[Sca-cooks] re: What class would you teach/take?

[Debra Hense]

Classes I'd like to take:

1.  Class on how food was actually served forth -
bowls, platters, bowls on platters etc... Did they
dress up the presentation? Or was that reserved for
subtleties.

2.  Class on food/recipe differences between cultures -
what makes a recipe/feast German as opposed to
Catalan/English/French/Italian/Russian/Spanish?
Herbs/Spicing, cuts of meat/methods of preparation?

3.  Class on differences between centuries for a
particular culture.  More sugar, different spices, new
plants/animals? Why it occurred - conquest/trade...

4.  Class on how to go about translating a foreign
language manuscript when you don't speak or read,
much less write anything but American/English.

5. Class on newly discovered/translated to English
food-related manuscripts. where/how to get copies.

6. Designing feasts for a particular time and region.
For example: German, Autumn of 1399 to go with the
theme of the event/reign.

7 Sugars - What were the different types of sweetners
available.  When were they available?  And where?
Differences between the different grinds/grades/processes
of sugars.  Turbinado v/s Cyprus v/s Barbary v/s Muscovado

8 Cheese - What was made in period?  What is its closest
cousin/descendant today? When where they available
and where?

9 Sausages - what was made in period. What is closest
today.  What was available when and where?

10. Substitutions - What are viable substitutions for
today's cook, especially when some ingredients
are hard to come by.  How to obtain the hard-to-come
by ingredients.  Determining exactly what you are
substituting: flavor, texture, aroma or visual appeal.
(I used to teach this one.)

Kateryn de Develyn