[Sca-cooks] Andalusian feast

[david friedman]

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>Greetings!  As I mentioned several weeks ago on this list, I'm cooking a fe=
>ast for an event my college is hosting in early March - the theme is an And=
>alusian wedding feast (early 13th c).  It's my first feast ever and I'm mor=
>e than a little nervous about it.  I've got a first-draft menu, and I was h=
>oping I could show it to you all and get some feedback on it.  I planned th=
>ree courses plus sweets at the end.  Each course will have a substantial ma=
>in dish and three "side" dishes - I hope that's enough to keep everyone fro=
>m going hungry :)  All the recipes are from the Andalusian cookbook (1300) =
>and the Baghdad cookbook (13th c?);


Yes.

>the names of the recipes I kinda-sorta =
>made up, but I'll give the original names and page numbers so any of you ca=
>n look them up if you're curious. :-)  (I can also email recipes if anyone =
>wants.)  I hope it makes sense.  So, here is the menu...
>
>Each table is going to be set before the feast is served with little plates=
>  of olives, nuts, pickled vegetables, bread, and labneh ("yogurt cheese") w=
>ith herbs ["shiraz bi-buqul" B12].  Possibly fresh herbs and veggies, if I =
>can find that such a thing is appropriate.
>
>
>First course:
>Garlic chicken ["thumiyya" A8], or chicken with garbanzo beans ["safarjaliy=
>ya" A30]
>Lamb meatballs with eggplant-yogurt dip ["buran" B8]

I think if you look at the recipe, it's pretty clear that it isn't a
dip; it ends:

  "Pour on top of this the eggplant, sprinkle with fine-ground cumin
and cinnamon, and serve. "

>Yogurt and cucumber salad ["qar bi-laban" B12]
>Fava beans with vinaigrette ["baqili b-khall" B13]

I haven't done it; does it require fresh fava beans or dried? You can
frozen green fava beans in a middle eastern grocery store with luck.

>
>
>Second course:
>Couscous ["kuskusu fityani" A55] with lamb and chicken [one of the "tharida=
>s,"not sure which] and  vegetable stew ["jannaniyya" A52]
>Fried fish ["samak maqlu" B11], or fish cooked with fennel ["basbasiyya" A5=
>2]
>Sauteed spinach ["isfanakh mutajjan" B12]

I believe that middle eastern sesame oil is the kind done from
untoasted sesame seeds, not the highly flavored chinese condiment fro
toasted sesame seeds. I mention this because when I originally did
that recipe I didn't know that and used the chinese version. It was
good, but I 'm reasonably sure it was wrong.

>
>
>Third course:
>Lamb with turnips ["tharda of meat with turnips and walnuts" A31]
>Lentils ["muzawarra" A52]
>A spiced eggplant dish ["arnabi" A52, or "a dish of eggplants" A24]
>A cheese pie ["mujabbana" A22]
>
>
>Dessert:
>undecided - most likely something that involves sugar and almonds...
>Fresh and dried fruits
>
>
>
>I have looked over some of these recipes more carefully than others, and we=
>'ll be starting to test them out this weekend.

Something we like to do is a rehearsal--the whole feast scaled down
to one table. That has three advantages

1. You know the cooks have actually done their dishes once
2. You may be able to spot bottlenecks. Keep track of things that
would take much longer if the quantity was much larger.
3. You can get some idea of the balance of the whole feast--both what
you have too much or two little of and whether there are too many
fried dishes or whatever. Be sure to have at least one meat and
potatoes type among those eating it.

>Almost any of them could ch=
>ange :-)  I have only been to two SCA feasts, so I don't have a terribly cl=
>ear idea of how much to serve, how long it should take, what dishes people =
>will eat more of than others, etc.  I think the three courses will probably=
>  take 3-3 1/2 hours to serve, but there will be lots of entertainment and s=
>tuff, so I hope people won't get bored.  (I also hope this is enough food f=
>or them to be satisfied by the end of the meal, but not stuffed after the f=
>irst couple of dishes.  I really have no idea how to judge something like t=
>hat.)  If anybody has suggestions about such things, I'd be vastly apprecia=
>tive :-)

My main reservation is that it sounds like a very ambitious feast,
especially if you haven't done one before. I would be inclined to
start with something considerably simpler Elizabeth and I did an
Islamic feast recently and there were a total of six main dishes, not
counting the barmakiya and dips that were served during the afternoon
or the desserts. You don't say how many cooks you have, how many
burners, or any of that stuff.

Our rule of thumb is half a pound of boneless meat per person, a
little less if there are substantial meatless dishes such as lentils.
--
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/