SC - duck and bread

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Hallo folks!

I'm sure I missed all sorts of Pennsic fun at the get together---I WAS
at
Pennsic but was busy cooking (what else) for the Queen's Tea (the
Aethelmearc one, not the "cigars and barely clothed young male hotties"
one---though I might have paid to see that, remembering one last year
where
one queen mooned another queen..........). ANYWAY, Duty called, but I
missed
meeting ya'll. My good buddy Giselle di Scholari did come and gave me a
blow-by-blow, however. I'm sorry we (my apprenti and I) missed you.

I have just re-signed on the list from Pennsic---came home to a fridge
that
had been kaput for some time---wasted a whole salmon, a half a top round
and
a huge ham from the freezer. I returned home, however, only to find out
within 24 hours that I will be away again for a bit---my brother in law
has
unexpectedly passed away (he was 42 and left a wife---my sister--and two

kids) and I have to travel a long stretch over the next week, so e-mail
is
unlikely to be answered during that time. So get excited all you want
about
the following news, but please understand that my mind is elsewhere.

Now, to prevent being slammed by truth-in-advertising sticklers, here's
my
interesting news about historic food:

One of the neat things about being a librarian is that I get all sorts
of
literature coming across my desk. The latest edition of Expedition
magazine
(published by  the university of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology, Volume 42, No 2, 2000) tells me, on the last page, that
they
are hosting A Feast Fit For King Midas on Saturday Sept 23,2000 at $150
a
plate ($135 for members). It seems they must have  good
archaeological/Anthropological docs., so I am going to request them (ad
mentions that they will be serving a spicy lamb and lentil stew his
mourners
feasted upon as well as what they drank---a blend of grape wine, barley
beer
and honey mead). I am trying to track down the museum catering company
or
the senior research scientist at MASCA (who  is sponsoring the feast) to
get
docs. Should prove interesting. Yes, I'll share, if I get anything.

Cheers

Aoife, in a hurry and nearly out the door.