SC - Lady Seaton's Project

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Diana wrote:
> 
> As far as the "her Grace" goes, I know she has avoided events where fish was
> going to be served.  Unfortunately, some cooks have even planned fish on the
> menu when they think she may attend so as to discourage her attendance.

I know I've heard people joke about that, and have seen event notices
with the line, "Take Note: Yes, there will be fish!" I suppose this is
open to a wide spectrum of interpretation. I'm not sure, though, whether
cooks have really built their menus specifically to discourage the
lady's attendance.

At various times I've contacted the lady myself and spoken to her about
what I was serving, just in case she planned to attend. Generally she
has been polite and gracious to me, but at a 12th Night not too long
ago, I made up menus and ingredients lists and had them posted all over
the site, nobody representing the lady contacted either myself or my
autocrat with questions about the feast in advance, and a representative
stormed into my kitchen accusing me of premeditated, attempted murder.
Apparently they'd found out about the fish. I showed the representative
our hermetically sealed, cryovac packages of cod fillet (we'd gotten a
great deal on the frozen stuff, luckily), and explained that when I
discovered the lady was on site, I rebuilt my schedule to enable her
time to do what she had come to do, and was prepared to wait until half
an hour before service before opening the packets, and if that was not
sufficient I could put them in touch with the xenobiologists who make
the plastic bubbles for people with immunity problems.

This display of my Natural Charm (tm) mollified the gentleman a bit, who
later became greatly embarrassed after they exchanged statements of "You
didn't call them either??? I thought you said you were going to!"  

> I
> can't vouch for the authenticity of her allergy (did people in period have
> allergies? for those who need a smack with a clue-by-four, this was a joke),
> but I also don't like being mean to someone who has never done me harm.

I agree completely. I did personally witness the shrimp fried rice
incident, but that was years ago and the breakdown of what causes a
histamine reaction in a person can easily change over time. I know my
own very few and generally rather insignificant dietary restrictions
have caused me enough trouble; I can imagine what it must be like to
have ones the lady is reputed to have, and even living with such a
person must be very difficult at times.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com