SC - Re:period food/demo's

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

hey all from Anne-Marie
re: food at demos...

here in Seattle we are seriously limited on how much interation we can give
the publich with food. We are not allowed in any of the demos we do here to
permit the publich to taste anything.

also, the way the demos are here, it unusual to have a site where we can do
a fire cooking demo (without crisping the tourists or tents next door).

I've been asked to speak at seminars put on by the ROmance Writers of
America (they even paid me, but I spent it all on nibbly bits for the
audience). But at public demos, we play our New World Old World food
game...we have a large pile of recognisable foodstuffs....a can of corn. A
can of cocoa. A bag of rice. A vanilla bottle. Peanut butter. Canned
greenbeans. a Head of garlic. We ask them to divide the foods into two
piles...what would Columbus haveknown about before his little trip and what
after. Its fun, it gets people talking about history and food and how much
our diet has changed, etc. If they play and "win" they get a prize. A small
pamphlet of medieval recipes, for example. we give 'em out to the "losers"
too....:)

there are ideas in the works to have variations like planning menus, what
foods were available in which season, etc.
good luck!

- --AM