[Sca-cooks] Another TV-inspired cooking contest

[Stefan li Rous]

Brangwayna Morgan mentioned:
<<< HRH Jana of the East has announced a Cake Sculpting contest for coronation.  The theme is "Medieval".  Cakes may be any combination of layers and flavors, with a minimum height of 2 feet and a maximum height of 4 feet.  They must be transported from the work table to the display table intact. There is a "Most Fun" category, as well as a "Historically Accurate" category, for which documentation MUST be provided. >>>

Interesting. So "Medieval", not "period". That sure cuts down the documentation available a bit.

My first thought would be a fruitcake.
fruitcakes-msg (38K) 6/12/09 Period fruitcakes. Recipes.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/fruitcakes-msg.html

But 2 feet to 4 feet in height???

Well, the rules say it has to be transported intact from the work table to the display table. They don't say you have to carry it by hand. I'm assuming that allows use of a forklift or other such tools. A 2 to 4 foot high fruitcake isn't going to be lightweight, but it should be durable enough.  And you could warn folks that if they didn't finish it off this year, you'f bring it back next year.

Some other Florilegium files which might be of use:
Digby-Cakes-art (12K) 6/30/01 "Excellent Small Cakes Revisited" by Tirloch of Tallaght.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/Digby-Cakes-art.html

Digby-Cakes-msg (18K) 3/ 7/08 Making cakes using Sir Digby's 'Excellent Small Cakes' recipe.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/Digby-Cakes-msg.html

Great-Cake-art (8K) 6/ 1/08 "A Great Cake from the Rose Tourney" by Johnnae llyn Lewis.
    (I think this file may have already been mentioned by Johnnae)
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/Great-Cake-art.html

panforte-msg (20K) 5/15/10 A medieval Italian, sweetened, spiced dessert bread similar to fruitcake or Lebkuchen.
    (I don't know if the judges would disqualify this as a "bread" or not.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/panforte-msg.html

pastry-logs-msg (30K) 11/19/05 'jelly-roll' pastries made of a flat dough spread with filling and then rolled up.
    (Could you use these like "lincoln logs" and stack them up like a child's toy building? They would probably need something to stiffen them, though)
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/pastry-logs-msg.html

Sugar-Icing-art (36K) 11/10/01 "Sugar Icing" by Johnnae llyn Lewis. Some notes on sugar icing in late period.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/Sugar-Icing-art.html

sugar-icing-msg (6K) 1/16/02 Period sugar icing/frosting.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/sugar-icing-msg.html

Icing is period, but I don't think it is "medieval".

I commend the organizers for at least giving the idea of doing something period a thought, but I see various problems with the rules for this particular contest.

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 ****