[Sca-cooks] The menu

[Katja]

>>That is where I would sign off. If your public is so naive than they 
should go to fast food, I would never, never have done what you did for 
them. 

Respectfully, It's not that the other landed barons & baronesses are naive or mean people. (And there was no fast food involved.)

It's just that it was one of the annual "state dinners" at Pennsic (this one for the nobility of AEthelmearc) and the purpose is for the landed B&B to get together socially. It's not intended as an arts & sciences venue.

Personally, I would have LOVED to enjoy another Euriol feast! <grin>   I've always enjoyed eating her food and working in her kitchens.

However, my husband and I stepped down as territorial baron & baroness of one of the kingdom's seven baronies a month before Pennsic, so we did not get to attend this specific state dinner this year.

We attended for the past four years, and the only one that offered period food was the one our own barony hosted four years ago. (The host rotates annually through the baronies.)

Like Euriol, the cooks I recruited when we hosted the dinner planned simple, easily recognizable period dishes with me that wouldn't be challenging to prepare at Pennsic. 

Despite us posting the dishes ahead of time to the baronial discussion list, accommodating food concerns, and selecting commonly enjoyed dishes, several of the other territorial B&Bs didn't attend at the last moment. 

The issues may have been genuine -- a headache, a cranky child -- but few of them expressed enthusiasm for the meal being period for once, sad to say.  

None of them outright complained, mind you, since I'm a well-known food laurel/pelican in my kingdom and I politely but eagerly made it clear the meal *would* be period for once.

On the bright side, the ones that *did* eat the meal seemed to enjoy the meal, there were few leftovers, and it was a nice avenue to show off some cooks in my barony.

I only wish it had led to a trend of period dishes being served at that dinner, but the next three years were BBQ and such. They were thoroughly delicious and enjoyable, but modern meals. On the other hand, all the cooks for the past four years were greatly appreciated, so it was a nice service venue for them to be recognized.

So, here's my hope that Euriol's meal starts the trend... but I won't make any bets. 

Katja