SC - Food at A&S Competitions

[Daniel Phelps]

Was asked:


Since the subject has come up, can someone explain to me how food
is handled in an A&S competition?  Does one present a dish?  A group
of dishes on the same theme?  A meal?  What kind of quantity is
required?  Enough for the judges?  For spectators to sample?  How
much does presentation count?  What kind of documentation is
required?


I've done a few Kingdom A/S competitions where I've entered food items down
here in Trimaris.  The first thing you must remember is that the Kingdom's
Summer A/S competitions in Trimaris are for individual items while Winter
A/S is now a display competition.   As summer A/S competitions are held in
high summer and judged in the afternoon I've always gone with items that can
be served cold and/or will not go off in the heat just in case the A/C in
the display hall is a bit on the wonky side.  One year I entered a mustard
with bits of toasted bread I baked and some thinly sliced beef.   Another
years Winter A/S, before the rule change, I did the posset I referenced in
my recent post.  I served it cold.

Regards the upcoming summer A/S I will do a food item I can prepare at home,
chill and serve cold.  For Winter A/S I think that I will do a display of
cold "desserts" out of the Bagdad Cookery Book.  It is my understanding that
the display category can be a meal, dishes of a common theme or an item
displayed in various stages of creation.  Regarding the latter I don't see
how that could be successfully pulled off with a food entry but I'm will to
listen if anyone has suggestions.

Regards quantities I've always made sure that I had more than enough for the
judges thus if anyone is interested after the judging it is catch as catch
can if anyone wants samples to taste.

Regarding presentation it is my opinion that it counts a great deal.
Remember it can't be judged if they won't eat it and it's thus likely to
suffer if it looks uninviting.

Regarding documentation I've taken his grace's, Count Gunter's, advice to
heart.  I now make sure to document the recipe in the original, the
redaction I use, any liberties I've taken with the ingredients and how the
dish is prepared and why I did so as well as how it was served.  I also
document the ingredients individually and in combination.  A year or back I
did a flavored vinegar for which I had no recipe.   I documented the source
of the vinegar, while I didn't make that vinegar I've made malt vinegar from
beer I brewed myself as a previous entry,  and documented the flavoring as
well as it's use in combination with the vinegar used.  I was also able to
document flavored vinegars but not the specific one I created, a wine
vinegar flavored with rosemary.

Daniel Raoul

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