[Sca-cooks] Why Cook?, was Period vegetarianism, 'Lainie looses her cool

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

'Lainie wrote:
>We are cooks, first and foremost. If you don't cook, stay out of the
>kitchen. We are also re-creationists, and here is where I want to challenge
>the list to do some serious thinking and stop yelling at each other.
>
>Why do we cook? Are we merely filling faces? Are we basically throwing a
>big-ass party for a bunch of friends in funny clothes? Are we trying to
>approximate for the diners the experience of eating a feast in the Middle
>Ages? My suspicions say that most of us are between the second and third
>choice.

Well...
I cook because:
1.) I enjoy cooking
2.) I enjoy the challenge of making unusual food
3.) I enjoy the smells, tastes, textures, and appearance of food.
Cooking is an art that employs all the senses. And i like intense
sensory stimulation. (except for the feet that feel like they are
standing on flaming razors about half way through the evening)

I am not cooking to fill faces.
I am not throwing a party for friends in funny clothes.
(and i'm not looking for lots of approval, although i always hope
people will think the food tasted ok)
I am trying to approximate for the diners a Medieval or Renaissance
or Reformation period meal.

1.) I try to cook individual dishes that are as close to the historic
recipes as i can.
2.) I try to present them together with compatible dishes -
compatible in flavor, color, and texture. They should not all look,
feel, and taste the same.
3.) I try to present them in a somewhat historic context - that is,
the food should be related - Boar Hunt 2001 was a mostly German feast
(i filled in with a few English recipes when the German recipes were
too vague); the Mists Bardic had each course from a different region,
but were basically consistent within the course; (ok, ok, so my very
first feast had food from England, France, and Spain, but they were
good together - however, i don't plan to do that again.)

However, i don't live in the actual Medieval or Renaissance period.
1.) I *have* to wear glasses - i'm really near-sighted and can't see
well beyond a few inches in front of me. I could not cook properly
without them, or i'd likely injure myself and maybe somebody else.
(and i don't know if glasses are "period" for a Muslim world persona)
2.) I *have* to wear comfy shoes AND put something in my shoes when i
work feasts because i see no reason for being in physical agony (feet
on flaming razors), and i take Naprosyn to alleviate the inevitable
back pain and foot pain even with good shoes and inserts - and i
*will* be limping by the end of the feast.
3.) I use the refrigerator and freezer and gas stove and gas oven. I
use thermometers in the oven to make sure i get the right temperature
and a meat thermometer when cooking big hunks of meat so i can be
sure they're cooked through. These compromises are primarily for food
safety.

Compromises:
1.) I am willing to make some compromises for diners - for (gulp)
vegetarians (primarily by using vegetable broth in non-meat dishes)
and some allergies (if notified enough in advance - the main
allergies of which i've been notified are nuts, mushrooms, dairy, and
wheat - i just make sure that one course doesn't have too many dishes
that use the same allergens).
2.) I compromise when the autocrat or guest of honor has a specific
request (such as baklava at the Mists Bardic), but i try so steer
them away from glaringly modern foods (no baked white potatoes, no
chocolate mousse).
3.) I compromise because i can't get the ingredients (bittern? i
don't think i can get this bird), or certain foods are too expensive,
or certain food won't be eaten much, so i either don't make these
recipes or make only small quantities.
4.) I compromise in how i serve the feast and each course, as most of
the historic *menus* i've seen are meat-heavy or have way more dishes
than i can cook and serve and the funding group can afford. (cook
books present plenty of vegetable dishes, but i haven't noticed many
being served in the menus i've seen)

However, i'm not willing to try to make masses of compromises to suit
a small number of feasters.

I hope to make my feasts in the future more historic in presentation,
the menus and the courses closer to the historic. I've been cooking
feasts for less than 2 years. And my goal is to improve with each
feast.

Anahita