SC - Real feasts?

[Nick Sasso]

Another element to examine is exactly what "feast" means in our SCA usage.  If we are referring always to the elaborate celebreatory affairs of, say, a Duke's Wedding, then we may be in over our heads and missing the target at most events.  If we intend to create medieval dining experiences, we have another level of production to chose from.  The meals described in Le Menagier are certainly a good place to start when looking at meals to seve SCA event goers in an attempt to recreate dining experiences for our members and guests.

My vision of a general feast at a basic event is that of a 'Sunday Dinner' type meal presented by the local Manor lord or Baron for the guests he has invited ot share his affluence and hospitality.  A bit above cheese and bread, and a bit below 345 dishes including exoctic tropical flora and fauna from places people never heard of served for 13 hours.  Others may experience varied milage.

Our intent in exploring the all day huge production is to do just that...experience the production.  It will be a completely different process to staff the service of an all day gala.  Middle Management in charge of seating, dish cleaning, service, plating the dishes, rotating the food in the fridge to have correct access, someone to carve the meats in public display; a consierge (real term) in charge of fuel for the cook fires and heating in the hall, etc.  It will be a commplete blast and a huge pain in the arse.

It may even turn out to be a total disaster. . . the experinece will be invaluable in terms of knowing what a seneschal and head cook had to go through to pull off their Master's wedding feast or display for visiting royalty or some such.  Either way, the sight of a lamb and a boar spit face to face roasting on a fire will be quite the Kodak moment.

pacem et bonum,
niccolo difrancesco
South Downs, Meridies
laridum dominari

In a message dated 7/26/99 1:00:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time, stefan at texas.net 
writes:

<< I don't think the inquiry was meant as a put-down, but rather someone
 striving for more authenticity  >>

I realize this. I question the use of the term 'real medieval feasts'. 
Certainly a big bash lasting for several days was done. We have records that 
indicate this was so. However, smaller feasts are no less real. To give a 
little more understanding to what I am trying to say, I would no more call a 
modern Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner a real modern feast than I would call 
a period coronation feast a real medieval feast. 

Granted such feasts were done occasionally but they were no more typical of 
period noble eating patterns than a 10,000 dollar a plate gala is typical of 
modern feasts for the wealthy. Don't misunderstand me, I think it would be 
great to attend or participate in a period celebratory feast and I agree that 
such a feast would be the event itself. But these feasts were done for very 
special occasions and not indicative of a typical medieval feast. They 
certainly were not any more real.

Ras
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
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