SC - Smithsonian dinner

[Ron and Laurene Wells]

At 12:09 AM 7/19/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>I totally agree. But based on the other stuff they are serving and stating
>were from the "period" because of the chemical ingredients found, I just
>can't hardly believe they would "muck" it up by including something they
>don't have basis for. Not when they have gone to the trouble of deciding if
>**black pepper** could be used or not. If they were so casual about it they
>could use it and say it was the other, rather than going to all the trouble
>of using regional spices. See what I mean? And Patrick McGovern is known in
>his field. This would be putting his rep on line too, even if only a minimal
>amount of rep.

I realise all this discussion is helpful for people in figuring out what to 
do at their OWN feasts that you all cook in the SCA and such.  But it 
occurred to me that, while everyone is critisizing the menu choices for 
this feast, that perhaps someone on the Feat Team at Smithsonian already 
thought of the possibility of guests becoming confused?  Perhaps they are 
intending to serve a little recipe booklet with the meal (or some sort of 
pamphlette) that would specifically indicate which items were found at the 
archeological site, and which items are modern inventions???  I guess 
someone from this list would have to actually purchase meal tickets to the 
Smithsonian Feast to find out for sure...  Sometimes it seems like people 
on this list automatically assume the rest of the world is made up of 
idiots though, and it is frustrating to me to encounter this subtle 
hostility.  Don't people here ever give outsiders the benefit-of-the-doubt?
I don't know... I guess it doesn't really matter either way.  Whether the 
guests know that chocolate was or was not present in medieval history isn't 
going to effect my personal life anyway.  It isn't going to change the size 
of my husband's paycheck, or how soon my 4 year old learns how to read, or 
what *I* serve for dinner on that night, so I guess it really doesn't 
matter what the professional chefs here on this list say about their 
Smithsonian feast either.  :)  God bless you!
- -Laurene

             Take a look at the DK Family Learning opportunity!
I've never seen DKFL offer the start-up kit so low twice in one year!!!
Summertime…and the $59.00 Summer Sizzler New Distributor Kit Offer
           http://homepages.go.com/~tinyzoo/DK/DKFL.htm

    * Your new Distributor Kit was already a great deal at $99, and now 
it's a Summer Sizzler for just $59! Over a $200 value!
    * Special $59 Kit Offer has been extended to August 5, 2000.

Email me today if you have any questions!  tinyzoo at aracnet.com