[Sca-cooks] Scandinavian feast

[Peter Ryan]

Period Scandinavian is very difficult to do. The best I have come up with is
reconstruction of recipes and cooking methods using archeological findings
as a guide. We know what the cooking pits looked like, and what ingredients
were found in the vicinity of those cooking pits, as well the types of
cooking vessels. We also have some reference to Viking foods in the sagas.
It then becomes a case of, this is what they had to cook, and this is what
they could have cooked the ingredients in, and here is the type of cooking
that could be done on/in/over a cooking pit, so what is logical. The biggest
difficulty for me, here in Australia, is finding some of the ingredients,
like herring, cod, hawthorn berries, rye grain etc. This summer I intend
building a Viking cooking pit in my backyard, and constructing some of the
cooking vessels so I can have a play. The only problem being that the spot I
want the cooking pit to be is also where She Who Must Be Obeyed thinks
Peregrin ap Gwynfor's sandpit should go. I think if I also build a clay
bread oven a deal may be made, though.

Gwynfor Lwyd OP, OLM, AA, PsC, OST etc
Canton of Krae Glas, Barony of Stormhold,
Principality of Lochac, West Kingdom
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Gunter" <countgunthar at hotmail.com>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2001 1:34 AM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Scandinavian feast


> It looks like your post got lost among all the
> talk about Thanksgiving, Bacalo, and Jello. But
> I think it does deserve recognition so here goes.
>
> >I have not been reading the list for about a week. O MY GOOD A 1000
> >MESSAGES.
>
> Um, yeah. Cooks seem to talk a lot.
>
> >I was ask to do a hearty, familiar tasting,Viking/Scandinavian,
> >not necessarily period feast.  Hear is the menu.
>
> For something not really documented and just for "feel" I
> think you did a very nice job. If you want something a little
> more accurate there are several folk on this list who are
> pretty well expert on Scandinavian and Viking era foods.
>
> >
> >First Course:
> >
> >Three different flavored soft cheeses; Garlic, Herb, and Shrimp,
> >Crackers, Salmon Pate, Pickled Herring, Creamed Herring,
> >Brined shrimp.(every  thing
> >was eaten but the shrimp flavored cheese)
>
> Wow! They ate the Pickled Herring? It's pretty diffifuclt for me
> to get folks to eat that. I happen to love it though.
>
> The rest of the menu sounds pretty good. What sources did you use?
> One of my best friends did a Scandinavian feast this year and used
> some of my cookbooks. I don't have any real period sources for
> that style of cooking but I do have 4 modern cookbooks on Scandinavian
> cuisine. She served open-faced sandwiches, fish stew with fish balls,
> a meatloaf in sour cream crust, some kind of vegetable I can't
> remember right off, and berry pudding with fresh cream. I heard
> it was a hit even in Texas.
>
> Congrats on a fine feast.
>
> Gunthar
>
>
> >THLady Jana Aoibeall
>
>
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