Was: SC - Per head budgets/Now:populace likes-dislikes

[DeeWolff@aol.com]

DeeWolff at aol.com wrote:
> 
> This is real wonder to me. Here fish is relatively inexpensive and easy to
> get. But every attempt at serving it has been nixed by the populace (We once
> did whole salmon for each table). It is depressing to see the same old
> chicken and roast beef on the menu everytime, but that's what they eat.

Really? It's been a year or two since I cooked a feast myself in
Ostgardr, but I really never noticed a problem with people's willingness
to eat fish. I think there's a small, vocal minority that likes to
complain about it, but I just tell them we're all out of Oscar Meyer
Lunchables, we have no more toys left for the Happy Meals, and it's time
to grow up. It's not as if we don't provide ample non-fish alternatives
for the truly opposed. My impression was that there may be about 5% who
won't eat it, and about 45% who will eat it in nearly unlimited
quantities. Have I gotten this wrong somehow?

In recent years, I recall Le Menagier's Cominee des poissons, some
English version of egredouce made with cod, hot-smoked whiting, various
fish soups, saumon gentil, and a late English dish of mussels that were
nearly identical to moules marinieres, all being served with success in Ostgardr.

Could my vocal minority be more than a minority, or could your majority
simpy be an extremely vocal minority?     
 
> Sometimes they are willing to try a small piece of venison, or pork, but it's
> always beef and chicken that they will clean up.

True on the beef and chicken, although I haven't noticed many leftovers
on pork, lamb, or even rabbit. It's possible that on rabbit and fish,
though, we could simply be overbuying.  
 
> Some of us like to vary the menu (I prefer game meats and birds-was raised on
> woodcock, deer, and fresh caught fish), and it's frustrating to see the lack
> of "daring" to try something new (or old). If you stray too far away from the
> "blessed likes", you are accused of not giving them their monies worth. Or
> worse, your reputation as a cook suffers, even if you provide tasty
> alternatives. Any input ?

I've found that the less daring people respond better to fish, rabbit
and other semi-unusual foods in a form where they're not being stared
down by a whole, dead animal. Fish fillets in portion-sized chunks seem
to go over better than whole fish with skin and bones intact, more's the
pity from the gastronomic standpoint. Rabbit parboiled and pulled off
the bone, or boned before cooking, or simply jointed like a chicken,
seems to go over better than a whole roast rabbit. I think part of the
problem may simply be that a lot of people never learned to carve and
serve properly in the first place, and that this may be compounded by
big sleeves, ruffs, etc.

Or, it may be that I've been unaware of this phenomenon going on under
my nose all this time. I'm just surprised.  

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com