SC - new recipe

[LYN M PARKINSON]

Alys Katharine said:

The new issue of TI surprised me with an article of mine, part of which 
talks about our Victorian perception of candle-lit halls.  The example 
I gave about having to take out a flashlight to see if we had a grain 
dish or a salad wasn't exaggerated.  Stefan's cook (above) is echoed by 
my example of a lovely subtlety that wasn't visible.  Ambiance is 
something we need to begin working on.  I will hazard a guess that if 
the tables are arranged "medievally", if servers act with flourish, if 
banners hang on the wall, and if the food is good and on time, few 
people will complain that the lights are too bright.  Or, am I 

- ---
I beg to differ, it really does depend on the candles, how many of them you
have, what quality they are and all that as well.

My family has been holding an annual New Years' Eve Eve party since long before
I was born.  This party is such an annual event that if we forget to invite
people or if we (as we once did) hold it on a different date, people still show
up.

Anyways, my entire life (all 17 years of it) and for quite a bit of time before
then, we've been lighting it with candles.  No electric lighting of any kind on
the first floor.  One of the two fireplaces gets a nice roaring fire (the other
is too close to the kitchen entrance to make it practical to light when people
are dashing in and out of the kitchen).  Three two-candle porcelin candelabra
are mounted to the walls of the dining room as well as a good dozen single
candlesticks scattered about.  One more of the two-candle holders is in the
living room, as well as another dozen or so candles (this is the room with the
fire).

This year we had a small turnout, only 50 people over the entire night.  No one
had any problems seeing other people or the food.  

One year we used really cheap candles (quality, not price, these were more
expensive than normal) and it ended up being very very dim.  I recommend, if
you aren't used to doing the occasional light-it-up-with-candles make sure to
test first for the quality of how well your candles will illuminate.

(BTW, the person who suggested using the cloved onion in the beer mix for the
ham, it worked wonderfully . . . I did my traditional task of cloving the
outside of the ham anyway for looks but there was a stronger clove flavor
deeper in as well as just a hint of onion taste.  I was very disappointed that
my father *didn't* cook the onions.  I spent twenty extra minutes making a star
pattern with the cloves to show off, and he *didn't* put them where people
could see them!)
- ---

mistaken?  I will note in passing that there is a level of low light 
that now gives me headaches and eye strain.  Many feasts seem to 
descend to this particular level and after some 15-20 minutes I 
experience continuing, low-level pain.  Is this a problem for anyone 
else?

- ---
I haven't been to a feast yet but I definitely agree with too low light giving
eye strain.
- ---

- -Marian
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