[Sca-cooks] Linen change, Handwashing, & manners in 1500's Italian feast menus

[Raphaella DiContini]

I'm always happy to share information, but please include where I got the information from as well. The messisbugo translation is from Charles Potter, and I included the link to the Scappi menu translations from Helewyse de Birkestad. 

I've actually done hand washing before, and depending on what you're making the scented water can sometimes be a delightful byproduct of another process like the orange water from the early water bath stage of making candied orange peel. 

I probably should have clarified that I think a bigger hurdle, at least in the feast atmosphere in AnTir, is how problematic it would be to clear all of the tables completely to lift the first layer of tablecloth. It would be less, of course, if we provided all of the table ware and table settings, but generally people bring their own, sometimes quite elaborate and often their own table cloths as well. 

I would love to see more classes as part of the feast experience, like what the rules would have been and how that pertained to the overall feasting experience, and it's cultural context. It seems to be the hinted at focus of at least some of the books of manners to avoid seeming provincial, or "peasant like"- there are some really great quotes in a book by a Milanese monk, Brother Bonvesin da la Riva, that has these rules in rhyme, some of them talking about how not to insult the cook by telling them the food needs more salt, and others that you never sneeze, or pick your ears at the table and you should always wipe your mouth before drinking (from a shared glass as was common practice) or you would be "acting like a clod". :) 

In joyous service, 
Raffaella 
--- On Thu, 9/3/09, jenne at fiedlerfamily.net <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net> wrote:

> From: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
> Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Handwashing in 1500's Italian feast menus
> To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 6:30 PM
> Thank you for posting the information
> about the serving practices; I'll
> add it to my handwashing documentation.
> http://gallowglass.org/jadwiga/herbs/handwater.html
> 
> Doing handwashing at tables, even in the middle of the
> feast, is pretty
> feasible; I've done it several ways. You need a server for
> each table, an
> ewer, a basin and a towel. (If you think your feastgoers
> are going to be
> paranoid about using a towel that other people at their
> table have wiped
> their hands on, you can buy packs of washcloths. Otherwise,
> either 9'x18"
> strips of linen, or even just plain flour sack towels, will
> work fine.)
> 
> Your servers go to each person at the table carrying the
> ewer in the bowl,
> and with the towel over their shoulder. They ask, "Will it
> please you to
> have your hands washed?" Mention the additive in the water,
> whatever it
> is. If the feastgoer agrees, the bowl is placed in front of
> them (or just
> to the side, they hold their hands over it, water is poured
> over the
> hands, and the towel is offered. Then the server moves to
> the next person.
> With one server per table this goes fairly quickly.
> 
> You can also have teams of young people doing this.
> 
> I don't know how feasible removing the cloths is, though if
> you had a
> bunch of plain cloths put down and had the feastgoers put
> their own on top
> (people in my kingdom bring their own tablecloths for
> feast) and warn them
> about pulling stuff off the table-- you'd have to be sure
> to provide a
> voider! In our feasts, if there are servers, they do clear
> away the empty
> (or rejected) dishes between courses.
> 
> On the other hand, if your final course is served from the
> banquette, you
> could go through the removal of cloths and handwashing,
> then offer the
> final course in the style of banquetting stuff.
> 
> -- Jadwiga
> 
> 
> 
> > I've used the serving practices listed in Scappi's
> menus before, with each
> > course alternately buffet style from the sideboard
> (Credenza) or served
> > from the kitchen (Cuchina), but I have yet to attempt
> this changing of
> > table linens and providing scented (I would guess
> rose, or citrus) water,
> > before the final course and I'm wondering about the
> logistical feasibility
> > of it. Perhaps this is something that could only work
> for a perfect period
> > feast where all of the servers and diners are trained
> in what to expect as
> > I can imagine the chaos and complaints that might
> ensue if I were to try
> > this currently. Perhaps if there was a class on one of
> the etiquette
> > manuals, or an overview of many? Any thoughts?
> >
> > In joyous service,
> > Raffaella
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> -- Jenne Heise / Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
> jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
> 
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