SC - New World Foods-rant

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/9/00 12:21:12 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
ringofkings at mindspring.com writes:

<< It has always been somewhat  absurd to me, if early New World
 foods, with the economy of turkey in particular, are so seldom seen
 at feast.  >>

I don't find this absurd at all. In fact, I have literally done almost 
everything I can think of to discourage the service of New World foods 
outside the possible recreation of actual colonial settings. 

New World foods are 'familiar' foods. That is they are those foods which we 
serve everyday year around in our homes. Their presence at SCA feasts is 
distracting and does not lend to the 'medieval' atmosphere that most feasts 
and event settings are trying to achieve. All the recipes using such foods 
are early modern in form and really have little in common with the forms of 
cookery that prevailed throughout the majority of the period covered by the 
SCA. If the Kitchen Steward follows the theme of any given event, the use of 
'early modern' recipes would be rare indeed at any given feast let alone the 
inclusion of dishes that contain ingredients which were at best 'novelties'.

Also acceptance and use of New World foods in Europe seems to fall into 2 
widely separated types of use. Either as a 'gourmet' item for high ranking 
noblemen or as a food grown for filling the bellies of stock and servants. 
Service at feasts would be appropriate under the first premise only to high 
table and then only if very high ranking officials were present. Service to 
the second group is inappropriate since all members of the SCA are considered 
nobility. Thus service of New World foods at SCA feasts would be either 
inappropriate or severely restricted to a handful of individuals or, with 
certain foods, restricted to very late period themed events.

I would no more expect New World foods at an event than I would expect event 
participants to wear ruffled collars or pilgrim hats. The emphasis that is 
put on trying to find ways to serve New World foods would be better placed on 
trying to perfect cooking methods and recipes that were used throughout the 
majority of the time period covered by the SCA. Such an approach is clearly 
used in fighting, heraldry, calligraphy, illumination and many other areas of 
the SCA and would not be out of place in regard to cookery, IMO.

Ras