[Sca-cooks] Re: Presentation of food at feasts (was Of pickyness...)

[Bronwynmgn at aol.com]

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In a message dated 1/1/2002 5:20:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, troy at asan.com
writes:


> A lot of recipes specify the presentation. Some call for foods to be
> made in two colors, served side by side on the same dish. Some call for
> a simple dusting of powdered sugar or a spice mix, some suggest fried
> almonds, fried onions, bits of candied spice or a saffron-laced egg
> wash. Some call for flowers or to be stuck with cloves

The feast I'm working on has two dishes that specify presentation - a lamb
and small bird stew (Fonnell from Forme of Cury), topped with cut hardboiled
eggs which are described as being "pounced" (dusted) with cinnamon, and then
have alkanet applied with a feather.  I forget what color alkanet makes, but
that definitely is a flourish!  The other dish is a cherry and bread crumb
dish (Chireseye, from Ancient Cookery), which specifies that the finished
product should be placed in dishes, stuck with "clowes gilofre" which could
be either cloves or gillyflowers, and have sugar strewn on it.  The cloves
aren't going to add much flavor since they are being added right before
service; they've got to be there mostly for decoration except for those few
people who like to eat them.

Brangwayna Morgan