[Sca-cooks] Shortcuts to period-like foods (was How to Fake It!)

[Stefan li Rous]

Olwen declared:
> Well, Cera, do you feel sufficiently brow-beaten yet?  Cripes, all the
> Heros jumped down your neck!  Anyone else need to take a shot at 
> her???!  All
> She did was ask a question....
I'm with Olwen here. Cera, I think the biggest problem is actually the 
way you originally worded your question or specifically the use of one 
word. While "catchy", I think it was a poor choice. That word or phrase 
was "How to *Fake* It, when I think what you really want is something 
like "Shortcuts to Medieval Food" or "Store-bought Medieval Food".

For I don't think she really means to fake having a period food, but 
rather to offer suggestions so that modern non-cooks or inexperienced 
cooks can come up with a quick meal that, if not totally period, at 
least gives a reasonable impression of it and isn't jarringly modern. 
Yes, having a totally period feast would be nice. But for various 
reasons, *none* of us has presented a totally period feast. It's a 
matter of degree. Cera, please correct me if I am mis-reading what you 
are trying to say.

I know others have tried to offer such lists. I know that "Traveling 
Dysshes",  written by Siobhan Medhbh
O'Roarke tries to provide some lists of such store-bought foods that 
will work in a period setting. But not everyone has the book or has 
even read it, especially the newcomers or inexperienced cooks. The more 
lists in various places, the better chance these folks are likely to 
see them and to possibly make use of them.

As I tried to point out in another message, these lists of food items 
can be of use to many people. New folks to the SCa, especially folks 
who don't know that much about mundane cooking to those who have more 
experience but don't have the time to put a fully period meal together 
for a sudden pot luck or an event lunch, which unfortunately often 
includes myself. Everyone has limited time and funds. Perhaps there is 
someone who prefers to use their time creating the intricate 
calligraphy that decorates the Society's scrolls, but who will take a 
peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch rather than spend the time 
to grind meat and season and stuff it to make a period sausage. But if 
given a list of which modern sausages would be close to period (and 
yes, "close" will vary according to individual), would choose to buy 
and bring one of those.

Let's work on giving them a reasonable list to start with. Then once 
you have gotten them to take that small step, you can work on getting 
them to try the simpler redactions that are out there such as 
Sekanjabin instead of that can of Coke.

Just having the redactions alone is not enough. Many people don't have 
the knowledge of even mundane cooking that will allow them to pick up 
many redactions and cook that item. This was very much how I was before 
I joined this list, which is obvious if you consider some of the 
questions I've asked.

Stefan
Climbing down from the soapbox, er ah, stump.
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****