SC - Intolerances-RAVING RANT

[Michael P Newton]

In a message dated 5/16/98 7:54:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, allilyn at juno.com
writes:

<< Keep this in
 mind, if one of your friends is struggling.  Take his/her portion out
 before putting the alcohol in. >>

Believe me when I say that I am not trying to be insensative but...the fact of
the matter is that most alcohol use in cookery is accomplished by adding the
required wine at the BEGINNING of the cooking process when it is usually
impossible to take out a portion.  Personally, I expect persons that have this
particular problem to do the same as anyone else and look at the ingredients
list.

Just as a cook is not responsible for someone else's allergies, they are not
responsible for someone's assorted "addictions."  A very close friend of mine
who is an ex-addict, eats at my home regularly and I regularly use alcohol in
my cooking.  They have not leapt off the wagon because of it.  Indeed, I know
of many "ex-addicts" that consume "nonalcoholic wines and beers without ill
effect despite the fact that those products are made from regular wine and
beer that have merely had the alcohol removed.  I, myself, am an ex-addict of
amphetamines (e.g., 103 lbs. lighter though. :-)) and the consumption of
coffee or tea do not make me crave for stronger types of stimulants. 

Once again, please READ the menus and INGREDIENT lists for any particular
physical or mental bugaboos you may have if attending feasts.  It really is
that simple, folks.  This post is not meant to be inflammatory in any way but
the continuous recommendations that flow through this list, particularly in
the last 2 weeks with regard to advising SCA cooks to leave this or that
ingredient out of their feasts because of the real or imagined problems of a
statistically small number of people is becoming somewhat ludicrous to say the
least.

Those of us who are dedicated to the historical reproduction of period food
would, if the recommendations were adhered to, be unable to practice our
science.  As noted several times on this list, allergies, addictions,
aversions, intolerance and any other personal problems of individual feasters
are entirely and without exception the PERSONAL responsibility of the feaster.
The responsibility of the cook is to provide accurate ingredients lists.
Wine, rue, wheat, meat, seafood, black pepper, citrus fruit, nuts and other
foods were common throughout the period of the SCA.  To leave all of these
ingredients out of a feast because single individuals have a problem with them
would result in a feast that would not have existed in period under any
circumstances.

I have never taken any food restrictions into account when planning and
preparing my feasts for 12 years.  I have had two problem diners.  One was a
child who was allergic to lentils and who had a mother who did NOT read the
menu.  The other was a Jewish lady who kept kosher but refused to believe that
anyone would serve bear at a feast until she ate 3 bowls of bear stew.  At
Will's Revenge last year one person came to the kitchen and asked if there
were mushrooms in anything.  The answer was no.  They ate the feast.

This supposed "problem" we have been discussing ad infinitum ad nauseum is
really not the problem that it is perceived as being.  There certainly appears
to be people that are unable to eat some types of foods.  Those people are
usually very responsible to themselves about inquiring into the possible
presence of those foods at feasts.  Those who do not inquire.......well, que
sera sera! 

Sorry for the rant! :-( I am now donning my asbestos suit.

al-Sayyid Ras al-Zib, AoA, OSyc
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