SC - good food

[Jeff Gedney]

> I joined this list in the middle of a HUGH discussion. After 180 messages 
> there was one thing that stood out.
> All anyone wants is good food they can enjoy eating. I thought that was the 
> main objective of a cook!? 

Yes, but not necessarily inso general a fashion.
Do you always go to a chinese restaraunt to eat surf and turf?
You go to a chinese restaraunt to eat Chinese. 

At a medieval event, one would think that medieval food would 
be served, no?

The choice of cuisine is clearly going to be delineated and 
illuminated by the context of the event and the nature of the group 
being cooked FOR.

You would not be inclined to cook Sichuan at a dinner for the Sons of 
Norway, would you? 
You wouldn't feed Lutefisk to French Revolutionary war Society, would 
you?

So, a cook in the SCA should be serving food targeted at the nature of 
the SCA, in order to have a good contextual relationship between the 
event and the feast.

When the food is out of context, it detracts from that medieval context 
we are creating for everything else.

I am sure that in Trimaris, the the SCA is, just as it is for all of us, important
and not serving as pretend playacting society. For me, at least it is a LOT 
more than that. Therefore, as a cook, I would want to contribute in kind
to the event, that the people at dinner continue to experience the 
Medieval atmosphere. 
Having a beautiful and elaborate Court, then sitting down and listening to 
Madrigals and then to be served Hawaiian Hot Dish and Bananna Splits 
would cheapen the event, no matter how well the food was cooked. 
I would feel guilty to serve something like that. 
I think you would too.

The food _should_ reflect the medieval nature of Society events.
That enhances the experience for all the diners, and allows them,
just for a moment, to experience the "magic" of the "Dream".
I was proud, as a cook, to do my best to help people get that experience.
We are, all of us, proud, I think, to make those moments happen for 
our diners. That is _why_ we struggle with test recipes, Medieval Arabic, 
or Medieval German, to find new recipes.
To know we have helped our diners have those moments of magic. 

NOT to do some "boffo ArtSci project".
That was always the wrong reason to cook. 
It certainly is not why _I_ do it.

Anyone here cook just to impress people with arcane knowlege?
Probably not.

> If the food you make is totally gone by the time 
> everyone is done eating then that says it all, you are a good cook. Being 
> able to make it period just means you are a Great cook! :)

Agreed, but that was not the point of the long discussion...
the point was whether or not Period food, _by definition_, was edible.

Brandu