SC - Re: Jellied Milk...

[Olwen the Odd]

It was great!  The weather was beautiful.  Warm, not humid, breezy.  

The Ironchef competition was truly amazing. We had four teams compete.  
They were in my eyes (and tastebuds) all winners that day.  Yes, the secret 
ingredient was saffron - spanish import.  Someone said too easy - well yes 
and no.  Saffron can be tricky - too much and you overwhelm the other 
flavors (and this stuff was last fall's crop - really really fresh).  The Grimfells 
team came up with eight dishes - six of which were documented to specific 
14th c. recipes.   The Mag Mor team did an argent and or (white and gold) 
theme, they also brought their portable period domed oven - just like the ones 
presented in some german woodcuts, where they have the portable ovens 
on wheelbarrow-like contraptions.   The bread and pie they baked in that 
oven where truly great.

Katrei's team made the best Great Game Pie I have ever tasted.  And they 
carved an excellent calentrava (cross of Calontir) on it and painted the top 
a beautiful golden yellow color.  It was huge.  The dish could have served 
20 people easily. The Ioweigans made a superb salmon soup dish.  

Two of the teams churned their own butter on site.  The only dish that 
was repeated was a custard-like tarte.  But each team managed to put 
their own spin on that.  Wonderful.  I think that between the four teams 
we had 26 - 28 items that were made in the three hours of cooking time 
they were given.

Malaak did a wonderful job of presenting the surprise ingredient.  And, I 
think, all the teams were surprised at the choice of ingredient.

The first 10 to 20 minutes after the competition started the teams all crowded 
around their leaders and leafed through the books they had brought on 
14th century cookery.  Then, off went the runners for each team to the 
grocery store.  I stepped over several times to "stir the pot" by announcing 
how much time had passed and how much more was left.

Many many people wandered over to taste test the results during the 
competition and during the judging, and immediately following the judging.  
Her Majesty even managed to make it over for a few minutes to sample 
some of each team's cooking.  Each of the teams got to taste the other's 
results also.  

The judges were slightly upset that I was making them vote up or down 
and not allowing them to grade the entries on a scale.  But they all seemed 
to be much impressed by the food presented.  I didn't envy them their job, 
and I was glad to have talked Malaak into sitting in on the judging - so that 
I wouldn't have to. (big ole smile),  They fell into their roles naturally.  One 
person saying that she normally doesn't like this or that, but that the entry
she was trying was really really good. Another pontificated on the texture,
the taste, the aroma. We had two gigglers who exclaimed over everything
and we had one person who said they didn't know a thing about cooking
but that the food was really really good.

Each team could receive up to a maximum of 20 points for their entry.  
No team received 20. The winning team received 17 points.  The votes up 
and down were on appearance/presentation, flavor, aroma, and judges 
discretion.  

And, I want everyone to know that the only evil I perpetuated was that I 
hadn't made up my mind as to what the secret ingredient was going to be.  
I knew what I wanted for the ingredient as soon as it was announced that 
the competition would be limited to 14th C. English cookery.  I did not share 
what the secret ingredient was going to be with anyone until a few minutes 
before it's presentation when I let Malaak know so that he could come up 
with a suitably dramatic speech about the ingredient.

The winning team members were awarded a hand-cast pewter medallion 
made in the shape of wok, with raised lettering "IRON CHEF curved around 
the outside edge and a roman numeral one in the center.  The medallions 
were made by a gentleman who had moved to Mag Mor from Atlantia.  His 
name starts with a G, and he is apprenticed to Master T.K. 

I'm hoping that we can convince a group to allow us to host another 
Ironchef competition this fall at their event.  I received several great 
suggestions on what to use for a surprise ingredient for the next one.  And 
now that we have one under our belt, I think we can all relax and breathe 
just a little easier.  

In talking with several members of a couple of the teams, I believe the guild-
sponsored Ironchef competition format will not be changed.  This will 
disallow the results being used for feasts.  We want to keep this in the fun 
range for novice and less-experienced cooks in our kingdom - and having 
the added pressure of cooking large portions would eliminate some of the 
fun for many.

Kateryn de Develyn
Guildhead - Calontir Cookery Guild

Watch our webpages - An event report by Mistress Tatiana, menus, and photos 
coming soon.  www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/4756/cguildh.htm 
or link off the Calontir pages under guilds/associations.