SC - Re: [Trimaris] Highnesses, Lownesses, and Period Cooking.

[Philip & Susan Troy]

> Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 15:48:47 -0500
> From: "R.A. Duncan Cusdtom Made Knives Merc Swords" <merc at radknives.com>
> Subject: SC - Re: [Trimaris] Highnesses, Lownesses, and Period Cooking.
> 
>  I have also read the replies from the cooks list about the Princesses
> request,  and I had no idea that we had so many prima donna chefs in the
> SCA. I'm not talking about those who had reasonable replies and suggestions,
> just the burger king/ mcdonalds types. Sure the cooks volunteer to bust
> their butts to make a decent feast, and others bust their butts doing other
> things at events. None of us get paid, and it sometimes costs us extra, but
> so what, we knew that before we volunteered. People pay for feast, and as
> such they should have the right to suggest that the food be acceptable to
> THEIR palates and tastes. Does the word COMPROMISE ring a bell ?

Sure it does. Nobody is suggesting that people should accept
unacceptable food, let alone pay for it. Why, is that what is being
asked by the cooks of Trimaris? "Here, pay $15 for the privelege of
eatring this lousy meal I'm cooking!" ??? A-GAIN, the entire argument
seems to hinge on why, exactly, _period_ food is unacceptable. So much
energy has been expended by people saying period food is indigestible,
people implying, but not actually saying, that period food is either
unacceptable or abnormal ("we don't want so much period food, we'd
rather have at least some food that is 'normal' and 'acceptable', like
Tang and cherry tomatoes").

I would have much greater respect for the positions of absolutely
everyone connected with this discussion if _somebody_ would just come
out and say, "I don't like period food. I'd rather have modern food. I
don't know exactly _why_ I don't like period food, so instead I'll throw
in a lot of smoke and mirrors about digestibility and people's sacred
right to not like period food for whatever reason, no matter how
nebulous. This is our way and we like it. "

So far what we're being told is that Her Highness Trimaris would prefer
not to see exclusively period meals, and when people asked for details
as to why, what I've seen in return are varying degrees of angry bluster
to the effect that people have a right to expect the food they pay for
to be "normal" and "acceptable". Seeing this as an implication that
period food tends to be abnormal and unacceptable is pretty inescapable.
     

>  I'm a Custom Knifemaker, and if I don't make what people want, they won't
> buy it. If you make a period feast that less than half of the people in the
> hall can choke down, then why should they pay for it ? Just so the cook
> doesn't have a snit? I don't think so.

Okay, how about this little hypothetical case? Since the Customer is
Always Right, suppose I commission a knife from you, pay only for
materials, and nothing for your labor, tell you how I want it made down
to the last detail, and expect you to put your name prominently on the
blade, no matter how bad the design may be (and no matter how much you
tried to dissuade me from commissioning such a design). If you object to
this arrangement I can tell you to lighten up.
 
>  Neither I nor the Princesss suggested  purely non-period feasts, and
> espacially not bugger king, what was suggested was that we be able to enjoy
> the food, whether period or not.  I've had excellent feasts both in the
> Midrealm and Trimaris, as well as some really bad ones, I prefer the good to
> excellent ones.
>  If the cooks in Trimaris, or any other Kingdom cannot take abit of
> criticism without having fits, then they are probably not as good as they
> think, because none of us are perfect(I've blown a few meals over the years
> myself).

What criticism is that? I haven't heard any, and this is exactly what
I've been hoping one of the folk of such an otherwise lovely place as
Trimaris would speak of. 

So, to recap, so far:

1. Solution proposed (solution to what, exactly, unknown, unless it's
that blankmanger causes ulcers and that nobody likes roast beef with
garlic sauce).
2. Poser of solution asked if there is a problem. Poser is asked if
there is a problem with bad food. Poser reminded that every cuisine
genre has a broad range of quality and that modern food is just as
likely to be badly cooked as period food.
3. Adherants of original correspondent reply (some with rather amusing
stage huffiness) that they never said period food was bad, rather that
they just wanted to see more good, normal and acceptable (i.e. modern)
food at SCA feasts. [Note that at no time (my apologies if I'm in error,
but I haven't seen it) has anybody come out and said, honestly, that
there's been  a lot of bad cooking in Trimaris, and we feel, upon
careful consideration, that the attempts at producing period food are
placing too much strain on the resources of our cooks, who are
sacrificing quality for (alleged) periodicity.] Adherents of Her
Highness's position accuse those who disagree with the policy as
engaging in malicious gossip. [I just realized tonight that Her Highness
does not have any direct e-mail access, which is probably why my note to
her, a respectful request for clarification, has gone unanswered. I'm
still hoping, though.]  
 
Yes, some people have heaped varying degrees of criticism, some of a
rather emotional nature, on Her Highness, and I really hope we can keep
this as reasoned debate and not vulgar brawling, as I feel we have the
chance to do some good here _if_ we can get to the bottom of this before
our ever-patient and indulgent Evil List Administrator lowers the boom
on this discussion. 

>  In short, lighten up. There are what some eight hundred or so years worth
> of recipes from about fifty different nations/cultures, surely a good cook
> can find  a few dozen dishes of a less than fiery nature to serve for a few
> feasts.

Of course they can. I agree 100%. Why, haven't the cooks in Trimaris
been doing that all along? Come on, say it. You know you want to. I'll
give you this shiny nickel... ;  ).

Seriously, I admire the way people have leaped to the defense of Her
Highness, but you can't solve a problem without understanding it, and
people are being so close-mouthed about all this. For Heaven's sake, if
Her Highness has a right to ask what she did, and people want to support
her, that's fine, but if there is a specific complaint about cooks in
Trimaris (who I do consider shockingly undervalued, as a group, but then
nobody has taken the trouble to disabuse me of this notion), not only
would I like to hear it in a straightforward manner, I think they have a
right to hear about it too.

Adamantius (O.L., C.M., C.S.C., O.B.T., C.S.H., EK MoA&S, etc. Yeah, I
think it's a bit silly too but some people feel it relevant) 
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com