SC - questions/kinda long, sorry

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/15/00 3:41:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
KallipygosRed at aol.com writes:

<< The difference is, as a teacher, I know it is best learned for 
 some gently and as it can be absorbed. >>

We have no disagreement here. Methods differ. Learning a language by  hearing 
it spoken and used everyday is the best way to learn a language. 2 year old 
Germans do it all the time. ;-) Learning period cookery by using the recipes 
is the best way to learn it. :-)

Another thing that I think people are not seeing is the difference between a 
serious student of 'period' cooking and a person who just likes to cook in 
general. I am assuming that the former is always the case in my specialty. I 
see no reason why everyone who expresses an interest in any given subject 
necessarily has to be seen as a dreadful loss if they go away and peruse 
another area of interest that may be more fitting to their talents. If a 
person wants to do modern food for a feast, fine. I have no problem with 
that. I have a real problem with them pretending it is remotely period and I 
have a problem with the seemingly lack of reasonable expectation for period 
work from the cooks in the SCA while other fields of interest are not 
dismissed as readily.

I also, unfortunately, do not have the problems that many of you express. A 
kitchen steward in my shire has complete and total freedom to choose the 
menu, the recipes, the theme and everything else that involves the kitchen at 
any given event. There is NO outside influence other than the budget. All of 
our cooks do period or periodlike feasts without exception because those that 
do not or cannot but still want to cook are given tasks that are not so 
exacting like preparing breakfast or lunch or helping in the kitchen until 
they get a feel for what is expected by the shire and our regular event 
attendees. If an individual decides that they are better doing some other 
activity rather than cooking that is not considered a loss but rather the 
person is encouraged to peruse the interest that they are more inclined to be 
happy with. It is a big world and not everyone can be a cook. Indeed, such a 
scenario is not even desired.

Ras