[Sca-cooks] peacocks

[John Kemker]

I'm afraid my communications skills were not at their peak form.  Please
allow me to explain.

This is my *personal* attitude towards high table differences.  It is
born out of a self-examination of how I acted when I was younger and
worried overmuch about getting "my fair share" of everything.  I have
found, now that I worry less about getting "my fair share" of
everything, I am much happier with myself and the world and enjoy life
more.  It is also born out of a realization that it all tends to even
out in the end.  There have been times when I've been offered or have
taken more than others.

As far as how I would handle a feast, that's a different story.  High
table might get different presentation, but not significantly different
quality of food.  Margaret's example of lobster & salmon vs. burnt gruel
would not meet my criteria.  However, I might serve high table Roast
Venison and the rest of the feast Venison Sausage or Venison Meat Pies
and not feel I'd slighted anyone.

I'd always remember I was serving the gentility and nobility, whether at
High Table or otherwise.

--Cian

Adele de Maisieres wrote:
> Quoting John Kemker <john at kemker.org>:
>
>   
>> Adele de Maisieres wrote:
>>     
>>> tom.vincent at yahoo.com wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> 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 a very special dish was
>> done as a showpiece and there wasn't the budget to feed it to everyone.
>>     
>
> Yes, well, everyone paying for some people to have a dish is exactly what I 
> object to.  How exactly the situation arose is beside the point.
>
>   
>> Sometimes it's done simply because it's *period.*
>>     
>
> Only if someone sitting at the high table is paying for the whole thing.
>
>   
>> Why get bent out of shape over something trivial like that? I have
>> *never* been to a feast where I felt I received less of a value in food
>> than I paid for.
>>     
>
> *shrug*.  I cannot, in good conscience, cook something for one group of people 
> and not for all.  If that's "bent out of shape" then call me kinky.  
>  
>
>
> Adele d'M
> _________________________________________________
> Quot homines, tot sententiae.