[Sca-cooks] Coarse for feasts

[Susan Lord Williams]

Concerning the order of the medieval feast, Ziryab came to the Hispano-Muslim court of Cordoba, Spain  from the Orient at the beginning of the 9th century. Prior to that and after the Romans, the Visigoths, in Spain, served all dishes  at the same time, sweet and salty. Ziryab established or reestablish an order to the presentation of courses:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziryab: Cuisine He was an arbiter of culinary fashion and taste, who also "revolutionized the local cuisine" by introducing new fruit and vegetables such asasparagus, and by introducing the three-course meal served on leathern tablecloths, insisting that meals should be served in three separate courses consisting of soup, the main course, and dessert. He also introduced the use of crystal as a container for drinks, which was more effective than metal. This claim is supported by accounts of him cutting large crystals into cups with the only tool capable of doing such a feat in his time which was his mind.[citation needed] goblets.[29] Prior to his time, food was served plainly on platters on bare tables, as was the case with the Romans.”
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The question then would be did Hispnao-Muslim or Bagdad culinary customs or Knights, which certainly catered to this order of courses, get to the scene of your banquet. 

When I do banquets, I stick to the Ziryab style to give my kitchen help and waiters breathers. All at once is almost impossible to serve all warm. 
 
I think part of a good feast is to eat a little and chat with diner partners. Then eat a little more and chat some more. Fast food gluttons can go to McDonalds if they are too vulgar to savor the cuisine. and appreciate the ambiance.