[Sca-cooks] Sca-cooks Digest, Vol 57, Issue 80

[Cat .]

Hi Stefan,
For a tasting table it is just that, small bites to folks can taste samples of 
things.  Usually it is a selection of dishes brought by various members each 
pick a dish to prepare and bring.  It is best to pick something bite sized (so a 
roast would be cut into small cubes for the table) and in this case something 
that did not require more than a toothpick or fork to eat (and for 12th night, 
with space limitations I was suggesting finger food is fine!)  


The idea is to provide several options (we have not in the past limited it to 
one cook book or one area, but instead opted to provide a broad selection so 
that hopefully everyone found SOMETHING tasty to sow the seed that period food 
can be yummy food.

The Stewpot also did this to good success, and they had a way to print recipe 
cards that were wonderful, I had to go with just plain paper.

I dont know what was left as I went home before the event ended and the table 
was cleared, but usually folks are not shy about tasting samples.  After all, it 
is only one bite... most will at least try something, and often that is all it 
takes.

For tasting tables I will focus on familiar/safe/not too strange foods, after 
all, the idea is to get em to try it and like it.  For A&S entries on the other 
hand, I like the more exotic things (Sauerkraut grown in the garden, fermented 
(in a one gallon glass jar with a fermentation lock to not anoy the neighbors, 
cooked, and served with Blutwurst, also made from scratch (though I did not grow 
the cow ;-) or the tounge with onions and apples.)

PURR
Gwen Cat

> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:37:36 -0600
> From: Stefan li Rous <StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>
> To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] tasting table
> Message-ID: <A63518D2-B056-4080-B6E6-2B587BE59FC7 at austin.rr.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> Catrin von Berlin said:
> <<< I am glad you like the idea of tasting tables. Iif you looked around 
at?the
> above mentioned? 12th nIght you would have seen that Caerthes Cooks Guild had 
a
> tasting table set up.? Even having been sick I recall the table featured 
>Saffron
> eggs from Mistress Hauviettes cook book, I know Lord Tahir made a middle 
>eastern 
>
> Meatball, I brought a vinegar beef dish from Rumpolt (and I know there was 
much
> more, but having been sick I have little memory of the event and less of the
> table, and I dont think anyone took a picture.)  We we provided a handout with
> the recipes, so that if folks nibbled and liked what they tasted they could 
>take
> the information home with them I know at least one person appreciated that
> handout and thanked me for it (and yes I do remember that much.) >>>
> 
> It sounds like for your tasting table, each person brought a single dish of 
>their own choice?  This wasn't what I was expecting. I guess I was expecting a 
>single, larger dish prepared as a group. 
>
> 
> Do you usually run out of samples of each dish? I assume you are dishing them 
>out in "taster/sample size portions rather than regular size.
> 
> I'd be interested in seeing your recipes and redactions. 
> 
> I'm glad you are feeling better.
> 
> 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 ****
>