SC - Cooking Laurels

[Catherine Hartley]

<snipppage>

It's been quite a few years since I've done a feast without providing a
pretty basic form of documentation, either by posting the information on
various bulletin boards on site, or by providing a handout. Normally I
provide the original recipe from as close to a primary source as I can
get (it might be a translated version, and perhaps tacked together from
several manuscripts, such as one of Scully's translated and transscribed
Taillevent recipes), and a translation, if necessary, into more-or-less
plain modern English. Then I do a paragraph describing the basic method
used in period, usually entitled, "What They Did", followed by a section
entitled something like, "What We're Doing", explaining any changes made
to the process, such as running the fish under a grill in sheet pans,
instead of sauteeing cod for 350 before finishing the cooking in the hot
sauce. It's up to the reader to decide whether what they're eating
allows them to participate in a Medieval Moment; as I've said before I
have a very tenuous relationship with the word, "period". Most people
seem to really like the food and the documentation format, but I'd say
the documentation is really geared for those interested in medieval
cookery: probably those people who don't know or couldn't care less
about medieval food wouldn't be suddenly converted to The True Path by
the documentation alone. People (myself included) do have a good time,
though, when I'm able to point out some relevance of a menu item to an
individual's persona.

I'm not sure what else to add; luckily there are several other cooking
Laurels on the list. Of course, none of this is intended as "How to
Become A Cooking Laurel 101" Still, I hope it helps.

Adamantius
- --
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

<snip>

I would say this is the best thing to do, as well... I have a cool program 
that lets me create "cookbooks" with the primary source recipe, a 
translation, and my adaptation of it.. I plan to have several available at 
the next feast I am cooking (Meridies Crown List) and it is in .pdf format 
for easy emailing....

I agree that the perception of what people want and the reality are very 
different, and by challenging folks to try new things, you may find yourself 
pleasantly surprised! I have certainly found this to be true.

Catilin of Enniskillen
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