[Sca-cooks] Siege Cooking at Battlemoor

[Stefan li Rous]

Shoshanna replied to me with:

 On Fri, Jun 4, 2010 at 1:36 AM, Stefan li Rous <StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>wrote:
<<< Hasn't the emphasis for all these siege cooking contests always been on fun
and food? How is having an emphasis on fun and food this year any different
from in the past? >>>

It is my understanding that (how do I put this delicately...) some siege
cooking events have been geared more towards "authentic", "period",
"documentable" items rather than just on food and fun.  Some groups believe
keeping to authentic, period and documentable should be the main focus of
these competitions, others not so much.  I'm a "not so much" person - I
think it's fun to see how each group incorporates all the ingredients into
something edible and yummy and I'm not so concerned about the other stuff
although it's great to see someone be able to do it all!
--------------------

That is the point I'm trying to make. I think you need to come up with a different phrase to describe how your siege cooking contest is different from its predecessors than "having an emphasis on fun and food". 

I think that having authentic, period and documentable dishes is fun and as we've discussed here before period food can be good. I'm afraid that phrasing it as you have, implies that period dishes aren't good food or aren't as much fun.

From some of the discussions here previously about various siege cooking contests, I do think one of their failings has been overly complicated scenarios with too many rules and quirks. Often too many non-food activities like carrying mock boats around and pirate games and complications. I see those things taking away from the emphasis on food and often hurting the fun of the event, more so than any pursuit of aiming for period dishes. 

I didn't say I would be any better doing more period dishes. I certainly can't on-the-fly. I have to have my period documents with me and I am much less capable of winging something while trying to keep it period. But just because I'm not any good at it, doesn't mean I don't think it shouldn't be pursued.

For those new to the SCA versions of siege cooking contests, check out these files in the CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS section of the Florilegium:
SC-Estrela-09-msg (8K) 8/20/09 The Siege Cooking Contest at the Estrella War in 2009.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CELEBRATIONS/SC-Estrela-09-msg.html
SC-Outlandish-msg (14K) 8/24/08 A pirate themed Siege Cooking competition at the 2008 Outlandish event.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CELEBRATIONS/SC-Outlandish-msg.html
SC-Potrero-art (22K) 1/29/09 Calafia Siege Cook Off at the Potrero War.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CELEBRATIONS/SC-Potrero-msg.html
SC-Talonvale-msg (10K) 9/29/08 Siege cooking at the "Siege on Talonvale" event in the Middle Kingdom in 2004.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CELEBRATIONS/SC-Talonvale-msg.html
siege-cooking-msg (34K) 8/ 9/09 A cooking contest where teams are given min. time, ingredients to create a meal.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CELEBRATIONS/siege-cooking-msg.html

I suspect that second one in particular has some of the faults that Shoshanna is wanting to fix.
 
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 ****