[Sca-cooks] a Lenten question-

[AEllin Olafs dotter]

One thing to be aware of is that, in some ways, it would be easier for 
us than for them - but in many ways it would be harder.

Easier because of availability of foodstuffs. The substitutions you 
mention here,for example. Fresh fish, even in Montana (as previously 
discussed.) Frozen and even fresh vegetables even in February. I mostly 
avoid dairy anyway, and am drinking soy milk as I write...

The difficulties are harder to pin down, but they are pervasive. This is 
hard sometimes to remember, but...

If you were a typical Western European at home in most of the Middle 
Ages, you might not personally know *anyone* who was not also following 
Lenten regulations. You almost certainly did not know anyone well, who 
was not.

That's a biggie.

OK, you were aware of Jews. You might even have a nodding acquaintance 
with one, if you were urban, and perhaps some business dealings with 
them. But most people in most places didn't even really have that, and 
they "ate funny" anyway. You knew of the Saracen, but in Northern 
Europe, you hadn't met any. (Spain is an entire story unto itself...)

What does this mean?

- You don't have to explain anything. People know what you are doing,and 
why, and how to follow the details. After all, they're doing it, too.

-  Nobody thinks what you are doing is weird. They don't expect you to 
explain it (which we have already seen on this list!) or defend it.

- You had learned to cook this way at your mother's knee. You didn't 
have to think about it -it was automatic.  We learn things to do with 
hamburger - they learned things to do with salt cod...

- And here's the key - nobody is going to unintentionally hand you 
something you can't eat. They won't put milk in your coffee (to use a 
modern example) as a knee jerk reaction. They won't kindly and 
thoughtfully make a fish dish so you can join them for dinner - and use 
chicken broth in it (One of the most common modern issues... When I was 
a kid, we joked you could tell the Catholic households - we had 
G.Washington Golden Broth Mix,instead of HerbOx Chicken bouillon 
cubes... you could use it on Friday! I now have neither...) My dad used 
to go nuts - he chose to continue the abstinence from meat all year, as 
he had most of his life. The place he lived only served clam chowder, 
which he loved, on Fridays - but made it with meat broth! ("They're 
missing the point!!") If they'd served it on a Thursday, he'd have been 
happy...*G* He wasn't trying to make anyone join him - he just wanted 
clam chowder. (They always had vegetarian options, so dinner was not an 
issue.)

They had a built in support system. It helps...

Doing it for one week might be interesting. When you say Easter Week, 
may I assume you mean Holy Week? (Easter Week is the week after Easter - 
a time of feasting. Holy Week is the week before - Palm Sunday through 
Holy Saturday - a time of fasting.) That gives some prep time - aside 
from anything else,it's really interesting to look at what we're eating. 
There are things we really don't think about! ('Lainie mentioned mayo. 
Oh - duh- I knew that...  must read labels on salad dressings...)

AEllin

Sue Clemenger wrote:
> There *are* modern versions/substitutes you know, and I'd feel quite 
> fine to adapt a medieval mindset for that.  If they can take what 
> they've got, and fashion "substitutes" for butter and cheese and milk, 
> why can't we? We've got dairy-free margarine, and non-dairy creamer for 
> beverages <<shudder...I drink it black>>, and even non-dairy cheeses. 
> I'm sure there were folks over the years who were more, or less, strict 
> in their fasts....
> I like the idea of doing it Easter Week.
> Hmmmm.....
> Wanna get together (so to speak) and work on this?
> --maire
>