[Sca-cooks] nibbling and buffet tables and such

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Pixel, Goddess and Queen wrote:

> On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Ted Eisenstein wrote:
>
>
>>A question that occurred to me on another list. . .
>>
>>There is a custom in some kingdoms (well, in at least one. . . )
>>of having a table of nibbles and bite-sized cocktail-party-type
>>food outside a vigil tent, for those waiting in line to talk to the
>>person on vigil and interested bystanders.
>>
>>Was there anything remotely like this, in period? Not necessarily
>>outside a vigil tent, but more generic; a table or five, full of
>>small food items, for, oh, breaking a fast on a major high holy
>>day when there's no time for a regular breakfast, or to last you
>>until the real breakfast, or before or right after courts or
>>gatherings-of-lords-and-retainers to discuss business. You know,
>>a buffet, for when there wasn't time for a full meal, or people
>>simply needed something to tide them over?
>>
>>Alban
>>
>
> You mean *indulge the flesh*?! From what I've managed to gather from my
> readings, the lord *might* have had a snack brought in but most of the
> other situations you mention, probably not. Vigils were very religious
> experiences, marked by, among other things, purification by bathing
> ritually and by fasting.
>
> Fast days you weren't supposed to have more than one meal, regular days
> you were only supposed to have two. Breakfast was a weak indulgence
> (although probably indulged in by many people, even if it was a hunk of
> bread just to get going), and a more common thing later in period than
> earlier.
>
> I wish I could remember which book it was that mentioned this, but I've
> done so much reading on the subject lately they blur. Anyway, apparently
> the idea was that you weren't supposed to eat until full, you were only
> supposed to eat until you were mostly not hungry anymore. Deprivation is
> good for the soul. ;-)

There's also a fair amount of evidence to suggest that many nobles
solved this problem with a filling, warm drink, such as a posset or a
caudle, even hot tea with eggs beaten into it in the mid 17th century.
An extension of this line of thinking, at around the same time, may have
led to the pulpit condemnation of ladies having servants bringing them
cups of chocolate to sustain them during Mass. I don't have a direct
source for this one right at the moment, but it's pretty well-known
anecdotally...

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

"It was so blatant that Roger threw at him.  Clemens gets away with
things that get other people thrown out of games.  As long as they
let him get away with it, it's going  to continue." -- Joe Torre, 9/98