Creative Supplimentation (was RE: [Sca-cooks] English Doctors want to ban pointy knives...)

[Celia des Archier]

/me laughs...
Alright, except that if you run them down with your car, you won't get
arrested for killing them out of season, or for killing more than your
"limit" ;-) 

But seriously, and trying to move back to the topic as relates to SCA
Cooking ;-), I just moved from Meridies (the Southeast) to Caid (Southern
California).  I wasn't active when I lived in South Downs (Atlanta, GA), and
I haven't been active since I moved out here to Calafia (San Diego, CA), but
in both cases I socialized with folks from the SCA, as well as folks who
planned feasts for other camping activities.  I was very active on and off
when I lived in Glaedenfeld (Nashville, TN) and did some feastcrating there
{which shows my age ;-), as I understand that term is now out of favor and
has been for a while :-) .}

One of the things that has been a bit of culture shock since I moved out
here has been the difference in cultural attitudes about feasting.  The
first SCA folks I met out here were very kind and invited me to travel with
their household with the upcoming Portrero War.  In an effort to repay them
for their kindness I offered to play "camp Mom" and plan the meals,
expecting to stay as "period" or "perioid" as possible, which shocked them.
The idea of trying to at least contribute to the "illusion" by including
period and perioid foods seemed foreign to them (as did the idea that their
kids might actually enjoy those foods ;-)   I later found that the vast
majority of the events here were 1 day events, or if they were two day
events they concluded in the evening of day 1 and resumed on day 2.  The
exception seemed to be the few large wars.  Again, I haven't had the chance
to attend any events yet, and I've just recently renewed my membership, so
this impression was obtained primarily second and third hand, by talking to
folks, but out here feasting seems to be the exception rather than the rule,
whereas in the Southeast it is almost always integral to the event. 

Now, I know that there are exceptional cooks out here in the West, so it was
curious to me that this should occur, until I started talking to folks about
the reasons why, and it seems that it comes down to two issues, both of
which are primarily related to cost.  The first is that in the Southeast we
have access to inexpensive parks, which doesn't seem to be the case out here
in California.  Apparently getting a camping site for the weekend is simply
prohibitively expensive out here, whereas it is not in the Southeast. 

But the other is that food is less expensive, and it is not at all unusual
for feastcrats in the Southeast to supplement their feasts with wild game,
often procured through very clever means.  I've known feastcrats (again,
what we were called at the time, but I will be happy to use the current term
if folks will let me know what they prefer) who have raised their own
rabbits for stew, who have obtained free venison for an event of as many as
300 people by having a good relationship with their local 'ranger' (these
were not road kill either, these where deer who had been hunted and dressed
and then seized because they were either hunted out of season or above the
hunter's bag limit.  The meat was then butchered for size and kept
refrigerated to give away specifically to non-profit organizations), as well
as feastcrats who hunted for their feasts.  And while procuring supplemental
sources of meat probably had the most impact on the costs of the feast, I've
also known feastcrats who grew their own herbs and vegetables as well.  So
there are often creative ways to provide ingredients for a feast both to
decrease the cost and to more closely control the quality of the
ingredients.

So I was wondering, what other experiences folks have with creatively
supplementing their feasts.  What different ways have you used to obtain
ingredients for your feast, other than the "mainstream" ways (i.e. other
than purchasing from a grocery, etc.)?  What were the reasons you
supplemented your feast with ingredients which were not obtained through
"mainstream" means?  What were the results? 

In service to the Society,
Celia des Archier
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sca-cooks-bounces+celiadesarchier=cox.net at ansteorra.org 
> [mailto:sca-cooks-bounces+celiadesarchier=cox.net at ansteorra.or
> g] On Behalf Of Stefan li Rous
> Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 9:28 PM
> To: SCA-Cooks maillist SCA-Cooks
> Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] English Doctors want to ban pointy knives...
> 
>    Lady Celia des Archier commented:
> > ...and automatic weapons are a completely different topic, but some 
> > guns, do certainly have a purpose other than violence, they 
> are used 
> > to provide food for the family.
> 
> Well yes, but we've discussed on this list previously that 
> there really are too many deer in many areas.
> Johnna Holloway reinforced that idea with her message 
> detailing the number of auto-deer collisions in Michigan and 
> the cost of having the deer carcasses picked up.
> 
> But just think, with that automatic weapon you can get that 
> whole herd of deer at one time! :-)
> 
> Stefan
> 
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