SC - Roman world - Apricots or Peaches

[Glenda Robinson]

I have had one allergyu run-in in all the time I have been serving feasts 
(which is the grand span of about 5 years ;) - I have probably served 
a few hundred individuals.

I haven't usually done ingredient lists, because I do the cooking myself, 
or with one assistant if there are a lot of people (more than 60) and I 
buy most of the ingredients from the market on the morning of the feast. 
I never know quite what is going into the menu until I get to the market, 
and I never know quite what is going into a dish until it has been done. 
Instead I ask people to tell me what they are allergic to, so I can tell 
them what to avoid.

My wife is allergic to raw onions, a friend is allergic to sulphites, and 
once somebody didn't tell us that they were allergic to pistachio nuts - 
briefly having a little hais ball in his mouth was enough to make his 
face expand a lot, although he apparently doesn't have life-threatening 
problems as such.

We do get a fair few vegetarians, and a handful of vegans. I try and 
ensure that what goes into my feasts are not processed foods, but things 
like cheeses and often bread are difficult. (I'm learning Bear, but I 
have a way to go before I can bake it for a feast. And I usually only 
have a fire or5 a very small oven - I don't have facility to do bread 
until I learn to do it on a hearth-stone)

We also get a lot of people who don't like fish, mushrooms, parsnips, 
pork (really!), dill, or whatever. The simple solution is to try and 
provide variety with the ingredients available, and not put them in 
everything. (Personally I am nuts about saffron and dill, although I have 
never mixed them together. But dill I tend to just buy in a big bunch, 
and munch on my half as I cook ;)

Unfotunately the management has been forced to pass on increases in costs 
to patrons, and this opinion will now be 5c ;)

Charles
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