[Sca-cooks] To Garnish and Present Med/Ren Food

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

KristiWhyKelly at aol.com wrote:
>I have seen a recipe for Snow that calls for it to be mounded with an apple
>in the center, Rosemary and wafers strewn about.
>
>Here it is below.  I done this and substituted strawberry pudding for  the
>apple, not the same I know but tasted great!
>
>Grace

But this is exactly my point. A few individual recipes have 
directions for dressing the dish.

But most recipes do not. When i plan the themes for the competitions 
i think of seasonal foods. I cannot guarantee that entrants will want 
to do only recipes that include garnishing directions.

What i'm looking for is more general. Was there a standard way to 
garnish a dish of meat in 15th c. England? early 16th c. Spain? 
etc....

Should i, as Minister of the Silver Spoon, start *requiring* 
documentation for garnishing and presentation? I am so tired of 
parsley.

And i'd like to break through the modern mind set, but i cannot 
guarantee that the other judges i have at competitions will actually 
be clueful about period garnishing - take Vittoria's story of the 
judge who recommended colorful napkins and gave her lower marks, when 
white was period accurate!!!
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita