attractive presentation (wasRe: [Sca-cooks] Vegetarians)

[Gorgeous Muiredach]

Johnna,

Thank you for bringing up points that I hadn't thought about.

>Where is the documentation that all dishes must
>be dressed or garnished?

Dunno about documentation.  But I *do* know that they don't all need to be
garnished.  An attractive presentation doesn't by definition mean a
garnish.  It doesn't need to be an elaborate one either.  But!  I think
that presenting food in an attractive manner is important.  Too many times
food is "slopped" on the dish and brought out.  That is where I have a problem.

Master A's KISS is worth a lot (You! Out of the gutter <wink>).  Yes, for
Savarin's sake, don't hide the food with garish garnish!

>Also...
>If every dish goes out in a separate bowl to avoid cross-
>contamination and food allergies, then multiply the dishes
>served times the number of tables and you can run into feasts
>needing 150-200 bowls and platters plus serving spoons and knives.
>That often means having to wash dishes between courses.

Yeah, you have to find the fine line between reasonable accomodation and
whatever-we-might-call-it :-)  While I also firmly believe in trying, I
don't think it is humanly possible to accomodate *every* food need and
special diets.  Yet...  Yet, I you must do some efforts to keep things
aside.  Don't put the sauce on the meat.  Don't put the starch with the meat.

But what do I know?  I've never actually been in charge of an SCA feast,
soooo, it's all very rethoric for me.

Gorgeous Muiredach
Rokkehealden Shire
Middle Kingdom
aka
Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry