SC - Period Dining Atmosphere (Was RE: Saffron)

[CBlackwill at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/4/00 10:14:17 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
JGedney at dictaphone.com writes:

> Come on now, which of you joined the SCA because it had an "atmosphere"
>   that evoked the romance of the Middle ages?  I did.
>  
>  Does does a 14th century Saracen dish on the table add to that atmosphere? 
>  I think so.
>  Does  a 20th century American dish on the table add to that atmosphere? 
>  I think not.
>  
>  Even if it _is_ "creative".
>  

I don't think anyone on this list is suggesting it is "period" to serve 
Kentucky Fried Chicken at a medieval feast.  The point I have been trying 
(unsuccessfully) to make is that simple substitutions to documentable recipes 
should be "allowed", without the threat of the Gendarme de Cuisine rushing 
you off to the "O.O.P. Gulag".  Of course, if you claim that your dish is 
prepared verbatim from the "Official Manual of Age Old Recipes" or some such, 
and it is obviously a Fish and More platter from Long John Silvers, then 
yeah, maybe someone could have reason to be skeptical.

I think that there are many people in our beloved Society who would be more 
than willing to sit at table and feast on "period style" dishes, without 
raising a stink about documentable sources and whatnot.  It's those who 
cannot abide even the slightest deviation who tend to spoil it for the rest 
of us, and hurt feelings in the process.

So, does a 14th century Saracen dish which contains safflower rather than 
saffron detract from our much adored atmosphere?  Nope.

Just my observations,
Balthazar of Blackmoor