[Sca-cooks] peacocks
Sharron Albert
morgana at gci.net
Mon Jun 12 19:23:32 PDT 2006
Having lost track of who said what...
> > >> Is that an education problem or a cultural problem? Historically,
> > there were dishes served to the high table that weren't available to the
>> other diners.
>> >>
> > > That's an "everybody paid the same to get into this feast" problem.
>
>> Sometimes it's because there are food likes/dislikes/allergies within
> > the Royal Entourage.
>
> > Sometimes it's because a very special dish was
> > done as a showpiece and there wasn't the budget to feed it to everyone.
>
> > Sometimes it's done simply because it's *period.*
>
>Only if someone sitting at the high table is paying for the whole thing.
>
>Adele d'M
We've done it both ways up here over the years. Many, many years ago
(long before the internet and easy communication) we occasionally
made a special dish for the high table and they could dispense with
it as they wished. More recently, we made sure the group did not pay
for the extra dish, although it was usually the decision of the head
cook to make something special.
We don't expect the high table folk to pay the special items,
although it is tradition in Oertha that everyone pays the feast fee
(assuming they are eating), including royalty. Our groups are small
and can't carry too many people all the time.
We have lots of newcomers, and we always explain that (a) the
practice was in period, and (b) it was a personal choice of the
person footing the bill. No different in some ways to making liqueurs
and giving them to the royalty to do with as they wish.
However, no one has ever complained about not having a variety of
tasty dishes on which to stuff oneself at our feasts. We may be
small, but we eat good! King Alden threatened to behead someone if
presented with one more item from the same feast everyone else was
getting -- he was that full and satisfied.
Sometimes it's a knowledge of a favorite food, sometimes it's for
show, sometimes it's just for fun. I've even been known to grouse
because now that I'm no longer territorial baroness, I don't get high
table treats (G) -- just for fun. And last Michaelmass I was included
in the high table special game hens, and promptly shared it with
everyone at my table.
Morgana, Founding Baroness
Winter's Gate
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