SC - Unhistoric things we serve

[Adler, Chris]

>>>>>>Me, I go for Tasty and well cooked first, but I must confess that I
have to do a doubletake over many of the items you can find. Lunch is
frequently the culprit meal, either because less experienced historical
cooks start with Lunch first, or because less effort (or expense)is made to
make lunch an historic meal.>>>>

Aoife,

You're thinking of AE Coronation lunch, aren't you? Yes, I remember the PB&J
there, and at 12th Night as well. I love peanut butter as much as the next
person when I'm dressed in modern clothing, but it *was* pretty jarring to
see it on a table surrounded by folks in Medieval clothing. It wouldn't have
been quite so glaring if it was in a bowl, but there was this
industrial-sized jar of Skippy...

OTOH, I generally don't have a problem with cheddar, since 1. it's cheese,
so seeing it on the sideboard isn't blatantly modern, and 2. people argue
back and forth whether cheddared cheese is similar in texture and taste to
some period English cheeses, and thus I consider the jury to be out on that
subject. I believe that seeing white cheddar on the lunch table is a lot
less obviously modern than seeing corn on the cob! :)

The most jarring thing I've seen on a sideboard? Oreo cookies.

And I've noticed that the food court offerings at Amaral next month sounds
more like a Ren faire than an SCA event: turkey legs, lasagna, baked beans,
hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, stuffed potatoes, etc. It's all
really yummy, but it's really a shame to build a site specifically for SCA
camping events, with wooden battlements and such to create an isolated
medieval atmosphere, and then to sit down to chomp on pasta with red sauce.
Sigh... (End of rant)

Whenever I go an out-of-area event and I see yummy and well-prepared but
very *modern* food on the sideboard, I usually make the time to go help wash
dishes or chop veggies in the kitchen. I strike up a conversation with the
head cook or lunch cook if I can, and I find out whether lunch was a
last-minute thing, or whether it's being handled by someone new to
feastocratting and/or medieval cooking. 

If they were rushed, I shut my mouth. If they don't know much about medieval
cooking, or think that medieval cooking is difficult, I then pleasantly
suggest a few sources on the web or books that they can buy cheaply which
list modern vs. medieval ready-made foods which they can buy (roasted
not-KFC chicken, artisan-type loaves of bread, olives, apples, accurate
cheeses, etc.) or simple recipes with modern names they'd recognize
("quiche" instead of "Ember Day Tart, " "apple or pear pie" instead of
"wardon," "scrambled eggs and onions" instead of "hanony," lentil stew,
pasties, salad, beef sausages, etc.) 

Sometimes, my suggestions aren't appreciated. More often, cooks who want to
make a great meal *are* interested in learning about period cooking if
they're shown that it's not all "weird" or difficult. It usually helps if
the person making the recommendation is rolling up their sleeves and helping
out rather than just pontificating and taking up space in the very busy
kitchen. It also helps, in my case, that I'm a small female with glasses -
especially when dealing with male cooks. You *really* wouldn't be mean to
Bambi, would you???? :)

Katja