SC - potential problem foods

[marilyn traber]

IHi all from Anne-Marie

re: overspicing, Caitlin suggests its a matter of not cooking things long
enough to blend the flavors..,

could be. It is my experience that it is more likely a mistake in the
conversion of the recipe.

We test recipes in small batches, ie 6-8 servings, and then bulk them up for
160 or so at the banquet. Often, spices don't multiply out correctly. As a
general rule, I suggest that people start with 1/2 the bulked out amount, let
it cook for a bit then adjust as needed. I, as kitchen head, am always the
final word on when something is spiced correctly.

There's alos the matter of the differences between new spices (the stuff you
bought for the banquet) and old spices (the stuff you used from your home
cupboard when you tested out the recipe).

Both of these factors, along with helpful kitchen stafff who don't really
know what something is supposed to taste like, can contribute to badly spiced
food (and alas, to furthering the horrible lie that medieval food is all
nasty and wierd)

- --Anne-Marie
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