SC - primary sources

[Chris]

Welcome to the List, Chris. You have manged to pose your questions to a
bunch of period food nazis, but we're really not that hard to get along with
;-)

As it happens, several of our members happen to be chefs mundanely too, and
they don't like bad food either- in fact, medieval people didn't like bad
food any more than we do, but they were a lot harder on poor cooks than we
moderns are- we don't execute them, we just go to another restaurant, or
don't buy their book.

First off, you seem to have a few misconceptions. You said:

>.  As we all know people's  taste  have changed throughout the years.

Actually, we don't all know that, unless we count the average modern's
tendency to shove any sugary/salty, artificially flavored, piece of over
priced and over processed piece of garbage in their mouths as a change in
modern tastes. You say you're a chef- do YOU consider McDuck's food?
Recently, a gentleman mentioned his wife's sensitivity to pork as exhibited
by her inability to eat two Sausage McMuffins- I suggested she pitch the
Sausage McMuffins and eat the wrapper- she'd get the same flavor, and likely
find it more nutritious and easier to digest ;-)

Much of the food served at current SCA feasts is NOT good Medieval food, but
rather food put together by people who "think" that this is what Medieval
food was like, without going to the original sources. We on the Cook's List
are dedicated to correcting that- ask Papa Gunther, our Evil List
Adminstrator, who just stepped down as King of Ansteorra- he has become a
firm believer in period food, because he has learned what is good, and he's
helped change the attitudes of his Kingdom.

All the talking in the world is not going to change your mind, so let me
suggest this. Since you are a chef, I'm sure you enjoy experimenting with
different foods. Why don't you try a few REAL period foods, make them
yourself, and see how they REALLY taste before you make a final judgement.
DON'T use secondary resources such as Fabulous Feasts (Urkkkk!) or Vehling's
so-called translation of Apicius- those are no more Medieval food sources
than my cat is. Instead, look through the recipes at:

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/recipe_toc.html

or at

http://lg_photo.home.texas.net/florilegium/idxfood.html

and cook some of them. Or, if you prefer, tell me what sort of thing you'd
like to make, and I'll send you a recipe or two from a period source. Don;t
get too particular, because there might not be an exact Medieval equivalant
to a modern recipe, but if you were to ask for, example, something for a
roast of beef, with sauces, or a dessert using pears, I'm sure I can help
you.


Phlip

Nolo disputare, volo somniare et contendere, et iterum somniare.

phlip at morganco.net

Philippa Farrour
Caer Frig
Southeastern Ohio

The World's Need

So many Gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
When just the art of being kind
Is all this sad world needs.

- - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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