[Sca-cooks] From the fabled List Administrator

Fri Feb 21 04:05:56 PST 2014

I lived in Sweden for 34 years, I am former political prisoner and was sent
to live in exile in Sweden when I was very young. There was a little group
reacting the Middle Ages in summer, where jousts and tournaments  are held
in Gotland. But none was interested in food...
It was the usual misconception of the Middle Age's food as boring and
bland, mjöd (mead), grilled meat and apples with honey the only food served
as a recreation of the food eaten in the region in the Middle Ages.
And now I am back in the country I was born, Uruguay, the most Souther's
capital of the world, Montevideo. SCA has not discovered South America yet
:)
And all food here is post-period :)
Ana

On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 6:01 AM, olwentheodd at yahoo.com <
olwentheodd at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Where do you live that there is no kingdom? I am just curious. I lived in
> a place that only 4 SCAdianS, nond of whomd I met despire my effort to at
> least meet for coffee. I was fortunate enough to dine with one Lord who had
> business where i lived. He was from the UK.
> Olwen
>
>  ------------------------------
> * From: * Ana Valdés <agora158 at gmail.com>;
> * To: * Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>;
> * Subject: * Re: [Sca-cooks] From the fabled List Administrator
> * Sent: * Wed, Feb 19, 2014 4:16:50 AM
>
>   Sitting in my flat in Montevideo I am touched by your letter, Gunthar. I
> joined this list many years ago when Ras had incendiary arguments about
> everything and I have stored several hundred letters from that time, from
> offal to cusquinoles. I love this list, I learn from it very much and I am
> very grateful you let me graciously in, not being in the SCA and not living
> near any kingdom.
> In love and friendship
> Ana
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 1:23 AM, Michael Gunter <dookgunthar at hotmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > Many of you know me and some have never heard of me.  I'm the founder of
> > this little list that was created...um...hell....more than a couple of
> > years ago.  I've been absent and that is totally my fault. I guess
> Facebook
> > is too easy now and I rarely read emails anymore, which is totally
> stupid.
> > This list is one of the things I've created which has made me the most
> > proud.  It was started as a way for me to tell everyone how they screwed
> up
> > their feasts and how to make them better. Y'see, I thought I was a pretty
> > shit-hot cook and feastocrat.  I didn't go for "Medieval" food much, but
> I
> > presented feasts that stretched peoples' tastes and they seemed odd
> enough
> > that you could squint your eyes and pretend they were "Medieval" and
> stuff.
> > So I got on here, expecting a few of my friends from around the kingdom
> and
> > we would all dish about that Stargate Yule feast and how it could be made
> > better or what it did right.  So imagine my near shock when people
> > subscribed from EVERYWHERE!  There were members of this list from every
> > kingdom, some other countries and many who weren't even in the SCA but
> had
> > heard this was the place to be to find out about period cooking.
> > Something else happened...I found out that I was a blathering idiot.  I
> > thought I knew about cooking and feasts and period food.  Well, I knew
> > period food sucked at least.  Then these amazing people came on and told
> me
> > about what food culture, history, cooking and period food was really
> like.
> >  I learned many things and the most important thing I learned was to shut
> > up when someone had something to say about a subject they were a master
> of.
> >  I learned to share opinions, even when they differed with these experts
> in
> > order to broaden the knowledge of our little passion.  I learned from the
> > Masters.  I also learned there were people who were just like me.  Who
> knew
> > everything and expected to show their greatness to the world.  Some got
> > quite angry when they came on and bestowed their wisdom to the list only
> to
> > have it slapped down.  Many pushed back against the "arrogant attitudes"
> of
> > this list when their declarations were met with "where's the source of
> this
> > attitude?" commentar
> >  y.
> > Some of these experts left in a huff to find places where people would
> > listen to their wisdom without question.  Others stayed here and learned
> > that their knowledge was valuable when presented correctly and they were
> > willing to listen to others.  Many of the "experts" who came here
> learned,
> > like me, they didn't know everything but knew something and they
> continued
> > to learn and to add to the discussion.
> > I've been gone far too long from this list and I need to get back in
> touch
> > with everyone.  A rule that was created in the first years of this list
> > continues (even though I'm not home much now), "This is my living room
> at a
> > gigantic dinner party. There are no strict rules about the topics of
> > conversation because we are all historians and food crazies so the
> > conversation will pretty much stay on topic. But, though debate is
> > encouraged, you will behave as an honored and respected guest in my
> house."
> >  Everyone needs to behave as they would in a public gathering. Politeness
> > is a must.  Heated arguments are fine, but with this crowd, you had
> damned
> > better make sure you have substance to back up your philosophies.  If you
> > get your feelings hurt because someone wants to know just where you got
> the
> > information that the Mongols drank coffee then you need to either present
> > your sources, grow an academic backbone, or find a place where scholars
> > don't gather.
> > This is an amazing room filled with some of the people I respect most in
> > the world.  Each and every one of you are special to me and are rare
> gems.
> >  Appreciate that.
> > Or go sit in the corner.
> > Yers,
> > GuntharEvil List Administrator/Creator
> > _______________________________________________
> > Sca-cooks mailing list
> > Sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
> > http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> http://www.twitter.com/caravia15860606060
> http://www.scoop.it/t/art-and-activism/
> http://www.scoop.it/t/food-history-and-trivia
> http://www.scoop.it/t/urbanism-3-0
>
> <http://www.scoop.it/t/postcolonial-mind/>
>
>
> cell Sweden +4670-3213370
> cell Uruguay +598-99470758
>
>
> "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with
> your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will always
> long to return.
> -- Leonardo da Vinci
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sca-cooks mailing list
> Sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org
>

-- 
http://www.twitter.com/caravia15860606060
http://www.scoop.it/t/art-and-activism/
http://www.scoop.it/t/food-history-and-trivia
http://www.scoop.it/t/urbanism-3-0

<http://www.scoop.it/t/postcolonial-mind/>

cell Sweden +4670-3213370
cell Uruguay +598-99470758

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with
your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will always
long to return.
-- Leonardo da Vinci