SC - Uses for egg yolks

[RichSCA@aol.com]

RichSCA at aol.com wrote:
> 
> the opinion that period dishes are: (1) not for modern tastes
> (2)  Do not taste good (3) are not prepared well  (4) just plain suck.

I think there may be a basic flaw in grouping these provisions together,
but people sometimes do hold such views. The trouble is that (4) is
patently false, as anyone with any cognitive sense, regardless of their
own experiences with period food, good or bad, would have to admit.
Opinion doesn't enter into it; it is logicaly and forensically unsound
to base such a generalized value judgement on a very limited sample. (1)
is also a bit iffy because it seems to be used as a blind to disguise
the fact that conclusions (2) and (4) were reached without much thought
or evidence. (3), on the other hand, could be a genuine problem.   
> 
> My question was how does the general populace at a feast even know that they
> are eating period dishes?  Now, I have seen this part of the question
> answered in basically two ways... (1) The Cook is known for preparing only
> period feast s and/or (2)  A menu stating such is posted before the feast.

Yeah, sounds about right. We have this kind of thing here where I live.
Very little prejudice against period food, per se, but a general concern
that the cooks, in their zeal to produce a period meal, will fail in
heir Sacred Obligations to place a huge hunk of dead cow. pig, etc., in
front of every fighter. Perodicity tempered with caution based on
low-level paranoia, perhaps.
> 
> Now both of these work for _some_  of the populace, but not the person who is
> of the opinions above (especially number 4) if they avoid eating at period
> feasts (and I know of people that do this - they go to a local restuarant or
> bring their own food, rather than eat the feast) OR they skip the dishes that
> they KNOW are period without even trying them.

Yeah, that is a problem. There's a fine line between use of period dish
or recipe names as a way to improve the period feel of the feast effort,
and turning some of the more prejudiced food weinies off before bite #
one passes their lips.
> 
> Now some may think... "so what? It's their loss".  BUT if we care to educate
> them.  If we want the populace to appreciate period dishes.  If we desire
> those in "authority" to support our endevors, we need to get them to try the
> stuff.

True. As an educational tool, periodicity of the feast is important, but
ultimately wasted if people don't eat it. The trouble in that place,
with that person, in that situation we're not mentioning, is that [some
unknown proportion of] people did not eat it, and the conclusion that
was drawn was that this was due to the periodicity of the feasts. I'm
sure it was more a matter of prejudice and perhaps some bad cooking, but
using periodicity as a scapegoat (which, BTW, is probably a far more
common instance of mistreating people on grounds of authenticity than
the more usual reports of roving bands of Authenticity Police) for the
real problem, while wrong, is not a problem that will easily go away.  
 
> Again.. the question.  The best way that I can see to handle this is (at some
> feasts) in some areas where this is a problem - Prepare all feast with period
> foods and introduce period dishes WITHOUT announcing in advance that they are
> period.  Just cook and serve the food.  Let the people eat unaware of the
> history of the dish(es).  Then, went all is said and done... let the populace
> know what was period. That way they have at least tried it.

Sounds good to me. What I've done is to provide a menu with the names of
the dishes in their more or less original form, then a brief blurb
describing each one. I've written too much text for 20th-century menus
to do it any other way without a conscious effort. I try to use keywords
that will help people identify the dishes in terms of their own
experience. So, people who know, of course, that blanc mang is a sweet
desserty-dish may be turned off at the prospect of such a dish made with
capon and almonds, but if I explain that it is basically a risotto with
chicken stock, shredded chicken breast and almond milk, my experience
has been that more people will try it. Maybe people are more deeply
prejudiced against the Unknown where you live, but I've found that what
people do is just gloss over the name of a dish they're not familiar
with, come back to the kitchen and say, "Hey, any more risotto?"

At least this way the people who would like to learn about the dish's
original name have the opportinuty to do so...
   
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com