SC - First Feasts & changing traditions

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

OK, I'll bite. it's a really slow day here at work. No one wants to brave
the 6 degree F temps to check out library books. Let me see. It was 17 years
ago, and that's really stretching the old cranium. I doubt I can recall all
of it. Heck, the shire doesn't exist any more, so there's no one to remind
me!
It was a Royal Progress, and I forget who was on the throne of the East at
the time. We made:
Salad (no tomato, but WITH red cabbage and a bazillion other veggies such as
carrots, onions, herbs, etc.) with oil and vinegar. Birds of Beef (modern
stuffing since I didn't have a recipe, just a description of the dish).
Bread, cheese, and Honey butter served in little bread-bowl swans, also
savory butter (cheese and herbs in it). Saffron rice.  Glazed chicken (that
was really winging it, but I didn't know I was going to be a cooking laurel,
did I?). Hot buttered noodles with cheese. Lemonade. Iced Tea. Someone
brought a cake frosted with the shire's arms. And, (gack! I can hardly admit
to this, but I SWEAR it wasn't my idea:) Apple flavored kool-aid mulled with
spices.

Of course, they decided to extend the event an extra day, and so the next
day (memorial weekend in the US) everyone pitched in some ingredients and we
made spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs, salad, and some leftover
Gatorade with lemons and oranges thrown in for good measure. Really had fun
with that one. Impressions of The Swedish Chef ( muppets) while cooking up a
killer sauce. Barber of Seville in a comedy routine while serving ;). That's
the event where (thank god) I learned the value of music and laughter in the
kitchen. It stuck with me ever since. I have been known to have folks come
in and sing for us if there's no CD player available. Light hearts make fast
work, etc....

Blown my cover now for sure.....

Aoife


>Now _there's an interesting potential topic....so, everyone, what did
>y'all do for _your_ first feast?
>- --Maire (a local event--12th Night, sort of a combined auto-/feasto->crat
position....I seem to remember borrowing pudding basins from
>Raoghnailt....and that I had NO idea what I was getting into <ggg>)