[Sca-cooks] Out of the food topicaltogether rantAuthenticitypolice

[Michael Gunter]

>And I on the other hand would rather have a banquet that tries hard than to 
>go hungry.  We all have to start somewhere, as long as we keep learning and 
>improving.  Practice makes perfect!
>
>Selene

To tell the truth, I agree (maybe that's why I'll never be a Laurel) but
I have seen some wonderful feasts that were not totally period. In
truth, the vast majority of even our "period" feasts aren't period.
Do I prefer it to be with period food? Of course.
Do I encourage it to be period. Yes.
But would I boycott a feast just because it isn't period. Well....no.
I believe in encouraging cooks to get out there and get their feet
wet. A feast is daunting in and of itself, but then making them do it
with unfamiliar cuisine is wrong. Unless you give them the books with
all recipes redacted and even then it is doubtful it will be period.

Just the same way I don't demand my new fighters must have full
period plate so they can learn to fight. We start them on the path
and nudge them in the right direction while showing them what
greatness can come by staying on it.
Discouraging people because they don't do it right according to
what is perfect is not the way to gain perfection. Creating the
environment where the ideal is the norm is the way to go.

As an example, I don't go into the mundane world in garb if I can at
all help it. I just feel uncomfortable. The same goes if I'm in mundanes
at an event. I could never wear the t-tunic and blue jeans with
sandals that used to be appropriate court garb not too long ago.
We've evolved beyond that. But evolution is slow and is caused by
availability of items. Snubbing a fighter because his stuff isn't up to
par on a historical sense is wrong the same as snubbing a cook because
they serve spaghetti. At the same time I will go to that cook and
try to reason with him in the planning process. Then do my best
to blow him away with a period feast later.  :-)

Folks will feel slightly uncomfortable eating spaghetti at an SCA event
soon and that's the way it is supposed to happen. The main thing
to do is to get the stuff out there. But supporting, being examples,
and changing the attitudes of both cooks and populace by positive
reinforcement, not by brute tactics.

Gunthar