SC - Re: New World Food Rant / Counter Rant

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/9/00 9:24:40 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
ringofkings at mindspring.com writes:

<<  However, a lot of expensive and unfamiliar 100% pre-New
 World period food gets scraped into the garbage can. >>

Not at my feasts, THL Thorstein's, Master Huen's, Master Adamantius', or any 
of a dozen other cooks I can think of. I have served rabbit (2 per table), 
venison a whole animal, bear (35 lb.), eel, lamb, beef, etc., in feasts 
consisting of at least a dozen and up to 21 dishes and always come in under 
budget over the last 16 years with little or none scraped into the garbage. 

In my personal experience the arguments along those lines are entirely 
invalid for this area. I suppose I am lucky in having lived in 2 kingdoms 
that encourage and expect period food prepared in a period manner to be 
served at feasts. Relegating the feast to merely 'filling the bellies' of 
hungry fighters certainly is never a criteria for menu planning but, rather, 
it is encouraged that the feast become an integral part of the recreation 
experience. Most, if not all of the fighters in several shires here would be 
offended and very disappointed if the cooks did not make as much of an effort 
to practice their craft within the guidelines of the SCA as any other 
craftsman.

The only exception I have ever made to 'period' ingredients/'period' recipes 
only was the time I served emu which was served in a period manner, using 
period seasonings and served as 'A Roc Which Feedeth Her Young With 
Elephants. That particular feast was sold out weeks in advance as have all 
the others which contained so called exotic foods. At that same feast I 
served whole rabbits at 2 per table and my co served eel pies. I came in 175 
dollars under budget. The feast was restricted to 104 onboard. The only 
complaints I had were that the roc should have been served sooner and there 
was too much food.

Obviously, this is not the way of things in certain isolated groups. Mores 
the pity. :-(

Ras