[Sca-cooks] Re: Arghhhh feast Service

[Elise Fleming]

Anahita mentioned Interkingdom Anthropology in regard to feasts and
serving.  Even though Head Table might get the same food, my
personal take is that the folk are _not_ the same as at the other
tables.  They are representing "important people" such as kings,
queens, princes, princesses, etc.  I will say, from my perspective,
that it is pretty embarrassing to have to ask His Majesty to please
ask the people sitting beyond Him to please pass the fried
mushrooms.

Two servers can probably serve High Table, but what I've been
finding from my recent experience sitting at it, is that either they
need to stay there (or one of them does) or the Royalty need to have
one or more of their retainers fill in.  My personal opinion is that
the Head Table folk shouldn't have to take the bowl of food and pass
it down.  It should be presented to them, individually, and either
the server serves a portion or the Royalty can spoon it up.  Food
that is placed in front of the highest personage often never gets
beyond that person (if S/He is busy talking) or is sent down one
side of the table only.  That's where having a server (or two) stay
at the table helps.  The server keeps the dish moving.  The server
comes back to ask if it is wanted again.  The server keeps the glass
filled.

I've been at feasts at Head Table where my water ran out, no server
(or retainer) was present, and I had to get up and go look for some.
Now, I'm as egalitarian as anyone, but if I'm acting as Princess or
Queen, does that really look very good?  Princesses and Queens can't
go anywhere by themselves, can't carry stuff, can't do lots of
things.  Suddenly at a feast they are expected to pass food as in a
boarding house.  I think this is coming off stronger than I mean,
but consider what the impression on the populace is when the
Princess gets up to fetch a bowl from the far end of Head Table.
Or, consider the subtle impression given to Royalty (who are
expected to set an example of being "royal") when the food is just
placed in front of them and they are expected to pass it down, back
and forth, and serve themselves (usually without a serving utensil
in the bowl!).  If we are going to maintain the "separateness" of
the Royals, a little extra personal service during feast will help
maintain that illusion.

Okay... My opinion.  I frankly _love_ to serve Head Table and
provide the personal touch... bowing, kneeling to present the dish,
offering to serve the food, unobtrusively returning periodically
with dishes to see if more is wanted, and so on.

I'm getting hungry thinking about the delicious food at feasts!
I've eaten MREs for the past two nights.  No time to get to the
store and the refrigerator and freezer have little that is edible in
them.  I'll make up for it at the Cooks' Symposium this weekend...

Alys Katharine