[Sca-cooks] Madrigal Dinner (was plea to STOP IT! )

[King's Taste Productions]

Techniques I have found useful include:
 Keeping an eye on potential ingredients and keeping them to what is readily
available from a known food supplier such as Sysco.  If they are already
ordering from one place, or buying at someplace like Costco or Sam's, then
using ingredients found there and nothing more exotic will help with the
appeal.  You have restaurant experience, so you have a good idea of what's
available from whom.

Handing them recipes in modern formulas, not period texts.  They don't
really want to know HOW historical this is, they want to see some
easy-to-recognize formulas and foods that are not too far out in left field.
Use your best judgment on which recipes to offer them, and bring two or
three choices.  

A tasting sample is always a nice idea - medieval gingerbread, maybe some
sauces to sample - a green sauce, cameline, and mustard for example.

Good job, you go get 'em and show 'em how it's done!
Christianna



So, our local high school chorus is doing a fundraiser Madrigal Dinner and
concert soon.  I jsut got the email today and was excited to hear it is
happening . . . followed by the unfortunate cringe.  I got to the menu, with
rather low expectations for a first year and probably not having someone in
"the know" working for them.  My expectations still a little hig with the
menu being:  Wassail Cuppe, Olde Engeland Fowle with Sause, Fressh Fruyt,
Vegatebbles, Chese, Goldin Corrn on a Skewr, Broccolye Potage, Wedgs of
Botata, White Rounde Bread, Fruyt Pastris, Sweet Tea, Watr.  It appears the
criteria were misspelling.

So, I have the motivation to assist them in their second attempt, if they do
it next year.  They are doing 15th Century England, which is what I cut my
cookery teeth on, so repertoir is fine.  My interest form the assembled
minds is how others have successfully approached such a group and found a
tactful way of saying that the food is lame, and it ain't so hard to do
better.  I am willing to prepare menues, recipes and shopping lists . . .
maybe available to assist in cooking.  I'm not squeemish to approach the
director, just wanting to know how others have fared in such a venture.
This could be a huge marketing opportunity for their event as well as my
restaurant in a town 15 miles away . . . as well as a chance to spread the
"Goode Newys" of actual medieval cookery.

niccolo difrancesco
(out to prosthelatize for 2 15th Century Cokery Books)