[Sca-cooks] 12th Night

[Elaine Koogler]

Terri Morgan wrote:

>Dear Grace, I have every confidence that you and the rest of the cooking
>team have examined your situation and thought everything out about what you
>need and how you're going to get it. What is keeping me from feast is not
>fear of the food, but indignation about a growing trend in Autocrats to let
>the cooks get the poor end of the piggy when it comes to planning an event.
>You _should not_ have to be asked to cope with no indoor kitchen. That you
>can do so is a testament to your skill and training. That you were placed in
>a position where you'd be asked to is something else again.
>   My barony has gone from 10+ cooks to only 3 who cook (one of whom refuses
>to do any "high table" menus at this time) and part of that is because of
>expectations on the part of the populace that food be plentiful, hot (or
>cold), served on lovely table ware and totally in keeping with their ideas
>of what is tasty (never mind "period") and all for less than the cost of a
>McDonald's happy meal. "It shouldn't be too hard" is one of the most common
>and pig-headed responses to a cook who says that what they're being asked to
>do is outside of their skill level. Yes, there are some outstanding cooks
>who can work such culinary miracles - but many more who cannot, and many,
>many more folks who'd be interested in experimenting with period cooking but
>who have been frightened away by the pressure that such situations create.
>
>I don't think it's right or fair. I will not support the abuse of a fellow
>member. (Even keeping in mind that some of those members are as insane about
>cooking as I am about other things and have not only asked for this type of
>"abuse" but have clapped their hands together in glee and said "Ho boy, a
>challenge!". Challenges should not be the standard of our treatment of those
>who provide such a valuable service.
>
>
> Hro?ny
>  
>
I tend to agree with Dame Hrothny...I really resent this as well.  The 
other thing is that, no matter how well you plan for emergencies, etc., 
there is no way you can know what the weather will be like...given the 
location, it could be 70 degrees and sunny or it could be 25 and 
snowing...or anywhere in between.  I think that it is inexcusable that 
you should be asked to cook under these circumstances. 

Mistress Cynara has proposed something that I think the cooks of 
Atlantia (at least) should consider.  She proposed the idea of not 
having a Twelfth Night feast...let folks bring their own festive foods 
and set up their own tables for themselves.  It would take careful 
planning to avoid having folks leave for dinner at a restaurant and not 
return, but I think that could be done.  She proposes this because it's 
getting VERY difficult to find sites that are large enough to 
accommodate Twelfth Night crowds...and with a kitchen equipped to feed 
such a crowd...at a somewhat reasonable price...who are willing to allow 
us to use their facilities.  If we all agree to this, the "powers that 
be" might be pushed into considering such an idea.  This is not a new 
idea, as I understand it.  It's done in the West Kingdom all the time.   
It's mostly a matter of setting expectations.

Kiri