[Sca-cooks] Cooking Contests was Iron Chef

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Sharon Gordon wrote:

> This is pretty fun as is.  I don't think the limits placed on the real Iron Chefs would work too well in the SCA since the Iron Chefs have the benefit of years of professional training and full time experience.  I think an opportunity to plan and consult books and notes even things up and results in a better challenge.

Professional training?  A few SCA people do have some, such as Aeduin [cooking courses at Cal Poly Pomona and years in the restaurant field] and others on this list, including [I believe] Jamal.  [and if he hasn't been in the cooking biz then he should be, that big ol' crowd-pleaser!  <g>]  The additional expectation for a cooking contest in the SCA is the idea that the dishes should be made of ingredients available in the appropriate parts of the world before 1600, which is why we need the historical cookery sources on-hand to satisfy the academic authenticity maven contingient.  I know I got grilled pretty thoroughly by a Laurel or three at these contests.  Also, keep the style appropriate to SCA period.  "Conjecture" can be taken too far, and I'm as guilty as anyone of this particular "crime."  Oil, vinegar and eggs were known to the Medieval world but combining them in an emulsion as Mayonnaise was clearly invented at a later date.  Like that.

> To me it would even be fun if the team knew a month or two in advance what they would have to work with though this would be a major variation on the Iron Chef theme.  It's my experience though that a lot of people enjoy really being able to maximize what they can do within set limits.

That worked well for us.  It's all right to spring a surprise theme ingredient if you have a TV Network's budget for a luxury pantry containing every possible needed ingredient, but that's not feasible for us mere mortals.

> 3) Siege contest.  Each participant is given what you might call pantry odds and ends like 1 cup of flour, 2 eggs, an orange, 1/2 cup of honey, 1 whole chicken breast, 1T salt, 2 carrots--perhaps small amounts like this of 15-20 things.  They then are to try to fool two visiting royalty into believing that the castle has plenty of food, and here is this feast as an example.   Sometimes in this case the participants are allowed to bring small amounts of herbs and spices.  In the case of one group that does regular siege contests, they can bring 2 tablespoons of dried spices/herbs and 1/4 cup fresh herbs/spices.  You can bring as many different kinds as you want as you could bring 1/8 teaspoon of 16 dried spices for instance.   This tends to be judged similarly to the others with the addition of valuing complete and multi use of all your foods--like using skin and bones for soup stock, and doing things to get a much variety and apparent volume of food as possible.

I really dig this idea and would like to bring my spicebox and participate in one.

> C) Chef gets to use the contents of a person's grocery cart and whatever is in their house.

I just dare the Fud Network's "Door Knock Dinners" to come to my house.  We may or may not have ketchup but there's spices they haven't heard of, like Grains Of Paradise or Long Pepper.

Just, not today.  We are still recovering from Caid Twelfth Night Banquet.  Is it naptime yet?

Selene Colfox, Caid