[Sca-cooks] Recipe Choices (was Historical Apples)

[Johnna Holloway]

The question should be related to the skills and
expertise of the contestant. Are they total beginners who cannot
boil water? Are they already experienced cooks that can master
recipes and produce dishes on their own?
Why does someone that has never baked a loaf of bread before
suddenly decide that they will produce a perfect loaf?
If you can't roll out a modern piecrust, why decide that you will enter 
a pastry?
How experienced are they
in research? What are their resources? Can they afford special
equipment such as molds and expensive ingredients?
How interested are they? How much time can they spare? How will
they transport said dish to the contest?
It's often a combination of factors. Cookery for contests tends
to be something created at the last minute or within the last couple
of days before a contest. The docs and research can be done in advance;
likewise the shopping. The actual preparation often comes within the last
24 hours just before the dish is loaded into the car and taken to the event.
Lastly, how do they cope, how do they handle stress, and do they have
that understanding spouse that will put up with having the kitchen 
devoted to an entry.

Johnnae




Stanza693 at wmconnect.com wrote:
> That raises an interesting question:  How should beginners choose a recipe 
> for redaction?  What criteria should a wanna-be cook use when (s)he starts 
> learning to "cook medieval"?  Is it number of ingredients?  Is it ease of described 
> process?  Is it availability of ingredients?  
>
>   
>