SC - LOL and a question.

[Brian L. Rygg or Laura Barbee-Rygg]

    I was co-feastocrat while nursing a 9-week-old daughter -- I had to take
over when the feastocrat had to leave on a ski trip the morning of the
feast.  She did the buying and togehter we did some pre-cooking and prep
work.  It was a hassle -- I set up a corner of the kitchen for the 3 nursing
moms and I cooked in my chemise.  It's tough.  I seem to have a habit of
filling in at the last minute.  Naturally, that was the event where the
Prince and the Princess came in to interview me for Principality Chronicler
(which I did get despite the interesting interview).
    I'd rather work before the baby is born, personally.  You won't get a
lot of regular sleep for a while.  But my best recommendation is to work
with and for an experienced cook for an event and be in on the planning so
you can learn all the aspects of doing the job right.  I came into the SCA
having worked in my church's soup kitchen every Wed. night for 2 years
feeding 120 every week.  I was in charge of planning, buying, cooking,
everything and anything else.  I learned a lot.  Feeding people in the SCA
is different than catering, too.  Be a volunteer for a while first.
Usually, the kitchen can always use another pair of helping hands.  I
volunteer to bake the bread because I like doing that job (and I hate eating
store-bought French bread at a feast).

Raoghnailt

> I have  question. Evidently several of you are way
> more advanced than I am where period recipes and
> feastocrating are concerned. HEre's the question,
> where do I start. I am really seriously thinking about
> feastocrasting for an event coming up. It's still in
> the early planning stages, so I have no idea how many
> people we are talking about, or the theme that kind of
> hting.
>  I've done field kitchens, and helped in the kitchens
> and serving for other people who were feastocratting.
> I'm five months pregnant (with a few minor
> comlications), so I'm not quite sure how much extra
> work I want to take on for right now. It may be better
> for me to wait til after the baby is born
> before I offer to do an event. Can someone give me
> some advice. I want to do this pretty soon, but it
> doesn't have to be this event. My husband signed me up
> for this list. It was a surprise since he forgot to
> tell me :) BUt a pleasant one. You lovely gentles here
> seem to have alot of experience so I thought I'd ask a
> few questions before I opened my mouth and volunteered
> for something that would be too much for me to do
> right now. What do you wish someone had told you
> before
> you did your first feast? THings like that.
> Thanks in advance.
> Nisha