SC - coffe and tea at events

[Mordonnade at aol.com]

In a message dated 98-01-30 17:30:01 EST, you write:

<< 	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. I do not have the money nor land to own a
 horse, but I do not make do with a hobby horse on a broomstick nor a
 couple of coconut halves. While most of the suggested inauthentic
 solutions are not so silly, many of them do have the commonality of
 being nonessential. I do not /need/ a horse, however much I would like
 one. Similarly, it is not necessary to have some replacement beyond
 water for period drinks. If you can not grow your own produce, you may
 be able to find someone who can. If that too fails to meet your needs,
 and it is still beyond your means to purchase the ingredients, then
 consider finding a recipe you /can/ make authentically. No one will
 think less of you for it...
 
 	Yumitori
 ====== >>


Do you know that if you carry this to its logical conclusion, you are telling
me that if I cannot afford the money or time to cook only authentically
medieval foods, that I should not cook at all for any event?  If I cannot
grow,and, spin, and weave, and sew by hand my own garb, I should not even
attempt to play?
As far as period substitutions for coffee and tea, I agree that we should try
to introduce our people to the delights of period beverages, but to offer
water as a substitute is cold and horrenduous to think upon.
I think a cook's job is not so much to change people's tastes as to please
them.  I will introduce good medieval recipes to my menus, but I WILL not
withhold a favorite and asked for treat just because I think they SHOULD
prefer authenticity to pleasure.


Mordonna DuBois
House Warrior Haven
Barony of Atenveldt
Kingdom of Atenveldt
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================