SC - Cooking Challenge

[campcook at uswestmail.net]

On Fri, 03 March 2000, Christine A Seelye-King wrote:

> 
> OK, I've been thinking some more about the cooking challenge.  (This is
> my hypothetical one, not Gunther's proposed one for HRH Trimaris.)
> How about advertising it ahead of time, and getting cooks to sign up in
> advance.  Then have the boxes and the sources ready on Friday night, they
> can pick up their materials as they come in.  Then, they have Friday
> night to study the sources for recipes they can use with the materials
> they get.  A Menu has to be posted by a set time, say, 10:00 AM on
> Saturday (this lets latecomers like daytrippers have an hour or so if
> they can get their act together in time).   If we're feeling really
> magnanimous, we can let them know which sources will be available, and
> let them bring their own copies.  They won't know the ingredients, but
> they can be familiar with the books.  
> An entrance fee might be charged to cover box costs.  Another idea might
> be to let each entrant know what to bring, for example, tell entrant A to
> bring 10 pounds of top round, entrant B to bring 20 pounds of parsnips,
> etc.  Hard to divide up to be equitable, but it could be done, I suppose.
>  Spices might have to be handled by the host.  
> Then, the results can be judged on taste and presentation, as well as
> documentation.  
> What else?
> Christianna
> 

Not to be a nay sayer, but everyone on this list needs to 
remember back to the days when they were new to period cooking,
or cooking in general.  There are those on this list who have
a lot knowledge about such things as period preparations and
spices.  But, there are also those on this list who are new to
it all.  What I found out in our first combat cooking was that 
I was the only one out of 6 teams of 4 people who knew what all
of the spices handed out were.  And some of the participants are
considered to be among the best cooks in the kingdom.

Now, here is the awful truth of the whole thing.  I could have
documented every thing that I prepared, while few of the other
dishes could be.  As a result (due to the King's taste) did not 
win the competition.  Am I dismayed?  No.  The experience was a 
great opportunity for cooks with less knowledge to learn 
something new about period food.  

The contest was not perfect, as it was the first one of its kind
in our kingdom.  This year, we will take what was learned from
the first attempt and make changes that will make it better.  
The boxes were prepared based on a set of period recipes.  But
guess what, everyone including myself came up with a different
set of recipes.  Agreed, some were not even perioid, but the
learning experience was priceless.  

<stand on soap box>
This was not an A&S competition or even a Laural's Prize Tourney.
It was a lesson in practical application.  I don't disagree with
the need for using original sources and recreating recipes, but
for any of us to look down their nose at someone who doesn't 
measure up to our expectation, can do more damage than we may 
ever know.  Wham!  One more potential cook lost due to feelings
of not being able to measure up.  

Personally, I have to admit that I have found this list can be a 
bit intimidating at times.  It is also very humbling.  Most of
the entries are critiqued on some way.  If it weren't for the 
tidbits of knowledge that I gain along the way, I would say that
its not worth my time to participate.  Just look at today as an
example, over 200 new entries and how many of those were 
responses critiquing the thoughts of the originator?
<jumping down now and ducking for cover>   

- --
Ld. Steffan of the Close (The Camp Cook) Tir Ysgithr, Atenveldt
(Steven Cowley -- Tucson, Arizona -- scowley at uswest.net)

Vert, three armored arms in triskellion, each maintaining a 
spoon, argent, between three cooking pots Or

Signup for your free USWEST.mail Email account http://www.uswestmail.net