[Sca-cooks] Medieval Food Presentation

[Stefan li Rous]

Don't know that there is that much. There are some elaborate procedures
given in the Renaissance
books of carving but earlier will be problematic. You might try the file

Ideas for decorating and presenting period food. in the Florilegium
or search under garnishing or plating.

Johnnae

Jenn Strobel wrote:
All,I have been looking around and didn't see much on how a medieval  
cook
would have presented/plated the food that they made.  Does anyone know
anything about this? Thank you in advance for your response.
=============

Thank you, Johnnae.

Jean, I'm not sure which file(s) Johnnae had in mind, but possibly it  
was this one, in the FOOD-SWEETS-DECORATED section:
fd-decoratng-msg  (26K)  3/ 7/05    Decorating and presenting period  
foods.

But there is also this file on food that was deliberately meant to  
look like a different food.
illusion-fds-msg (142K) 11/ 7/04    Medieval illusion foods.  
Disguised food.

There are also these files in the FOOD-SWEETS-DECORATED section:
confctny-boxs-msg (12K)  6/27/07    Period confectionary boxes.
   (I'm afraid I can't remember whether these boxes were just for  
storing confectionaries or whether they were often presented at the  
table in these boxes, though)

Cft-Banquets-art  (46K)  6/ 2/07    "Confections and the Banquet" by  
Alys
                                        Katharine, O.L., O.P.
Dresng-t-Dish-art (52K)  7/21/07    "Beyond the Soeltie: Garnished,  
Fringed,
                                        Dressed and Flourished"
                                        by Maestra Serena da Riva.
   (This one alone might give you a lot of what you are looking for...)

endoring-msg      (24K)  1/14/03    Medieval methods of giving food a  
gold color
entertaing-fds-art(46K)  2/10/06    "Subtleties, Entremets and  
Illusion Foods"
                                        by Baroness Faerisa Gwynarden.
   (Again, I'm not sure whether you are more interested in the  
presentation of "ordinary" foods or those meant more for entertainment)

molded-foods-msg  (24K)  8/20/07    Period and modern molded foods.  
Molds.

Roses-a-Sugar-art (21K)  7/15/98    "Divers Pretty Things Made Of  
Roses & Sugar"
                                        by Mistress Renata Kestryl of  
Highwynds.
Sgr-a-Cnftns-art  (20K) 12/26/00    "Of Sugar and Confections" by Alys
                                        Katharine, O.L., O.P. (Elise  
Fleming).
   (These last are mostly on sugared items)

sotelties-msg    (201K)  3/29/05    Sotelties and Warners - decorated  
food.
    (A lot of unusual, decorated foods. Both period and SCA items)

In the FEASTS section, there is this file if you question is more on  
how food was served than how it was decorated:
French-Tbl-Srv-art (7K)  5/22/04    An example of French table service
                                        translated by Angharad ferch  
Iorwerth.
Kentwell-Hall-art (25K)  6/25/98    A period kitchen at a Living  
History site.

I hope this gives you a starting point.

Stefan

PS: For some examples of what *has* been done in the SCA, see some of  
the files in the FEAST section. Such as:
Perf-P-Feast-msg  (40K)  2/26/09    "Perfectly Period Feast" cooked  
by Mistress
                                        Crystal of the Westermark. A  
medieval
                                        feast, with atmosphere, 'done  
right'.
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****