[Sca-cooks] Medieval Mid-Eastern meal in Beirut

[Laureen Hart]

What a wealth of information!
Some of the topics were specific to a crazy level, which goes to show the general SCA level of geekiness is not out of line.
The range of topics was amazing, it would have been a fun event.
The food picutes made my stomach growl with approval.

Randell

-----Original Message-----
From: Sca-cooks [mailto:sca-cooks-bounces+lhart=graycomputer.com at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of JIMCHEVAL at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, July 2, 2016 9:31 AM
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Medieval Mid-Eastern meal in Beirut

I doubt anyone here went to this event in Beirut and you  probably have to be on Academia.edu to read the paper, so here are extracts  from the start and end:
 
https://www.academia.edu/25958070/A_Moveable_Feast_The_Conference_at_AUB_Foo
d_as_a_Cultural_Signifier_
 

A Moveable Feast: The Conference at AUB : « Food as a Cultural  Signifier » Lucy McNeece
*
The American University of Beirut and its  entire community were treated to an extraordinary feast on the occasion of the  recent interdisciplinary conference « Insatiable appetite : Food as a Cultural  Signifier » held at AUB on may 12-14, 2016.


"The conference opened  with a session entitled, « Food and Social Status » where Brigitte Caland  presented a panoramic view of the significance of food among the rich and  powerful from Mesopotamian, Greek and Roman times to that of the Abbaside period  *Emerita Professor of Comparative Literature, The University of  Connecticut and beyond. Ms. Caland explained that abundant food was offered  to the Gods and food was often featured in stories about them, as in the  Gilgamesh epic. The Gods drank wine and used food the way humans do, as a means  to achieve a desired goal. The Gods were served roast meats to keep them « happy  » and favorable to mankind. Even the staples of bread and beer helped in the  planning of projects.As Ms. Caland explained, food and lavish festivities were  used by Kings and elites as a means to celebrate important events such as  weddings, military victories,architectural projects or visiting dignitaries. But  they were also used to project their own importance and guarantee their  hegemony, at least among the upper classes."
 
"The talented Ms. Caland prepared a veritable feast for the eye as well as taste and the guests were duly impressed even before sampling any of the 27  dishes. Ms. Caland does extensive research to prepare for such events, so that  each stage of the preparation of the dishes conforms to the way they were  produced in the medieval tradition. Combining meat and poultry with vegetables  as well as nuts and fruits was common, as was the addition of small dishes to  accompany the primary ones. Meats were often cooked inside pastry, and sauces  often included fruits such as pomegranates, raisins or figs, and the murri sauce  has been compared to Tamari or soy sauce. Even al-Hamadhani’s famous  al-Madiriyya was among the riches offered, and as most of the dishes were  naturally unknown to the guests, the evening proved to be full of delicious  discoveries and a fine complement to the academic discussions about food as a  cultural signifier."
 
If you can access the article, there are pictures at the end as well.

Jim Chevallier
www.chezjim.com

FRENCH BREAD HISTORY:  Seventeenth century  bread http://leslefts.blogspot.com/2016/02/french-food-history-seventeenth-century
.html
 
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