[Sca-cooks] Period Foods: How to Fake It!

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> But to know what constitutes a period look and feel, you really have to
> have done the research and the cooking. I wouldn't expect you to know what
> early 13th c. Spanish illumination styles look like (for example) without
> having done the research necessary to familiarize yourself with the
> subject, thus I wouldn't expect someone who had no knowledge of period
> cookery or foodways to produce a plausibly period buffet or table. I might
> be agreeably surprised if they did, in fact, manage to produce such a
> thing, but I certainly wouldn't expect it.

Certainly. But we can help people produce a MORE period luncheon than they
would have by just running into the A&P (_are_ there A&P's anymore) and
grabbing some lunch food.

> Besides, if you're going to go to the effort to make something *taste*
> period, why not just make the period recipe to start with? There are, as
> already mentioned, plenty of easy period recipes with modern redactions
> out there and available.

Not to be too picky, it does depend on the level of cook, assuming the
person would want to cook. I would stay away from anything involving
custards or egg pies for the newbie cook, and everyone seems to want to
give them darioles and Tart for Ember Day for reasons unknown to me. (more
grumbles on this in another message).

I would suggest things like sops, filled rolls made with bread dough, raw
fruits and veggies (I think we've finally convinced you traditionalists
that people DID eat these raw sometimes), cold meat, bread, cheese, and
things to put on bread.  I.E.  what the East Kingdom tends to expect to
see on a dayboard, which is why I sent Cera the URL of the dayboard page.

I know in the past it may have been necessary to get away from period
foods that were like modern foods. But I think that looking for period
foods that are cooked similarly to modern foods may be an idea whose time
has come.

-- Pani Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
"And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including
yourself. That's what sin is." -- Terry Pratchett, _Carpe Jugulum_