[Sca-cooks] Re: Attractive presentations

[KazOShea at aol.com]

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Ok this is from what I have found in references to cooking. And mind this is
applying an Elizabethan standard to things.

Head table got things that those not sitting at it didn't. A special dish or
two, obviously preferred treatment, and more courtesy shown because they were
of higher rank than anyone else there.Not every dish was garnished, but you
presented rich dishes because it reflected on your social class and wealth.
Food was presented "attractively", take that as you may.
 After everyone was done eating they would then go to the banqueting room, or
house if you were rich enough and ate a banquet of sweets. Which consisted of
suckets, cunningly wrought marzipan and assorted jellies and other sweets.

When I had to do a 12th Night feast last year, we had a special quail dish
for head table and had candied fruit peels an marzipan flowers on the table
for the guests. We had a few time sensitive dishes, and we did present them
as attractively as possible.
Even if it was only a sprig of parsley on board and neatly arranged meat on a
platter.
I did not recreate the war of the roses using a pork dish.

Regarding the food allergy/sensistivity issue. We have had in the past a
number of people sitting that had food concerns. So we have  been able to
present dishes in seperate platters or bowls. Of course we had a really great
crew working in the back washing dishes between removes. A lot of work but
never heard any complaints about this is touching this other thing. And
considering I do now a couple of people that will die from eating the wrong
thing or contamination by said thing I do really watch the contamination
issue and land on anyone cross contaminating in my kitchen. I am happily
omnivorous and can eat anything.  No allergies although too much peanut will
give me a splitting headache.

Hope everyone has had a happy holiday.

Iago