SC - Unhistoric things we serve WAS:Shepherds Pie

[Morgan Cain]

I agree with Phlip on this one.  Lunch is something different than supper.  I have often seen lunch run as a fundraiser by some group, and if it is a student group this might consist of pizza and soda pop.  As long as tney are not promoting the meal as a period-style one, I don't have a problem with lunch being occasionally non-period, especially if it is a fundraiser for a group that might not have access to cooking facilities or the ability to do period-style cooking.

That said, I think feasts should be in period style, even if not 100% documentable.  It is up to the people involved to figure out where they want to fall on that line.  One of my favourite menus is the "bet you didn't know it is period" one that contains meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, angelfood cake, strawberry cheesecake, and stuffed eggs -- all in period format.  If people don't think there is too much dairy, I also open with a cream of potato soup.

(The cheesecake, in individual portions, was particularly popular when I ran a period-style lunch wagon.)

However, some people have different standards.  There was a massive ruckus on the Ansteorra list when a Laurel (not for cooking) huffed and ranted about how the feast at an upcoming event was not period and she was horribly offended.  Of particular offense was the steak course, which she claimed was not period.  I pointed out that she is wrong, steak *is* period, even grilled.  She slammed back at me, and finally backed down to saying that she had been taught that only panfried steak is period, not cooked-over-open-flame steak, and certainly not when served with a modern steak sauce!  The latter I conceded on, the former I disagreed with, and she was quite unpleasant.

It must be noted that the group NEVER said they would offer a period feast, and on the scale of acceptable to unforgiveable I am willing to allow them a nice grilled steak.  Especially if served medium rare and properly hot.  <G>

The Laurel and I have different expectations.  Even in this day and age, I do not expect every feast I attend to be rabidly period, as long as they are not blatently 20th Century.  Not everybody has the interest, skill set, facilities, or support to prepare a perfectly period feast.  OTOH, I don't like to see blatantly non-pre-1600 foods such as tomatoes, corn, white potatoes, peanuts (yep, I've been faced with them), etc., unless the cook offers documentation for the usage.

                ---= Morgan  *


* hooping off my soapbox, although it makes me SO TALL!!! <G>