[Sca-cooks] Tableware

[Terry Decker]

Food was generally served as a messe (group of dishes) usually meant to
serve two or more diners.  If the food required more cutting than had been
done in the kitchen or by the carver, it would have been cut on the serving
plate, then transferred to the trencher.

Small birds, for example, would be served whole to be torn apart at the
table, then the pieces transferred to the diners plates.

A proper lady, I see.  Although it would be the responsibility of the lord
or lords with whom you are sharing your messe, rather than your trencher.

Bear


>mneumark at hotmail.com writes:
>
>
>> so while I do
>> know trenchers were used, perhaps they were used on and off because you
>> wouldn't want a trencher when eating something you are cutting, would
you?
>>
>
>But how often would a noble actually need to cut his own food?  If it
wasn't
>"hacked into gobbets" before cooking, wouldn't the carvers be cutting it at
>the sideboard before it was served to the tables?
>
>Brangwayna
>(Besides, I'm a lady.  It's the responsibility of my lord, or the lord with
>whom I am sharing my trencher, to cut appropriate servings for me :-)  And
>boy, is it sometimes hard to wait for him to do it!)