SC - Can medieval food be heart-smart?

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

hey all from Anne-Marie

we are asked:
><< What is the opinion of the food-knowledgable ones here on the Cooks
list?  
> Are there enough recipes out there to pick and choose the healthiest for a 
> whole feast? >>
>

sure thre are especially if you stick with strict fast day recipes, no
eggs, no dairy. Fish in broth, vinegar based sauces, Beausse turnips has
them boiled in beef broth, which is actually a pretty tasty (and fat free
if you use the right broth) way to do 'em. Braised greens. carrots in
almond milk is actually vegan, but there is some fat from the almonds,
true. Alternately, there's a version in la varenne, with carrots dressed
with vinegar. There are sauces that can be used on boneless skinless
chicken breasts (though not fast day observant). That kind of thing.

Thing is, will people pay for tickets for this kind of feast? I would say
not (I know I probably wouldnt). I would recommend instead, being sure to
include one or two dishes per course that suit the arterially delicate.
That way they can make a meal that makes their cardiologists happy if they
choose, but you also get enough folks to pay for your hall. 

Its pretty easy to sculpt your menu so that it suits a diverse audience.
Put sauces on the side. Use veggie broth whenever possible. Go easy on the
butter. use heart friendly olive oil when you can . Limit the red meat to
one or two dishes per banquet and fill out the rest of the carnivorous bill
with chicken and fish. Be sure that in every course there's something for
vegetarians to eat, something for the non-red meat eaters, something for
the funges haters, something for the nut allergic, something for the
diabetic, etc...its not hard, just dont put any one ingredient in all the
dishes. 

and of course, if theyall drink a glass of a good mellow red wine with
dinner, we all know that helps the heart :).

hope this helps some...
- --AM, who's genes say she can eat as much butter and fat as she wants too
without clogging the arteries, but had better watch out for the demon
sugars effect on her Islets of Langerhans...

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