[Sca-cooks] More ...thoughts...

[Bronwynmgn at aol.com]

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In a message dated 1/7/2002 11:23:55 PM Eastern Standard Time,
christina_elisabeth at yahoo.com writes:


> .
>
>    No.  That's not what I said. I said that I would give MY OWN
> CREATION a "period-style" designation and a "period-style name" IF I
> entered it in a competition. This is what I did in the case I was
> describing.
>   IF I'm serving it to friends, or for a potluck, I wouldn't give it a
> fancy title, nor would I state that it was period; I WOULD say that it
> was NOT period, but that it was MY re-creation of a period dish or
> however I chose to create it.  At no time would I tell anyone that it
> was an authentic, really-for-truly period dish.
>

Yes, I realized after I sent and reread my own post coming back from the list
that I had misunderstood you on that point.  Sorry about that.  Teach me to
respond to something 10 minutes before I need to leave for work on a snow
delay day.

<<I didn't enter just to compete, I entered because it's something I
think I can do, and I'd like to learn to do it better. This particular
event was a learning and doing event, where the entrants stay with
their entries and answer questions which are asked, not only by the
judges, but by everyone who attends, if they wish. Also, the event was
sponsored by my Barony, and was less than 30 min away. I think that I'd
be a pretty poor member if I didn't help out.>>

I hope you had a good experience with that format of competition - I never
have.  Every time I try an exhibition along those lines, about the only
comments I ever get are things like "Wow, that's cool" or "You did a nice
job".  I don't think I've ever gotten a single bit of useful feedback from a
competition or exhibition, which is why I don't get involved in them anymore.
 And I totally agree about helping out your barony; I've gone and helped out
at a number of events that my shire has run that I wouldn't have even gone to
if it was somewhere else, because I wasn't interested in the theme.

<<If they assume an unlabled, un-named potluck dish is period, I am
sorry, but it's not my fault. >>

No, it wouldn't be your fault, but you may hear yourself quoted as a source -
"I know potato soup is period, because so-and-so brought it to a potluck and
she knows lots about medieval food!"  It's happened, to me and to other
people I know.  I've also had someone assume that the food at the local
Renfaire (Chinese, french fries, baked potatoes, pizza, etc) was period
simply because it was sold at the faire.  The person was quite angry when I
told them it wasn't, and was nearly ready to sue the faire for false
advertising until I pointed out that the faire never claimed that the food
was period; it had been that person's own assumption all along.

I said (in regards to the theory of only having to document something for
competitions:
<<<snip>You see, that has a corollary to me -
>that because it's the SCA, you should never
>even have to think about authenticity unless
>you want to win awards.
Christina Elisabeth responded:
Politely, horsepuckey >>

But it's not.  Ask his Grace Duke Cariadoc (a member of this list) about his
experiences with this.  There are a large number of people in the SCA,
probably not a majority but a substantial minority anyway, who sincerely do
think that you do not have to even consider documenting something unless you
want to put it in a competition.  I've asked someone for documentation for
something and been met with a baffled "I don't have any - it's not for a
competition" or "Oh, it's not for a competition, so I just went ahead and did
what I wanted".  And a substantial number of those think that the only reason
to enter a competition is to win it and get your name in the running for
awards.  I'm speaking from 12 years experience here, admittedly mostly in one
kingdom, but if you're from Stonemarch, it's the same kingdom as yours.


I said:
<<>How can you learn about anything if you
>blow off the authentic manner totally
>unless you are doing it for competition???

Christina Elisabeth replied:
<<I never said I did. You seem to have assumed that from my statements.>>

No actually I didn't.  What I did from change from specific (talking about
what you said) to general rhetorical (the above question) without making that
clear enough.  I apologize for seeming to say that you personally were
blowing things off.

<< I DO try for authentic when I can and/or need to.  I DON'T see the need
to document something that isn't period, or meant to be; >>

I do personally see a need for negative documentation of the "This recipe is
not period" on the list of ingredients on the potluck dish sort, if only to
avoid the inaccurate assumptions mentioned above.  I don't want to
inadvertently "teach" someone something wrong and then have them point to me
as their source.


<<I'm sorry if we seem to be on different sides of the matter, but I
would hope it's my way of expressing  it that you object to, not my
point.>>

I don't think we actually are on different sides; I think I'm guilty of
letting a post hit one of my hot buttons and responding without going back
and re-reading it later before I sent it.  Again, my apologies for
misunderstanding your take on things.  I do, however, maintain that there are
a number of people who do think in the way I was objecting to.

Brangwayna Morgan