prepare a redaction, and produce a palatable dish.

When the goal is creative authenticity, you need to document the
original recipe, prepare a redaction, document your changes, and produce
a palatable dish.

If I can't eat it, I probably did something wrong, no matter how
authentic the recipe (I may not like it, but that's another matter).
>
<deleted>
>	Thank you all for your attention
>	Caointiarn
>Who believes that Cooking, like Love is to be entered into with abandon, or
>not at all.

Bon Chance
Bear
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