SC - food seasons

[Stefan li Rous]

My first true feast was in Sept of 1976, after the
Angels Anniversary Tournament. The feast was held in a
nearby church hall [Holy Trinity Episcopal], which had
beautiful handcarved gothic wood beams.  Since I had
done a few periodesque lunches for the Baron and
Baroness, they asked if I would handle this banquet. 
However, the Baronial coffers were not very full, so I
made the suggestion that instead of us providing all
the food that we do a planned potluck.  Those calling
in with their reservations were given specific recipes
and amounts, depending on the size of their party, the
skill, or lack thereof, of the cook, and what they
told me that they could afford.  Families and large
parties were given meat recipes, couples and singles
who could cook were given side dishes, and non-cooks
and poor students were asked to bring non-sliced
loaves of bread or packages of cheese.  The
reservation count came to 60, not counting royalty
[who ate free].  Everyone was to bring a serving dish
for their contribution.  The tables were set up in a
giant U shape, with the Prince and Princess in the
center and the Baron and Baroness on either side of
them.  On either side of them were the Baron/Baroness
of Dreiburgan and the Baroness of Isles.  The rest of
the people sat on the outside of the U, with the
center for servers to serve and entertainers to
entertain.  I made a baldachin with the arms of the
Barony on it, for the Royalty to sit under. Another
lady bought cheap red broadcloth and made tablecloths
for the tables.  We asked for everyone to bring
candles and candlesticks/candelabras.  All the recipes
came from Fabulous Feasts, Dining with William
Shakespeare, both of which had just been published
prior to the feast and a couple of modern sources.  I
can't remember the exact menu [this is after all 25
years ago!], but I do remember serving a beef dish and
a chicken dish; a rice dish and valauncie from Fab
Feasts, a beet pie, a mushroom dish, a carrot dish and
a compound salad from Dining, Glaumorgan Cheese
Sausages from a Time-Life cookbook, a rosewater and
pineapple sharbat made by Lady Eyana bat David and
rosettes made by myself. We had a variety of breads,
cheeses and dried fruits provided by the non-cooks. 
Everyone brought their contributions to the kitchen as
they arrived.  I and two other ladies were in charge
of reheating the foods and then serving them.  I
didn't put anything in real courses, but just had
everything served as it became ready.  I had all the
candles lit just before serving and dimmed the
overhead lights.  While everyone was eating a lutenist
(whose name I can nolonger remember) played John
Dowland and several duets with his wife, who played
the flute.  Marguerite the Uncoordinated sang several
Elizabethan songs.  Muis the Insane and a friend did a
Commedia sketch.  Lavendar of Lorne [now Mistress
Lavendar] did a Shakespeare soliloquy.  Neptha of
Thebes [now Duchess or Mistress Neptha] did her
signature belly-dancing.

Everyone loved the event and had a good time, but we
never did another like it.

Huette

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Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they 
shall never cease to be amused.

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