[Sca-cooks] Re:Picky Easters vs. Allergies

[wildecelery at aol.com]

A Few notes on Picky Eating/Allergies:
 
Many people considered me a picky  eater for most of my life.  As I have gotten older, we have discovered that many of the foods that I wouldn't eat  are actually things that I'm allergic to.   I tend to bring  some food of my own to most events.  I also contact feastocrats ahead to see what I can/can't eat. 
 
However, I know I have a problem when I'm told that something isn't an ingredient, and find out as I'm eating it, or afterwards that It's somethign I shouldn't have. I also have a difficult time signing up for a Feast if I can't get hold of a detailed ingredient list before the reservation deadline.
 
I always have the option of going offboard, leaving before feast,  or offering to work in the kitchen if I'm not sure that I can eat a feast. (That's what I did for our upcoming Crown ...I asked Petru if I could help in the kitchen, so my husband could be on baord and I wouldn't just be off by myself in offboard seating) Sitting Royals don't have this luxury. 
 
Though I see the concern about "cramping" the period aspects of a Feast, I also see how this situation can be hard on Royals. Having worked in several royal households, I can say that many  of them don't have time to pack a full day's worth of food for travel, or time to set-up at a feast table..as well as not wanting to offend hard-working cooks by pulling out their own foods at a feast.
 
-Ardenia