SC - Bean experiments

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/19/98 6:39:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, ddfr at best.com
writes:

<< I think this is actually two questions--one is "what is the point" and the
 other is "is it worth the cost?" After all, there are lots of things which
 there is some point to doing,.....<snip>.... Whether, in a particular case,
that benefit is worth costs such as an extra few hours of driving, is up to
each cook to
 decide.
 
 David/Cariadoc >>

Well said, your Grace. Cookery, as with any hobby, can be a casual activity or
, for some, a passioned avocation with many levels of involvement in between.
The deciding factor in SCA cooking regarding substitutions of ingredients
hinges on what purpose a particular dish is to be used for as well as other
factors.. 

For example, is the recipe being prepared for personal use, a family dinner,
a household feed, an A&S competition or an authentic period feast? What level
of creativity are the diners expecting? Is the cook competent enough to
substitute efectively without compromising the basic integrity of the original
recipe? Will the resulting dish be billed as 'authentic' or will the feasters
be made aware of the deviation from the original ingredients?

Clearly experimenting with recipes and creating new oral delights is a natural
step if a person has  an interest in cookery which is a good thing. And many
tasty variations can be  had by experimenting with period recipes. Indeed,
such creative urge is an asset which should not be stifled in the budding
cook. 

The difficulty is in whether the resulting dish can be justified as 'period'.
If a group is donated 100 lbs. of green beans, common courtesy dictates their
use. Including them as a substitute in a period recipe for beans, would be the
logical path to take. Billing the recipe as 'period', however, would be
deceptive.

Ras

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