Feast stewart at the crossroads was Re: [SCA-cooks] Pulled sugar

[Darren Gasser]

Generys ferch Ednuyed wrote:
> OK, so here's my question - why does it seem like the entire world is
> so very allergic to paying a reasonable price for a meal? I mean, I
> have gotten better food in the SCA for 8 or 12 dollars than I could
> EVER get at a restaurant...and in the restaurant I'd pay 4-5 times
> that for the same meal. (Think about it - when was the last time YOU
> had a 3 or 4 course dinner at a restaurant?).  Not that I'm saying
> that all feasts should be 7 course meals... but at the same time, why
> do SCAdians expect their feast cooks to, as someone here said, spin
> straw into saffron? (that was a lovely turn of phrase, however said
> that).

(Getting all of this out of my system before heading home to start cooking
for Potrero War...)

I'd really like to hear the opinions of those more experienced, but off the
top of my head I'd guess this has to do with a couple factors.

One is that the feast cost at most events is often large in proportion to
the event cost.  A $10 (or $15 or $20) food cost for a $5 event seems
disproportionately large on first glance, regardless of the economic
realities involved.

Perhaps more significant, though, is the Prix Fixe nature of most feasts.
People who do many events on a tight budget can't decide to save a few bucks
and order just burgers or salad at a feast the way they could in a
restaurant.  It's an all-or-nothing proposition.  Perhaps something we cooks
should consider more for large events...

-Lorenz