SC - Food Habits of the Middle Ages Research

[Connie Landis]

Actually, kat,

 while I see your point, period type-stuff is frequently either cost
effective or less expensive than a lot of modern stuff. Take leather, as an
example. I can buy 22 square feet of good tooling leather at $45 per side.
One side is enogh to make a large torso piece, as well as leaving plenty of
scraps for greaves, gauntlets, pauldrons, etc. I could make a large (though
not fat) man full body armor with two of these sides, a bit of beeswax
purchased from my local beekeeper, with scraps left for straps and
replacement straps for less than $100 in supplies, supposing the tools were
available(I have them, you might not). In addition, I could make the items
VERY fancy for less than another $50 in supplies. Apiece made in this way
would not require cover-ups, and would be complete except for a gambeson
and the equivalent for the lower body. What would cost, in a project like
this, would be time and tools. The materials needed for the plastic stuff,
by the time you figure in cover-ups and what-not, would be about the same,
perhaps slightly less.

By the same token, if you know what you're doing, you can make from scratch
many of the more period items that are used for foodstuffs, at fairly
minimal expense. Sure, some herbs and spices cost, just as they did in
period, but many can be conveniently grown. Mint was frequently used in
period in the Arabic areas- may the Gods help me, but I have a patch of
peppermint which is going to conquer the world! Many other things can be
grown at home nowadays, and we have the resources to grow them properly,
considering the great popularity of exotic houseplants. You can also buy
many things in volume which you used to have to pay high dollar for by the
pinch.

Much as I hate to agree with Cariodoc, who's much too much fun to tease
when he gets pompous, he's absolutely right, we need to go for possibility
thinking, instead of comfortable/convenient/habitual thinking.

phlip at morganco.net

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider that cain't be throwed.

- ----------
 Do forgive me for harping on an old thread, so to speak (sheesh!  one long
 weekend and I'm 18 digests behind!!!) but this one I really needed to
 answer...
 
 	Please keep in mind that not everyone is as affluent as everyone else in
 the Society.  Though we are all "playing at" being nobles, as many if not
more
 of us are housekeepers and secretaries as are CEOs and engineers.  
 
 	I like sekanjabin; I've been fortunate enough to taste it at a few
 events.  A lady in southern Shores makes a rosewater sekanjabin I still
 fantasize about... but I don't even want to consider the price.
 
 	At $2.49 for 100 tea bags, that non-period iced tea is still less than
 15 cents a gallon... 
 
 	Same argument goes for the hardened-leather-versus-plastic argument.  My
 lord took a class on cuirboulli; he was fascinated both by how easy it was
and
 by how adaptible the procedure was.  He longs to try it at home; but... 
Have
 you priced leather recently?  Calculate for the shrinkage, and shudder... 
 
 	I am saying this not to argue with you, nor to flame, nor to attempt to
 "correct" you.  I simply wish to remind all of us, once in a while, that
there
 are reasons besides habit, tradition, modern tastes and (yes, it has been
 said, on this list no less) sheer laziness that keep us to our (59
 cents/2-liter bottle) mundane habits rather than branching out and
exploring
 period territory as thoroughly as we would ALL like.
 
 	My thanks for your patience, good gentles...  I shall put this soapbox
: away now.  margali, how's the weather under the rock?  <g>
: 
: 		- kat
: 
: 
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