[Sca-cooks] Barbara the Gryphon

[HICKS, MELISSA]

Hi all,

I've actually been flat out and doing no cooking and lots of sewing, but I
can tell the story.

> I don't know about anyone else, but I want to hear the Piñata story!

About 3 years ago I ran a Valentine's Ball in Polit (Lochac - Australia).
As it was a ball, the food was finger-food buffet style so I chose a theme
of an Illusions feast.  We were talking lots about warners and sotolties in
this list and I got all enthused.  One week before the event my Head Cook
got an attack of life and pulled out.  She had made the marzipan sweet
sotolties but nothing had been done on the main savoury food.  Four days
before the event Marion arrived from Brisbane to spend some relaxing time
with me.

I handed her a couple of bits of wood and asked "How would you like make the
centrepiece for me?"  "Sure" she replied not knowing what she was getting
into.

The Baronial Device for Politarchopolis contains a Gryphon, so we made one.
Or rather Mari and our non-SCA friend Lemming (with help from Drake) made
one while I got most of the other food pre-prepared.  Yes this is the event
with the Cerulean Blue Sauce *twitch, twitch*.  Mari also ended up my head
cook in the kitchen on the night.

Anyway the Gryphon was made out of wood and chicken wire, which was the
papiermachied over.  The hindquarters and tail were covered in fake fur and
the front quarters and wings were covered in individually glued feathers.
The rest was painted.  Drake did the painting after we discovered he was
gluing more feathers to himself accidentally than to the Gryphon.

Seeing as we were South Park fans at the times and the gryphon became a
monster to make we called her Barbara (due to Mega-Streisand from South
Park).

You see, Barbara contained a number of compartments where we hid food.
There was a hatch in the side where we had platters of cold roast poultry
(simulating eagle meat) another hatch further down containing roast beef
(lion meat).  A slice under the belly where haslets (fruit and nuts in
batter - looking like intestines) fell out.  She also contained a
gingerbread treasure chest filled with marzipan and boiled sweet "jewels and
pearls".  I think we also had something in the head simulating brains but I
can't remember what.  We had hazelnuts that shot out the rectum when the
tail was lifted - we originally wanted Saracen peas from Guter Spise but it
was too humid and they wouldn't roll properly. And of course, being
Valentine's we had a red foil covered chocolate love heart in the breast.

When closed, all of these hatches were invisible to the naked eye.  Mari and
Lemming made this marvel in three days.  At the end of Court (before second
course) Barbara was brought up in front of the Prince and Princess as a
rogue Gryphon found in our lands that was slayed for their benefit.  And
each hatch was opened during court and the food brought out.  Simultaneously
in the kitchen, Mari organised all of the other food to be arranged on the
buffet so that it appeared that all of the second course was from the beast.

After the event we gifted Barbara to the Baron & Baroness and she stood in
their lounge room for quite a while.  Well things happen, I got out of touch
with the B&B, they eventually stood down etc.  Recently Mari contacted them
to get photos of Barbara because she is writing an article on Barbara's
construction.  Those four days will always remain in our history.  They
define the phrase "you don't know what you can't do until you try".

We found out that Barbara had been given to one of the fighting households
in this Barony and she had been trashed. She was finally destroyed when she
was used as a piñata at the household's margarita party at Rowany Festival a
couple of months ago.

At this stage, neither Mari or know what condition Barbara was in when she
was handed to the household, or even which set of B&B gave her away.
However all of that aside, we invested so much time and energy in such a
short space to this creation, and it was built to last and be reused by the
Barony.  We are both quite upset at the way she was disposed of.  If we had
known we would have taken her back to keep ourselves.

Anything you wish to add or correct Mari?

Mel.





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