[Sca-cooks] Gunthar Updates

[Michael Gunter]

>What a wonderful feast!   It seems like seem a great balance of 
>flavors/cooking methods.  I sure wish I could be there!

One of the things I try to do when planning a menu is to balance
texture, flavor, and consistancy.

>I'd suggest having some plain bread for those who wont/cant eat mushrooms.

Nah. If they won't eat the bread with the mushrooms then they can
have the sautee'd greens instead like the Atkins folk. I try to provide
enough variety so that pretty much every dietary need is satisfied. Also,
I usually post recipes ahead of time and at the event so people can check
to see if they will have enough to eat. For example, my roommates don't
eat mammal. So each course has a poultry aspect. One of them is on
Atkins and I hope they can eat enough. There should be enough for
vegetarians as well as dedicated carnivores. Etc...

>My personal opinion would be to drop the Benes if you cant get Fava. Kidney 
>beans seem unnecessary on a medieval menu. Perhaps add a grain dish to the 
>second course instead.

I might change to a grain dish, but most folk feel a grain dish is something
that isn't really part of the meal. Just something to transfer a topping on.
I decided on the benes yfryd because it provides a protein for vegetarians
and goes well with the other dishes. Also, it adds a nice amount of bulk to
the first course. The courses are designed to be progressively lighter with
richer foods in lesser quantities the further the meal progresses. So the
hungry folk sates the initial hunger with simpler food and will appreciate 
the
richer foods in smaller portions in the second course.

As for the substitution of kidneys for favas, the flavor of whole kidney 
beans
is similar when fried like this and a hell of a lot easier to get and cook. 
Unless
I can find canned, peeled favas somewhere.

>Good luck.

Thanks, I'm going to need it.  :-)

>Ranvaig

Gunthar