[Sca-cooks] Most important factor?

[Susan Fox-Davis]

> > I'm having a discussion with some people about judgements of SCA cooking
> in terms of the Arts. From everything I've seen on this list, the most
> important thing SCA cooks look at one another's cooking in terms of the Art
> (as opposed to the service) is "Was it made from a period recipe? How well
> did they follow the recipe?"
> > Anyone care to propound a different theory?
> > -- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
>
>         I'd have to say "How does it taste?" ranks right up there, too.  Now, if
> you are talking about our modern, scholastic/grad school expectations at A&S
> Faires, then "How accurately does the cook portray the original recipe, and
> how accurate was the source the recipe came from?" probably take center
> stage.  For diners, however, the taste issue, perhaps proceeded by the
> visual presentation, takes the foremost place.  I would also say that
> presentation in context with other dishes, sauces, season, and/or event
> would be more important to me as a feast diner than the primary or secondary
> nature of the recipe.  (Note: that's if we're talking a plausibly period
> food here, my "NOT PERIOD" radar goes up with potato dishes, tomatos, and "I
> can't be bothered to do the research, I have hungry mouths to feed!"
> attitudes - but then, we're no longer talking about Art at that point,
> either.)
> Mistress Christianna

I do my best to Feed The Masses with dishes that are as period as possible, either
from
documentable recipes or decently plausible rationalizations [i.e. period
ingredients, period procedures, not always from the same recipe but at least
mutually contemporary], both of which also usually taste good.  They gave me a
Pelican for that.  Still working on the Arts side, where I hold the Grant-Level arts
award, Lux Caidis, for Culinary Arts.  I'm working on some large and small banquets,
and probably need to publish more.