[Sca-cooks] Fair feast budget

[Sue Clemenger]

Oh, I do agree with you there.  Sort of.  Fresh bread is enormously 
appealing, but just 'cuz the bread is purchased doesn't necessitate a 
hyperbolic stretch to an entire feast of purchased items.  I don't think 
of it as some sort of slippery slope, simply as an expedient way to meet 
needs and not kill myself in the effort. ;o)
I used to sometimes make bread for our (local) feasts, but not anymore. 
  Just not worth the effort/expenditure of my energy.  We've got a 
surpassingly small group for a barony, with an equally, perishingly 
small group of folks still willing to even cook feasts, let alone make 
bread for it. Plus, I can't think of a single one of our "normal" sites 
that actually has enough space to do it on-site.
I loathe using the "french bread from the grocery store" stuff, though, 
so when I was still cooking feasts, I budgeted for buying some nicer 
stuff--artisan breads, or some such.  Pita for middle-easternish feasts 
(we have an "in" with a local middle eastern/mediterranean restaurant, 
and could get it cheap).
--maire

Chris Stanifer wrote:


> Okay, this has some merit, as well.  I suppose that, at an SCA feast,
> there are expectations of freshness and 'home-made' tastes and
> textures.  If feast-goers were to recieve nothing but store-bought or
> otherwise commercially prepared items, I think these feasts would
> quickly lose their appeal.  And, who doesn't love the flavor and
> aroma of a freshly baked loaf of bread??