SC - Cooking Laurels

[Christi Rigby]

Roibeard wrote:

> I wanted to thank everyone that replied to my query about becoming a
Laurel.  I feel quite enlightened.  Let me assure those that pointed out we
should be doing this for fun and not to get the pewter "thingie" or wreath
"thingie".  I most definitely like to be complimented, and will
good-heartily (sometimes grudgingly) accept critisism.  Receiving an award
means having to go up in front of everyone, which I dread more than anything
(well, it's up there with drowning, being burned alive, burning feast,
etc.).  I've only done a few feasts and so far been pretty successful.  The
food was period (or nearly so), brought out hot, and in reasonable time.  My
reward is the feeling of accomplishing a fairly challenging project,
contributing to the dream, playing in the kitchen (I don't get to do it
alot), and the compliments from the feasters.  The best compliments have
been "please, no more food" and "don't bring anymore food, or else!!".  Of
course, when threatened, just point out that you'll remember them for the
next feast.
>
> This thread has provided me quite a bit of information.  I haven't been
real good about digging deep for my research, but I'll be moving more in
that direction as time goes.  I haven't done much documenting and no A&S
competitions yet.  But I'll start by trying to document the feasts that I
prepare and get out of my shyness shell to converse with the knowledgeable
cooks in my area.  I'll even try to bribe, or pamper, or just get to know
some of the Laurels here and learn that way.  Of course, I'll seek council
on this list, as well.  Give me thyme (15-20 years or so) and I'll be
Laural-like along with the rest of you.  Yes, from many of the postings I've
seen, I've assumed most of you were Laurels.  Eventually, I want to be the
one (or part of many) answering questions about period cooking.
_______________________________________________

Roibeard,

I had this discussion with my Mistress (OP not OL).  I told her I wanted to
show our Kingdom how wonderful period cooking could be and that it takes as
much effort as costuming, brewing, calligraphy, or other arts.  She told me
to cook because I love cooking.  Do period recipes because that is the
"right" way to recreate my art, not to show people that it can be done.
That a Laurel for cooking only was a rare thing and to do something to
achieve an award is the wrong reason to do it, but to do something because
you love it will bring its own rewards.

Murkial
Apprentice to Elaina de Sinistre
Barony of Caerthe
Kingdom of the Outlands