[Sca-cooks] Calafia Siege Cook Off at Potrero War

[Dragon]

Here are the details on the Siege Cook Off here in Calafia:


Unto the talented cooks of the Known World, does David and Adelicia, 
Baron & Baroness of Calafia send greetings, and a challenge...

Meet and compete on the fields of Potrero to determine the ultimate 
"Iron Chef" of the current Middle Ages.

Five teams will meet at a set time to each receive a basket of 
provisions gathered while their castle has been under siege. The 
contents of these baskets will remain unknown until the time of the 
contest and each group will receive the same items.

Participants have 24 hours to turn leftovers into Medieval Haute 
Cuisine appropriate to the scenario provided. Your team will prepare 
a feast of seven dishes maximum. Each dish is to serve two people 
only, using only the ingredients provided and water.

Twenty-four hours later, each team will present its' meal at the Open 
Ramada for a blind judging by out select panel. Extra points will be 
awarded for documentation and period cooking methods. At the time of 
judging, each team must provide the recipes redacted or developed to 
prepare this feast.

To the winner, a prize and year-long swagger rights as the best of the best!


Scenario:

The year is 1142. England is in the grips of a savage civil war. Two 
claimants, Empress Matilda and Count Stephen of Blois, are locked in 
a struggle for the English crown. Matilda is the last surviving child 
of the late King; Henry I. Stephen of Blois is the last surviving 
male descendent of William the Conqueror. The ensuing civil war will 
bring fourteen years of misery and horror to the beautiful green 
fields and woods of England.

You and a stalwart band are defending the Empress Matilda. Her 
brother, Robert of Gloucester, has gone over to France to fetch 
Matilda's son, Henry of Anjou. Matilda's advisors feel that the 
presence of Henry will inject new enthusiasm into the Matilda's waning cause.

Matilda is waiting for their return at Oxford Castle. Stephen, 
hearing of Matilda's presence in the castle, lays siege. Things are 
becoming desperate with the arrival of winter. Few supplies are 
entering the castle and Matilda's plight looks very grave. Somehow 
Matilda must escape to fight another day.

You have conceived a brilliant idea. You and your loyal band of cooks 
will prepare a feast. Under the cover of preparations and serving of 
the lavish feast made with the last of the provisions in the castle, 
Matilda will slip away. No one in the castle will know that she and a 
few attendants have fled. How to keep the besiegers from knowing that 
Matilda has fled?

Mother Nature comes to Matilda's rescue. A blinding blizzard has 
slammed down on Oxford from the north. The wind howls and the snow 
swirls around the besieged castle. The poor, frozen sentries posted 
outside the castle will not see the intrepid band as they slip out of 
the castle wrapped in white cloaks. When the blizzard ends and 
Matilda has been found missing, no one but you and your clever cooks 
will know where she has gone.

Your charge is to take these pitiful stores and create a feast that 
will distract the inhabitants of the castle and drive the besiegers 
to mad with the enticing aromas of your feast. Remember you can only 
add water to the meager rations that you have been given. Good Luck.



Rules:

The contest will be limited to 5 teams. The first five teams to apply 
will participate. A "Stand-by" team list is set to fill out the five 
teams should any of the teams fail to show up to pay and receive the 
victuals at the appointed time and location. The minimum team size is 
three. There is no maximum team size. The maximum size of your team 
will be determined by how many can work comfortably in your kitchen.

Teams will report to the Calafia Baronial encampment at 5PM on 
Friday, 23 May 2008, to pick up their provisions, and pay their entrance fee.

They are to present (appropriate to the scenario provided) their 
prepared meals 24 hours later in the Open Ramada. Each team will be 
provided a separate table to present their meal on.

Teams must complete and present the associated paperwork with their 
meal to have their entry judged. Associated paperwork is:

A roster showing the names of all members of the team.

The team's list identifying the ingredients provided to them.

The team's listing of dishes presented, with ingredient list by dish. 
Extra credit given for providing a complete recipe used to prepare 
each dish. Extra-extra credit given if a documented period recipe is 
used in preparation or used for inspiration. Extra extra extra credit 
given if period methods (replica spits/pots/pans utensils) are used 
in meal preparation.

Teams are to prepare a feast of at least 5 dishes and no more than 7 
dishes. Each dish is to serve two people only, using only the 
ingredients provided and water. The use of electric appliances or 
utensils is not allowed. The use of liquid fuel or LP gas stoves is permitted.
Siege Cook-off 2008 Judging

Judging will be on a "blind" basis. There will be no discussion 
amongst the Judges during the judging. Teams will be visited by only 
one judge at a table at one time. Each team will be judged on:

Required associated paperwork presented.
A roster showing the names of all members of the team. (5 points)
The team's list identifying the ingredients provided to them. (5 points)
The team's listing of dishes presented, with ingredient list by dish. 
(5 points)
Presentation of the meal. to include:
Table layout. (10 points)
Decorations and overall visual appeal. (10 points)
Appropriateness to the scenario provided. (5 points)
Most use of the ingredients provided. (5 points)
Individual dish presentation to include:(25 points each dish)
Visual appeal. (5 points)
Aromatic appeal. (5 points)
Taste. (10 points)
Texture. (5 points)
Bonus Points to include:
Extra credit given for providing a complete recipe used to prepare 
each dish. (5 points)
Extra-extra credit given if a documented period recipe is used in 
preparation or used for inspiration. (5 points)
Extra extra extra credit given if period methods (replica 
spits/pots/pans utensils) are used in meal preparation and 
presentation (5 points)
The minimum number of dishes that must be prepared is 5. No more than 
7 dishes will be judged per team.
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

Best individual dish.
Best use of ingredients.
Best Team Overall.
Team identifying most ingredients correctly.

Dragon

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  Venimus, Saltavimus, Bibimus (et naribus canium capti sumus)
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