[Sca-cooks] 100 Mile Feasts

[Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise]

> Dining locally would work if one wants to recreate the lower class
> diet of porridge cereal, bread, whatever growing green can be had, and 
> very occasional meat.

Well, as you pointed out, Johanna, it's hard to find flour for bread 
that's grown or processed within 100 miles of most places any more. So 
bread and in some cases cereal porridge would be out. 

Depending on where you are, thinking about what's available locally, and
what's fresh, can really make a difference in your choices for what you
serve. Right now, in my kingdom, we have a lots of time-place specific 
feasts, but it does help to think about what is fresh and available in 
the place that you are cooking. 

Certain kinds of staples, such as almonds and olive oil, and spices are
something that does need to be considered separately, I think. 

But it's pretty clear that when you set out to cook from a period 
cookbook, taking into account what's available in your target location 
-- for instance, was it a pig-raising, cattle-raising or sheep-raising 
location? Is it above or below the butter line? How available were 
specific wines, oils, etc.-- makes a difference in your choices.

-- 
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net 
"History doesn't always repeat itself. Sometimes it screams
'Why don't you ever listen to me?' and lets fly with a club."