[Sca-cooks] Medieval cooking for non-cooks

[johnna holloway]

Louise Smithson wrote:
  Our Barony this year is having a pot-luck for Yule Feast and has
requested period dishes from the populace.
>We are located on a University campus so much of our membership is
> A) poor,> B) at the culinary level of boil the pasta and pour over the prego.
> So, I am trying to find simple medieval recipes that can introduce medieval cooking gently to these people.  > Any other suggestions would be welcome.  Remember the cheaper and easier the dish the better.
> Helewyse de Birkestad  Marche of the Marshes
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Sometimes it's easier to divide things into major parts...
like the major household in the group supplies the big cheap
holiday turkey... lots of meat at 69 cents or 99 cents on sale.
plus two or three sides...
Inventory the equipment among the students and see who has what,
if any, ... access to rice cookers, slow/crock pots, etc. Who
lives in an apartment with a stove and reasonable oven? Don't ask
people to prepare dishes that require pans or pots that they don't
own. Who has a car and can go shop? Often students can't get to
the big markets where things are cheaper. Offer transport.
Investigate food coops in the area.
Then start asking questions like: How
many vegetarians are there? Food allergies? How Many PEOPLE
are actually going to attend???
Once you have a feel for equipement and abilities... then
 What cookbooks do you have? Can you
xerox recipes from The Medieval Kitchen or Pleyn Delit to give
to people?  Maybe last of all... they aren't interested in cookery
and would rather donate money and have someone else cook the dish for
them? That's fine... take a donation and assign them clean-up and
set-up.
It really depends on the group, poverty, facilities, who has finals
what day and when?, etc. All these are factors for campus baronies and
Yule parties.
Hope this helps...

Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway