SC - coffe and tea at events

[Ron Martino Jr]

Haifuku!

> >       During this discussion, which started with beverages at events,
> > I have
> > seen folk (not necessarily you) argue that if they could not afford
> > (in
> > time and/or money) a historical solution to a problem, then a
> > nonperiod
> > one should be acceptable.
> That depends on the substitution. I find a cornish game hen a perfectly
> acceptable substitute for squab,  but I do not consider substituting
> Wonder (tm) bread for barley loaves acceptable.
> Secondly I think that you must make some compromises with regard to
> ingredients and especially technique.  I find it inconceivable that many
> halls allow us to build a central fire hearth, or beehive ovens.  So I
> think that some compromise is acceptable in ingredients, as well, as
> long as the spirit and flavor of the original recipe is what is aimed
> for, and not an excuse to rename "Ding Dongs" "Travel Cakes" and serve
> them forth, just because you like Ding Dongs.

	Sigh. I am obviously not getting my point across. I had no intention of
advocating Wonder Bread, Ding Dongs, or other non-period substitutions
for authentic foods. I was saying that some folk (not me) had previously
argued for acceptance of non-period items, though not to the extent of
your example.
 
> >  Similarly, it is not necessary to have some replacement beyond
> > water for period drinks.

> Except for the very real fact that I can recall no HIGH FEAST (what we
> ostensibly try to re-create) where water was served.
> Barley wines, Meads, small beers, grape wines (plain, diluted, mixed
> with juice, spiced, fortified), etc., are noted aplenty, but I do not
> recall even a single instance of plain, unflavored, unscented, WATER
> being served at table.
> 
> Brandu

	So. Up to this point the discussion has been about the use of coffee
and tea at events, and the alternative of using period beverages
instead. Some have argued that they lack the money or time to use these
authentic solutions, to the point of shooting down any suggestion that
there may be cheaper or less labor intensive ways of providing period
beverages. I understood your previous post to be on the side of
supporting non-period solutions since you could not provide period ones.
I responded that I felt it would be better to use authentic beverages or
dishes that you /could/ afford, rather than non-period ones.

	Some folk have argued that they can not afford to provide specific
period drinks due to a lack of time or money. Perhaps they will be able
to supply barley wine, mead, grape wine, etc. etc. and perhaps not. I
made the suggestion of using water as one /possibility/ of an
affordable, know-to-be-available solution. Certainly there are others.
My point was not to champion any specific answer, but to suggest that if
those solutions provided up until now are not possible due to individual
limitations, then I think it would be better to find /something/ we know
they had, rather than using ingredients or recipes we know they did not.

	Clear as mud?

	Yumitori
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