[Sca-cooks] Stefan's recent Nobles Luncheon at the BG 30th

[Stefan li Rous]

Johnnae replied to my commentary with:

<<< I am not sure that you could do much better if the numbers
are going to be off by half. >>>

Well, that number was for the Nobles. With any remainder going on a  
first-come first-served basis to the populace, I wasn't as concerned  
in being really precise, at least within the budget because I figured  
that would leave more for the populace. I don't know how I would have  
estimated more precisely though, since some items were quite popular  
and others weren't. That is where someone with more experience cooking  
feasts or even being a housewife budgeting for a family could have  
done better than me.

<<< Maybe just one course in the future? >>>

It was served buffet-style, so only one course,
  although I had the "Taste of the SCA in 1979" on the first half of a  
table with a sign and the "Taste of the SCA in 2009" on the other  
table and a half with a sign.

Without the "theme", I could have/would have cut out most of the 1979  
dishes.

<<< (Like I am one to talk. I did 24 cakes plus
the following for the one event one time:
A Jelly of Strawberries, A Summer Dishe, A Cream,
Sugar Cakes, Shortbreads, Wafers, Letter Cookies,
Spice (Dutch Taai-Taai) Cookies,
A Great Cake, Sugarpaste and Marchepane Roses,
Candies of Lemon Peel, Orange Peel,
Blood Orange Peel, Lemon Slices and Orange Segments,
Blood Orange Candied and Dried, Candied Citron,
candy of lemon, candy made of oranges,
tamarind candy and melon candy
Apples cut into sticks, Candied and Preserved.,
Apricot Paste cut into Diamonds and Squares,
Rose Preserves; Quince Jam; Marmalade,
Sugar Candy Crystals and Comfits,
Dried Fruits of Apricots, Cherries, Currants,
Dates, Raisins, Figs, and Almonds,
Fresh Fruits of Strawberries, Cherries, Grapes,
and Watermelon) >>>

Your menu does have a strong advantage over mine. With the exception  
of the fresh fruit, most of this could be made up over weeks or even  
months ahead of time, as time permits and not have to be rushed in the  
last couple of days before the fresh ingredients would spoil.

Was this 24 different cakes? Or 24 cakes of only a few varieties? Now  
I can see where the cakes couldn't be made too far in advance or they  
would spoil. Or did you make and then freeze them? That would still be  
a lot of freezer space, though.

And your selection would be great for a Yule dayboard or dessert  
board. A Renaissance buffet? The sort of meal they built the rooms  
for.  Hmmm. I'm going to have to keep this list in mind. Maybe if I  
want to make a splash at our baronial Yule pot luck...

Tamarind candy? The only place I've seen tamarind was in Indian food.

What is the recipe for the "Spice (Dutch Taai-Taai) Cookies".

<<< Sometimes we just go crazy. >>>

Wasn't that something I was supposed to learn as a kid? Something  
about eyes being bigger than stomaches?

Is that the difference between a Laurel and a Pelican? The Laurel  
tries to do it all, authentically. And the Pelican gets others to try  
to do it, authentically?

Stefan
--------
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 ****