[Sca-cooks] My first A&S display

[Michael Gunter]

Okay, I don't do A&S. I consider doing a period feast
with documentation for 300 my A&S. The funny thing
is that I'm a very good cooking A&S judge and coach.
I guess it's a case of those that can't do, teach.

Well, you all have been regaled with my happy little
sugarplate experience so I may as well fill you in on
the rest of the story.

I got the rest of the dishes completed for the Tournament
of Roses event without near the drama of the sugarplate
and loaded it all up for the event.

There weren't very many entrants in such a high profile
competition which was disappointing but Deana and I
set up our displays. She's a weaver and brocader and
all that string stuff and put up a very pretty display.

Since the theme was "roses" (go fig) everything I made
had rosewater or rose syrup. Knowing that you can get
tired of rosewater very quickly I tried to show a variety
of ways the rose flavor was presented. A couple of dishes
I had to discard because they were serving a lunch with
the same or similar presentations.

The display finally consisted of a Cinnamon Tart from
Sabina Welserin, a rose petal liqueur, Boar in Comfit
(a glaze made from honey, white wine, rosewater and
ginger), a rose custard, Angel's Food cheese, and the
evil cinnamon sticks.

Actually it was a nice display and I received some very
nice comments as well couple of interesting questions.
I did get into a good-natured discussion with a Laurel on
whether or not liqueurs were really drunk for pleasure
in period. From what I've found they are just medicinal
so I made a comment about a future historical society
having cough syrup tastings. She feels they were drunk
after meals as a digestive. I've never heard of that. Usually
rich dishes or comfits were considered digestive and I
would think drinking a liqueur would go against humoral
theory. But it was a fun debate.

One person asked me if I had grown the roses used in the
dishes. Another commented that she liked the Boar in
Comfit but felt I should have used a different meat. I'm
not quite sure what was meant by that since it is basically
a ham glaze and I used ham....

Mistakes I made: I needed a lot more tasting spoons for the
custard. I paired the Angel's Food with small slices of pumpernickle.
Bad choice, the bread overpowered and conflicted with the
cheese. More signs encouraging people to "EAT THIS!!!". I
had hurried my documentation and needed to proofread it
better. There has to be a less-cluttered way to present the
documentation on the table.

I have no idea how I did. People seemed to like it but the
only peopler voting were the Ladies of the Rose who were
in attendance. They evidently had a system of colored stones
to show 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice but we weren't told what
color meant what. There was no scoring that we knew of
and the only thing the entrants can go on is comments, largesse
and who actually won. The winner was a lady with a nice display
of handmade games. I got three yellow stones and a blue (or was
it green?). I'm just a poor dumb stickjock who knows his standings
in a list because I'm still, well, standing or not.

Overall it was a decent experience. A lot of work. And I think I'm
not really cut out for this A&S thing unless I'm teaching someone
else how to do it.   :-)
I think I'm just a cook.

But it was fun.
Tonight I'm going to a casting call to get selected for "Hell's Kitchen 2".
Not that I expect to get chosen but it will make for an interesting
story.

Gunthar