Subject: SC - daryoles

[Philip & Susan Troy]

>Is there a
>difference between the definition of "period" on the sca-cooks list and at
>SCA events in general?

Here on this list, I've come to understand that 'period' means you have done 
your best to cook the dish described in the most original version of a 
recipe as you can handle.  For instance, I only read English, so I'm not 
able to work directly from the non-English manuscripts and therefore my work 
is affected by the opinions and attitude of the translator(s).

Here's where we get into the reason why some people twitch when you speack 
of substituing ingredients.  Most recipes are so vague with quantiy and 
technique as to allow a broad range of interpretation without ever stepping 
outside the listed ingredients, so why add that set of variations as well?

And here's where I wonder why so many tell you that you can't substitue 
spices.  Often it doesn't say exactly what spices are needed. It does 
require research and education on the topic before reaching the kitchen, but 
there is some flexibility.  My usual way to research it is to seek similar 
recipes to see what spices may be listed. You may wish to take time to 
research if "sweet spices" or whatever phrase is defined anywhere, did 
someone write down  "when you need sweet spices, use this combination." 
Others with years of experience in this sort of cooking may have 
internalized the 'rules' or may agonize over it anew each time.  Once the 
dish is complete, any and all of us could be right, or wrong. We don't know 
really, which is why we should be careful lest we 'teach' that something is 
period simply by serving it.

I guess I had to learn this by doing it, just understanding it wasn't 
enough. If you have a reputation for cooking 'period' food, and you serve 
something at feast that wasn't period, then you've just given an entire 
feast hall mis-information that they will then use to mis-inform others. I 
didn't realize my reputation was that firm in some people's minds (it's only 
my second feast!) and now everyone wants the recipe for twp dishes I served. 
  One I know full well is from 1709 and any idea about it being older is 
purely speculation. The other I don't have a record for before late 1800's 
at best. I'm going to post the recipes to our local list, teaching people to 
like new dishes is a good thing in any case, but I'm having trouble 
composing the post because I want to re-teach and correct my error.

Bonne
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