[Sca-cooks] Food type results from Grand Outlandish

[Kathleen A Roberts]

This past weekend went pretty well for food type things at
Grand Outlandlish.  The weather was pretty agreeable, and
although the traditional dusty, it was a nice event.  Here 
is what I participated in this weekend.

CLASS

On Friday, I did a class and tasting on Roman Cuisine. 
 The attendance was low (as is pretty usual for early 
Friday classes) but enthusiastic.  Quite a few "Imagine", 
and "I would have never...", "You MADE cheese?" and "I am 
going to try this at home" comments, which to me, says a 
success, as much as the yummy/nommy noises do. 8) 
 Shameless pimping of Midwinter event, but a fun class as 
well.

I gave them:  Herbed Fresh Cheese, Meatballs (stuffed with 
capers rather than the more expensive pine nuts) with a 
grape juice/wine reduction sauce, Carrots w/cumin, 
Cucumbers and Fennel, Olive Spread, Bread, Melon w/ Mint 
and Almond/Pine Nut stuffed Dates, Eggs (albeit hard 
boiled) w/ Pine Nut Sauce.  I deliberately chose dishes 
that could be served cold, and served them alternating 
tart with savory or sweet.  I did not give them recipes, 
but listings of ingredients so they could work out their 
own.

Everyone enjoyed the class, and there was enough to take 
some tidbits to the List Table and the Baroness, who 
happily munched throughout the tournament.

SIEGE COOKING - THE FREAKIN' WHEATBERRIES WIN!!!!!

That was the name of our team... the Freakin' 
Wheatberries... from an ingredient none of us had ever 
used, eaten or even seen before.  Whenever we would go 
over what we had done and needed to do, the wheatberries 
very quickly became the F)*&#$ wheatberries.  We cleaned 
it up for the competition. ;)

It was a very odd mix of foods and style, but was fun and 
challenging.  We got a box of "staples" and got to go to 
the "market" for five other items, none of them replicated 
at the market or in the box.  You could use one item from 
your camp.  The theme for Outlandish was the Portugese in 
Japan, so we had cross cultural ingredients.  Fortunately, 
items were labeled in the box and market.

In the box:  flour, salt, pepper, eggs, brown rice, 
wheatberries, fresh herbs (chives, oregano, marjoram, 
rosemary and sage), cane vinegar, rice vinegar, olive oil, 
butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken (cut up already), 
salt pork, potatoes, onions, apples, cone sugar, rice 
noodles, won ton wrappers, garlic and a bit of feta 
cheese.

 From the market I got:  cubed lamb, eggplant and string 
beans (didn't know the beans were in there til I opened 
the bag all the way), cinnamon, cherries and leeks.

 From camp:  whiskey (my team was daytripping, and connor 
and i were eating sammies and out of cans, so not much to 
work with there).

Later that day:  bok choy (one team did not show, so the 
folks presenting the competition came around (about two 
hours before judging) and we had to take one thing from 
the box, either replicating what you had or something 
different)

Schitzophrenic, no?

My team (Lord Rosario, Lord Tehran and myself) made a 
little taste of East Meets West.  We made:  Sliced Teryaki 
Chicken Breast over Won Ton Noodles dressed with rice 
vinegar, soy and chive flowers --- Stir fried Chicken w/ 
string beans and bok choy over Fried Rice --- Stir Fried 
Eggplant with Cubed Salt Pork over Rice Noodles --- Lamb 
and Leek Stew with Potatoes and Herbs (all the herbs) --- 
Flat Bread --- Carmelized Onions and Apples --- Apples and 
Cherries w/ Whiskey Butter Sauce and (%*&#%^@) 
Wheatberries --- Sweet Pan-Fried Pastry with Feta Cinnamon 
Spread.

Yes, Feta and Cinnamon Spread.  We had not idea what to do 
with feta (less than 1/4 cup) and flashing on an old 
"Chopped" episode where someone mixed goat cheese and a 
sweetener, I decided to mix the feta, cone sugar and 
cinnamon for a dessert spread.  It was FANTASTIC!!!  A 
little savory, a little sweet, savory, sweet... really 
interesting.

I had lamb and eggplant, and the first thing I did was 
seperate them, as I thought the Greek way too obvious. 
 And I always loved the Sechzuan eggplant/minced pork dish 
in one of my cookbooks.  People who hate eggplant liked 
it.

We only had two burners, and we still finished a half hour 
early.

All in all, lots of fun.  Only three points seperated 
first and second place, and three points second from 
third.  It was the first experience for the number two 
team.

Now on to siege cooking at Battlemoor during July 4 
weekend.  I am hosting this time, assisted by fellow 
wheatberry Lord Tehran.


Cailte




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy which
sustained him through temporary periods of joy."
W. B. Yeats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kathleen Roberts
Coordinator, Student Admissions
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
505-277-8900
FASTINFOrmation at your fingertips -
http://fastinfo.unm.edu/