SC - message for Bear

[Richard Kappler II]

Robin Carroll-Mann wrote:
> 
> We just got back from the event, which was a non-competitive just-
> come-and-show-off-your-stuff kinda thing.  Everyone seemed to have a
> great time.  Basically it was one big arts display.  Everyone claimed a
> table and put out their stuff.  There was no competition, no judging, no
> pressure.  There was a lot of circulating and admiring and discussing.
> One thing that I liked was people didn't just murmur "ooh, pretty" and
> move on.  They stopped and looked carefully, and asked questions
> about sources and techniques.  It was nice to be at an event where the
> arts have a central role, but without the tension of a competition. This
> was also one of the few events I have attended where the hall did not
> have to be told to be quiet for performers.

I think all the above addresses the fact that everyone who was there
wanted to be _there_, not just at the nearest convenient SCA event. This
was one of the best marriages, if you will, of an event to an intended
focus group that I've seen in my 17 years in the SCA.
 
> There were many, many wonderful things to admire.  In addition to the
> expected garb and needlework, calligraphy, jewellry

Man oh man, I've never drooled over gold before... I am, literally, not joking.

>, woodwork, etc.,
> several folks had brought food "displays" (tasting encouraged).  One
> lady had a selection of varieties of period apples, as well as several
> dishes made with apples.  I had to avoid the sweeter items, but she had
> a crockpot full of tuffahiya (sp?), an Islamic meat and apple stew, that
> was delicious.

Lady Andrea Caitlin MacIntyre, Seneschale of Ostgardr

> Another lady at table near me had all kinds of herbal
> vinegars, herb and spice breads, an interesting green honey mustard,
> and pickled mushrooms (Lucky me -- I got to take home some of the
> leftover mushrooms).

Is _that_ where they all went? Lady Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Eisental...that
green mustard kicked ***, didn't it?

>  My baroness, Merlynia, had an assortment of
> Roman foods, including two polentas -- one wheat, one barley.

And who was the young man who helped make the polenta with the cheese? A
well-dressed and well-spoken specimen of Romano-British kidhood... 
 
> And then there was the "dayboard".  This was no paltry bread-and-
> cheese-and-apples dayboard, gentles.  It was a feast, served buffet
> style.  Chicken with sage sauce, roast beef, cameline sauce, pork rolls,
> blancmange, pork meatballs with currents, roast carrots and parsnips,
> many other things that I've forgotten, and half a dozen luscious-looking
> desserts.  And it was there that I had my first acquaintance with Digby's
> savory toasted cheese.  When I go to heaven, I know what will be on the
> table, right next to the manna.

;  ) . Yes, Lord Kael did a spectacular job. I really didn't get a
chance to help him, but that was largely because at the time I was
available to mess with food, he didn't need any help. He seemed to have
everything so nicely paced that he never really seemed in a hurry, but
the food just kept on coming out.
 
> All of this, by the way, was done without benefit of a real kitchen.  The
> event was held in a high school cafeteria, and the event staff did *not*
> have access to the kitchen.  Some of it was precooked and was
> reheated over sterno burners, in a small portable microwave, or in
> crockpots.  Some of it was made on the spot, in electric frypans.  All of
> it was delicious.

That was pretty much the universal consensus.
 
> I dug out some of my embroidery to put on my table, but I also did a
> little cooking.  I redacted a recipe for anise-flavored bizcochos (cookies),
> and made 2 batches to bring along.  (Recipe in separate post.)  They
> went over pretty well.  I gave away the leftovers, not wanting to have
> temptation in the house.  However, I regret that I didn't save a few to see
> how well they keep, sealed-up or frozen.  If I were doing them for a
> feast, I'd want to do them in advance.  Anyone here familiar with how
> egg-based cookies do in the freezer?  (These ones have mostly yolks
> and a couple of whole eggs.)

They looked and smelled lovely; for various reasons too complex to go
into here, I was unable to taste most of the food on site. Maybe next
time... 
 
> Anyway, it was a very pleasant, relaxing event.  I'm only sorry that the
> event had to close at such an early hour (6 p.m.).  As I told the autocrat
> on my way out, quoting that venerable old song, "This sure was a real
> nice clambake..."

Indeed it was, and I think it got done most of what we needed done.
These were different artisans from the usual stress-thriving organisms
that have competition intineraries. As a result, I was forced to
completely revise my view of the state of the arts in the East, or in
the Souhern Region thereof. I'd always known we had some marvellous
talent around, but much of this was just plain mind-boggling. 

My thanks to all involved...

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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