[Sca-cooks] redactions

[Terry Decker]

The original topic was the lack of original recipes in "All the King's
Cooks," which expanded into commentary on adapted recipes versus original
recipes and then into original and adapted recipes in competition.

Can the judges follow the logic of the orriginal recipe?  (I am sometimes of
the opinion that judges can't read and comprehend simple modern English.)

Does the judge interpret the recipe differently from you?  Providing the
logic and process of your recreation can help others accept thet your
interpretation is valid.

The how and the why are part of evaluating the accuracy of a historical
recreation.  The value may vary dependent upon the quality of the sources.

Cooking is an art.  Historical cooking is an exercise in culinary artistry
within the boundaries of historical research; haiku as oppsed to free verse.
The form is as critical as the artistry.

Bear



>I believe the original topic was being marked down in competition for not
>including one's own version of a receipt.  My point is that if the original
>receipt provides an adequate description of the process, it is unnecessary
>to re-write it.  Yes, one should include quantities of ingredients; yes, if
>one does something different from the receipt that step should be
described.
>  But, how does writing a redaction ensure the receipt was followed?  If
one
>follows the original process, why must a redaction be done?  Why is
>documenting the process necessary because different people will interpret
>the same receipt differently?  That seems irrelevant, since you are judging
>an entry against the receipt, not against how others might make it.  If a
>receipt is lacking in instructions, the entrant must include what he has
>done, but if all the information is there.... Why is it important to know
>how I reached and why I made the choices I did?  Lastly, how would one
apply
>the above how and why requirements to a performing arts type of entry?  How
>could one explain the choice of one rhyme over another?  I suspect my
>problem is that I view cooking as an art, and feel that excessive
>documentation can make it too much of a science.
>
>
>
>Nancy Kiel