SC - My First Feast as Head Cook

[Decker, Terry D.]

> that's perfect. The kitchen is good, although the stove and one prep 
> counter are across from each other with a sort of narrow space that 
> leads to some butt bumping.

Use the other prep counters to actually ready the food, then transfer it to
the counter behind the stove which is the cook's workspace.

 It has been suggested i make just two courses plus dessert 
> because there was too much food, and looking over previous menus 
> shows this is more typical.

To much food is not a problem as long as the expenses are recovered.  I
budget high, buy low and work at breaking even.  Part of this is having some
idea of how many people will take the feast.  I set my numbers a little low
this year because I have a good idea of how many people fit in the hall
comfortably, but I was notified this morning that all the seats have been
reserved, which means I'm over break-even.

> _First Course_
> Root vegetables (baked seasoned carrots and parsnips?)

Platina has a recipe for carrots baked in the embers, IIRC.

> Lumbard Custard (trad.) - please help, i don't have a recipe for this 
> - what cookbook is it in?

Check the Florilegium:

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/idxfood-sweet.html

 
> _Second Course_
> Roast Pork Loin (trad.) (1/2 lb. boned uncooked per person)

Okay, do Cormarye, nice tasty roast pork loin and period.

> Red Cabbage (trad.) any tasty recipe suggestions?

Not with me, but I can pull it out of the notes when I get home.  I have a
German recipe of uncertain ancestory which cooks them with vinegar, sugar,
and cinnamon.

> Grain dish, "cheap and filling"  - Last year's barley pottage was 
> horrible and nobody ate it. I'm thinking Frumenty with cracked wheat. 
> Any other suggestions?

Another suggestion, rice pudding.  Platina has a good recipe.  And the one
I've prepared for this weekend is:

Rice Puddings.  Take halfe a pound of Rice, and steep it in new Milk a whole
night, and in the morning drain it, and let the Milk drop away, and take a
quart of the best, sweetest, and thickest Cream, and put the Rice into it,
and boyl it a little.  Then set it to cool an hour or two, and after put in
the yolkes of half a dozen Eggs, a little Pepper, Cloves, Mace, Currants,
Dates, Sugar and Salt, and having mixt them well together, put in a great
store of Beef suet well beaten, and small shred, and so put it into the
farms, and boyl them as before shewed, and serve them after a day old. 
				Gervase Markham 
				The English Hous-wife, 1615 
 
1 cup rice 
3 cups milk 
1 cup cream 
3 egg yolks 
1/8 teaspoon pepper 
1/8 teaspoon cloves 
1/8 teaspoon mace 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup sugar (brown or white) 
1/4 cup currants (raisins) 
1/4 cup chopped dates 
3 Tablespoons minced suet 
 
Put the rice and milk in a pan.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Cover pan.  Reduce
heat and allow to simmer until rice is soft (about 30 minutes) and the milk
is absorbed. 
Drain off any excess milk. 
Add the cream.  Bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat.  Simmer for 3 to 5
minutes.  Cover and remove from heat. 
While the cream is absorbed and the rice cools, mix the remaining
ingredients together in a bowl. 
Stir the mixed ingredients into the rice.  Cook over low heat for about 5
minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and thoroughly blended into the rice. 
Remove to a bowl.  Serve hot or cold. 
 
Notes:  The overnight soaking of the rice in the milk appears to be for the
purpose of softening older grain, which will not cook up immediately. 
 
Markham's instructions are to put the rice pudding into molds and serve it a
day old, presumably to allow the flavors to meld.  The dish was probably
eaten cold. 

> 
> Anahita al-shazhiyya

Bonne chance

Bear