[Sca-cooks] Handling special diet needs at feasts

[Tara Sersen Boroson]

 > Actually, it was pretty simple. Marian came into the kitchen and
 > mentioned to Adamantius that an entertainer wanted to stay for
 > feast, was vegetarian, and would there be enough fo him to eat.

How did Marian come by the information?  Did the guy come up to her and
say "Hey, I'd like to stay for feast, but I'm vegetarian?" or, did it
come to her second hand?  I'm not trying to sound accusatory here!  I'm
only trying to clarify this to fit (or not fit) my point!  If the first
case were true, I agree that he was wrong in over-simplifying his needs
and did Master Adamantius and his staff a disservice.  But if he
mentioned it in passing as, say, why he didn't sign up for the feast in
the first place and it got passed around that way, then it may well fit
my "oversimplify rather than give a long explaination to people may only
use your willingness to talk to them to badger you about your choices"
model.  (Call it a defensive thing - after years of being badgered about
my food choices, I got to the point where I didn't care if people truly
understood them.  If someone asked, I just wanted to get the heck outta
there!)

 > OK, why this free-range/organic thing? This is an honest question. I
 >  have some comprehension of the "poor little critter" and religious
 >  vegetarianisms, but why this twist on it?

Well, I don't have a problem with the basic idea of killing an
animal for food.  I do have *huge* problems with the ethics of the
factory meat producing industry in this country.  It's bad enough my tax
money supports factory farming.  I don't want my net income going into
it, too.  Nor do I want the quality of their products going into my
body.  The issues I have are environmental, ethical (from an animal,
worker and community standpoint,) economic, health (chemical, pathogenic
and other,) and basic disgust at their governmental, social and legal
manipulations and outright lies.  I could go on for, well, a book or two
;) but, if you want more detailed info, we can chat privately.  The
family farm model thwarts all or most of the problems, and I'm willing
to support that.  But, true "family farms" are very hard to find.  Even
my local butcher gets his sides of beef from larger slaughterhouses.
Amish farmers may be a bit better, but not much.  So, the only
certification I know of that guarantees most of my issues are resolved
is organic.  I'm willing to take simply "free-range" if I know I can
trust the source - there is no legal qualification for free-range.
Also, I do garden organically myself and try to buy organic produce and
grocery products whenever feasible.  I feel that's very important, and
wish to support organic farmers and ranchers to the exclusion of
non-organic food producers as much as possible.

-Magdalena