[Sca-cooks] al-Barran Midwinter is done!

[Kathleen A Roberts]

and boy, am i tired!  still!!!

saturday i served over 350 plus what appeared to be a 
rather successful snack and meal.  i had some great 
pre-help and site help, and this time i came closer to 
supervising the kitchen rather than being elbow deep than 
i ever have before.   that was kind of nice... but still 
tiring. ;)

the event theme was christmas in the time of the 
troubadours, and most research was pre 15th century 
recipes, adapted for presentation to large numbers.

for complementary sideboard (read mid-morning snack) we 
had salted breadsticks, honey mustard, grapes and an 
assortment of commercial pickles, olives, marinated 
mushrooms and artichoke hearts.  people really seemed to 
appreciate the little noontime snack since the gate opened 
at 10, and dinner was at 3.  the meal was served on time 
and the last plate served two hours after the first went 
out.  there was 1/2 hour of entertainment between the meat 
course and the poultry course.

the feast consisted of
1st:  salmon pasties, pate (chopped liver), compost, 
herbed cheese, toasts, egg 'salad' (ugly peeling 
necessitated the morphing of stuffed eggs)

2nd:  beef/venison stew w/ wine and raisins served on 
trenchers, pork/apple/onion stew w/ thyme, oatmeal pudding 
with apples and raisins stewed in white wine w/ginger, 
butter and honey; roasted vegetables 
(carrots/onions/parsips/turnips/rutabegas/leeks)

3rd:  broth of thyme not served due to inadequate amount, 
but not missed

4th:  a version of hens in the lombarde manner being 
chicken thighs w/bacon under the skin basted w/ vinegar, 
cinnamon, cloves and ginger, rice with pears in red 
wine/red wine vinegar sauce, and peas.

dessert:  a huge groaning board of cookies (featuring some 
of master huen's gode cookeye springerle), tarts, pizelles 
and fruit with a later addition of mamoul, almond cookies, 
pomegranites, dates, figs and apricots which were a 
special "Middle Eastern" presentation danced and processed 
during evening court from our B and B to the sultan and 
sultana (king and queen).

many happy nummy noises were heard throughout the hall. 
 the kitchen was assailed with requests for more of the 
beef stew and pork stew.  i don't know where all the 
feasters 'put it'!  and of course, being me, there was 
plenty for seconds.

basically, we fed almost 400 people with $1300.00, which 
is really not too shabby i think.  we also fed the event 
site janitorial staff, bartenders and security (makes 'em 
happy and more willing to help with those occasional 
grease spills).  that money included some presentational 
items like edible flowers for garnishing head table and 
coffee and cokes for the kitchen staff.

now on to the 'baronial green chili stew' at estrella!

cailte
helium hand extraordinaire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy which 
sustained him through temporary periods of joy."
W. B. Yeats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kathleen Roberts
University of New Mexico
Office of Freshman Admisions
Administrative Asst. II
505-277-6249