SC - Re: Alchemy and SCA chemists

[Alderton, Philippa]

Kent, Dear, 

While I occasionnally do speak on subjects of which I know a bit, related
to cooking, I do NOT thunder down from high as the ultimate authority in
everything. As far as medieval cooking goes, I'm learning from the experts
just as hard as everyone else.

As far as Greek fire goes, that could be a fun idea, but we'd have to find
a non-flammable substitute since panic would arise if large amounts of
flame arose at Pennsic, for example, where at least one jackass every year
manages to burn his/her tent down. Also the Coopers might take offense if
their (sometimes leased ) fields turned from late summer
greenish/greyish/brownish to Pennsic-strikes-again black.

I think Alchemy would be handled under Arts and Sciences, but the winners
in the competitions tend to make pretties, not test tubes of funky looking
goo. I do have an Alchemists handbook, which describes/defines many of the
materials discussed in old grimoires, but that has a Pagan focus rather
than either an alchemical or cooking focus, although it DOES have some
interesting uses for herbs, both edible and medicinal. 

I think Margali might take offense if we used her hot-tub alchemically to
turn perfectly normal Northern Europeans into pseudo-Afrins, if only for
the hassle and delay in cleaning up the mess. 

phlip at morganco.net

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

- ----------
: Phlip hath spoken, and hath said unto us:
 

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

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".

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