[Sca-cooks] Re: Cost of feast

[Nick Sasso]

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
> Given that I seldom eat feasts these days unless I know who's cooking
and what's being prepared and that I have a preference for properly done
period cookery, I usually get more good feasts than bad ones.  Over 25+
years, about 5% were truly superb and about 10% were absolutely abysmal.
 The remaining 85% were of varying degrees of average. >

I follow your method at feasts.  Unless I have some reason to know it
will be good or better, I make other arrangements.  I have also been
playing with the idea of providing small seating meals at larger events
or sold out events where the main budget will not be impacted by my
invitation dinner.

I have a few basic things I look at in deciding my personal success,
and evaluating others' feasts meeting my expectations:

1.  Safety:  Was the food cooked to safe levels?  When I sneak a peek
in the kitchen, was food being handled safely and responsibly?  Hands
being washed?  Chicken thawing in fridge and not on counter?  Did I get
diarrhea 30-60 minutes after eating the meal?  Hot food hot and cold
food cold?

2.  Value:  Is there adequate food to at least warrant a full meal at
the cost I am charged?  Here is where I place PROPERLY PREPARED DISHES.
Poor cooking is hard to make up for.  Extra points for abundance or
appearance thereof.  Penalty for serving me one small chicken thigh as
the only meat item.  Feasts in 'Niccolo World' are extravagant shows of
hospitality by local nobility for their guests (within the budget).
Lesser or less affluent nobles will have less abundance to share . . .
hosting the King/Queen would warrant greater abundance.  I expect more
from a feast I know is budgeted for profit . . . they are now more of a
business venture, albeit not professionals.  Added cost for me indicates
value added.

3.  Atmosphere:  I put a high value on attempt to provide historically
based feasts.  I can get chicken and rice with green beans at the
Morrison's Cafeteria, probably for not much more $$ (and I know up front
they are profit making), and way more comfortable seating.  Bonus for
providing adequate space for the numbers being seated;  for candle
lighting; for appropriate hall decorations; for servers instead of each
table providing runners.

It really doesn't take a whole lot to satisfy my SCA feast
expectations.  The items above are on scales that range high-low.
Exceptional feasts score high on all three, while pathetic ones score
low all around.

Serve me at the very least enough reasonably well prepared food for a
moderate meal, make an attempt at historical dishes and/or foods and
make some attempt to make it 'feel' like a feast presented at a noble's
manor.  Sliced roast beef and gravy served with green beans and rice, if
enough of it and well-cooked, will probably appease me, and I will not
kvetch too much about the idea of medieval/renn, but it will still be a
merely adequate feast.  Lasagna Bolognese is right out.

pacem et bonum,
niccolo difrancesco
(probably overly sensitive about protecting the general
reputation of the artisans and craftspeople of Medieval Food)