[Sca-cooks] A little diversion

[Peter Ryan]

> > Are you a food geek?
> >
> > Take the following test and determine your personal
> > level of culinary
> > geekdom.
> >
> > Do you, or Have you ever:
> >
> > 1. Lectured complete strangers on the uses of
> > unfamiliar foodstuffs?
Yes, and pointed out new uses for familiar foodstuffs, like galengal. ;)
> > 2. Know what "rocket" is?
Aye, and I used to grow it, but She Who Must Be Obeyed doesn't like the
bitterness, so it's been replaced by rhubarb, a nutmeg bush and lovage.
> > 3. Sneered at the lazy yuppie scum who buy premade
> > polenta at the supermarket?
Never seen premade polenta in my supermarket, or yuppies, for that matter. I
do see lots of shopping carts containing babies, but there never seem to be
any left on the shelves.
>
> > 4. Grown your own herbs?
And spices.
> > 5. Grown your own vegetables?
> >
And fruits
> > 6. Grown your own wheat?
No, but we're thinking about growing flax for textile stuph..
>
> > 7. Foregone buying ice cream because the soup bones have taken over your
freezer?
> >
The originator of this question obviously doesn't have a baby. Our freezer
is full of frozen meals for Peregrin ap Gwynfor
>
> > 8. Made your own demi-glace?
Nope, but I think She Who Must Be Obeyed has.
> > 9. Own five mortars and pestles, but can't find your
> > pepper mill?
Two mortar and pestles, and I always know where my peppermills are. Pepper
is demi-godlike and worshipful.
> >
>
> > 10. Consider your mother a heretic for buying
> > premade pie crusts?

My mother wouldn't know a pie crust if one spontaneously developed sentience
and explained what it was to her.
>
> > 11. Subscribe to seven cooking magazines but mooch newspapers from your
coworkers?
Magazine subscription to this order seems to be a very American thing. "The
Age", our local broadsheet is delivered every day, and contains good
epicureal articles several times a week.
>
> >
> > 12. Stayed up late reading Escoffier,
> > Brillat-Savarin, or Julia Child?
No, but She Who Must Be Obeyed does. I'm more likely to be out in the
workshop working on armour late at night.
>
> > 13. Say to yourself, "I can cook better than this"
> > at a trendy restaurant?
> >
Invariably.>
> > 14. Know the difference between a china cap and a
> > chinoise?
> >
No.  >
> > 15. Fantasize about meeting Charles Ranhofer, James
> > Beard, or Martino da
> > Como?
> >
I make it a rule never to have "heroes". Like me, they invariably end up
being way too human to worship.
> > 16. Brag about your 10-inch Dick?
>
Actually, it's a spotted dick.
> > 17. Know what the last question was about, you
> > vulgar little creature, you?
> >
Naturally.>
> > 18. Have a special carrying case for your knives,
> > sharpening steel,
> > whetstone, and knife oil?
I just wrap them in tea towels and chuck them in the basket.
>
> > 19. Spend hours in the "Used Equipment" section of
> > the restaurant supply
> > store?
>
No, but I scan the auction pages of the paper looking for liquidation
auctions of cooking equipment.> >
> > 20. Kept a sourdough starter alive for more than two
> > months?
> >
I don't do breads. I do the savouries, She Who Must Be Obeyed does the
sweets and breads. And I don't particularly like sour dough. Yeast starters
for brewing is another thing all together.

Hmmm.. I end up with 7 if you're being pedantic, maybe 14 if editorial
licence and cultural perspective is taken into account. Of course, if the
answer cannot be 7 because I have no social life. Between 2 fighter
trainings a week, an A&S meeting, usually an event or a workshop day here on
weekends, armouring, looking after a 14 month old, 4 offices (until
recently... had to drop them to be ready to step up as Baron next month),
autocratting and my own A&S projects who has time for a social life?

Gwynfor Lwyd OP, OLM, AA, PsC, OST etc
Canton of Krae Glas, Barony of Stormhold,
Principality of Lochac, West Kingdom