[Sca-cooks] Definition of "Period Cooking" was Re: Substitute for Potatoes?

[Judith Epstein]

On Aug 24, 2009, at 7:10 PM, David Friedman wrote:

>> Let me clarify my intentions, so that there'll be no more need to  
>> create another dead horse just for people like me to beat on. ;)
>>
>> 1. To provide food for myself, my household if I join or form one,  
>> and anyone who signs up for my meal plan.
>>
>> 2. To make that food in a way that doesn't violate my religious  
>> restrictions.
>>
>> 3. To make it, as much as possible, with only Period ingredients,  
>> but in MY style, because every single cook that ever lived put  
>> their own spin on every dish they made, and I'm not going to stop  
>> the ongoing tradition of creativity in the kitchen just because I'm  
>> choosing to learn about past times and Period ingredient  
>> availability.
>
> This is the part that makes no sense to me. What's the point of the  
> arbitrary restriction to period ingredients if you aren't making an  
> effort to reproduce a period cuisine? You could easily enough go to  
> a modern restaurant, avoid ordering potatoes or tomatoes or squash  
> or anything with capsicum peppers in it, and get an equally period  
> meal.

The point is that it's a step further. We all approach our SCA  
experience in different ways. This is mine. For someone who's only  
been to half a dozen events -- and only one of them in adulthood -- I  
think I'm doing okay so far. Do I come off like someone who's been  
doing this for ten years and therefore should really be progressing  
further by now? Because I'm not. I'm a newbie. Cut a sister some  
slack! Hello, newbie alert!

I keep telling people "This is how I feel," and I keep getting  
responses that suggest I'm wrong to feel that way. Know what? I'm not.  
I feel the way I feel. I may feel differently in ten years, five  
years, one year, or even one week. But this is how I feel today, and  
the more people argue that I don't or shouldn't feel that way, the  
more I feel like digging in my heels and being contrary. Let it go --  
I may or may not change my mind about the whole thing. If I do, then  
you'll all get your way. If I don't, hey, this is MY SCA experience.  
The only requirement is that I make "a reasonable attempt" at medieval  
attire. Let it go, people, honestly.

Judith