[Sca-cooks] Meat and not potatoes feast

[Michael Gunter]

>I shan't give you precise menu ideas, but rather an idea of
>what a fighter's appetite is likely to be like. ;-) Keep in
>mind this is my personal preference and observation of what
>I've seen my fellow combatants devouring.
>
>I don't know about Selene or Gunther, but when I've been
>fighting, I want protein, preferably in animal form, lots of
>beverage, preferably not too sweet (I have had sekanjabin
>that was just *vile*), and occasionally
>battered and fried things. [Mmmm, salty fries!]

<The rest of the good stuff snipped.>

Okay, putting on my "big dumb stickjock hat" here are some of the
things I like after a full day of fighting.

The best thing I've ever had after fighting all day at
Estrella was visiting the Calontir encampment and being
served a cup of hot chicken soup. Not period or anything
but it had everything I was craving.

I've also served feasts in very primative conditions so here
would be some of my suggestions.

Soup cooked either in a big cauldron if you have access to
one or in big stockpots. Something like a blanche porrey
or leek soup. Or a nice beef pottage. Warm, liquid, filling
and salty.

Charred animal flesh, especially beef, is always welcome with
fighters.

Starchy fillers. Couscous, rice, frumetty, breads, etc....
Recharges the batteries and makes empty stomachs happy.

I suggest something like greens as well. In the summer season
add some pickled vegetables or salat with vinegarette.
I made a totally non-period but totally satisfying dish of
couscous mixed into a Greek salad of feta, tomato, cucumber,
green peppers, olives and herbs in vinegar and oil. It was
terrific after a day of exercise.

A small sweet is good but not that necessary or that much.
Either a rice pudding or bakalava or even a nice fruit shortcake
will be good.

Now many of these suggestions are not period but will hopefully
be a base from which you can develop a menu using period foods.

Like I said, the Cook's hat came off and the fighter cap was on.

>Margaret FitzWilliam

Yers,

Gunthar
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