[Sca-cooks] Requirements for a Laurel

[a5foil]

Gunthar scripsit:
 > I truly want to know from the Laurels and apprentices on this board what
they look for in the Peerage.

I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but what I look for boils down
to only two things: (1) superior knowledge and/or excellent skills and (2)
sharing information.

Competitions per se don't matter. Although competition can be a good way to
show off your skills, it is by no means the only way. But you do need to
show off your skills in *some* way. For feast cooks, that's usually done by
cooking feasts. BUT for the Laurels to sit up and take notice, you have to
provide good documentation for those feasts, to show that you know the
period stuff as well as the modern practical side of things. For those who
don't often have the opportunity to cook feasts, demonstrations and
competitions become more important.

BUT ... if you're a superb cook and know everything there is to know about X
aspect of medieval cookery, it doesn't mean a thing if you only do it for
your family or your household. You have to share that information and help
others develop their skills. You can teach, formally or informally. You can
write articles. You can translate otherwise-unavailable documents. You can
help less experienced cooks. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Hope this helps.

Cynara
aka Mistress Aelfwynn Gyrthesdohtor, OL, OP, etc.
Caer Mear, Atlantia