[Sca-cooks] Pic of Bear

[Jones, Craig]

Barbara Benson wrote:

>Greetings,
>
>For my part, I have done - to date - two feasts. Both feasts took me at
>least two to three months to plan and had extensive revisions from my
>initial idea to my final menu.
>
>If you are willing to function under the provisions placed upon you then I
>wish you the best of luck and offer any assistance I can provide (you have a
>great deal more experience than I but I will give you any of the redactions
>I have done).
>
Gramercy.  Since the theme is the _Tres Riches Heures_ of Jean, le Duc
du Berry, I'm looking for good redactions from Talliavent and Menagier,
and any other good French dishes of the era.  The theme of the feast
itself has been intended to be the Canonical hours, and I could've sworn
I'd seen a period reference to such a feast, but it's eluding me at the
moment.  Some menu from a period French epiphany feast to be set before
a King and court would be nice to see.

>
>
>That said, if I had volunteered to cook a feast and then received the
>requests that you have then I would politely tell them to find another cook.
>If a Baronial head commisioned an Illuminated scroll for their tournament
>would it be accepted that they request not one, but three different (fully
>executed) designs for the scroll? And then reserve veto rights over the
>colors & styles chosen to paint the scroll.? I do not think so! Crafting a
>feast menu is as much of an art as any of the arts in the SCA. To attempt to
>exert that kind of control is ludicrous.
>
_That's_ not a response I considered.  Thanks.

Part of the issue is that A) A certain peer of the realm asked for
permission to prepare a 12th Night bid in a Barony other than her own --
to wit, the Barony in which I live.  B)  The Baron was particularly NOT
encouraging, but saying he'd go along with it if we found an appropriate
hall, C) Said hall was found, and it seems the Baron has now appointed
himself to be the overseer of the 12th Night committee, with the
self-designated responsibility to second guess everyone else's jobs.  He
is now insisting that, as the Crown's representative, he is responsible
for the success of the event, and thus is within his rights to claim the
final say in all matters.

Note:  The Mistress Autocrat of said whole event is an experienced feast
cook, and content to let me select dishes and themes.

Note also, the Baron is ALSO an experienced cook, and I suspect part of
his desire to make comments on my menu stems from his desire to be
running the feast himself.

I wouldn't have a problem with suggestions or comments, but I'm really
balking at not being able to make the final decision on the menu.

Thank you all for your comments.  They are helping.

Frustratedly,

Jared