[Sca-cooks] non-sweet Elizabethan dishes

[Nancy Kiel]

Actually, into the 18th century dishes were either meats, desserts (little
light palate-clearing things) or sides.  Sides could be veggie or starch,
savoury or sweet.  Yes, in the past, meat was considered better than
vegetables, therefore it will be more difficult to cater a feast for
vegetarians than for not if you are using period receipts.  How far the cook
wants to go to accomodate those with dietary concerns is up to the cook;
those with dietary concerns need to let the cook know, but should not take
offense if they cannot eat everything that is served.  I personally loathe
lentils, but I don't expect the cook to not make a lentil dish if he wants
to.  That's the joy of wealthy dining in history---lots of choices so
everyone gets enough to eat of things he likes.



Nancy Kiel
nancy_kiel at hotmail.com
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.   Emerson


>
>Seriously, I did think the view (or at least the expression thereof)
>that non-meat-eaters need to be provided with demonstrably "main"
>dishes to make them feel they are getting their money's worth is
>mostly about the attitude of the person in question, and no more
>sensible or silly than the people who bitch about not getting several
>pounds of meat for their feast money.
>
>I agree, it's probably the best deal for everybody if meatless dishes
>can be incorporated into the main menu, rather than working too hard
>on elaborate vegetarian dishes only a few people will eat, and if
>there are enough of such dishes, nobody should feel underappreciated
>or ignored. I think part of the relegation of vegetables as "side"
>dishes is simply feeding into the idea that a main dish must contain
>meat, and if it's not, it's a "side", which is not only a relatively
>modern concept, but not even in keeping with ideas outside of a
>relatively small part of the world, even now, allowing for exceptions
>like feasts at Buddhist monasteries.

>Adamantius


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