First off, happy holidays, whatever flavor you celebrate I hope it has been or will be joyous.
Second, This year i dusted off my medieval spices and used them to cook a wonderful dinner. Not medieval food mind you but just the spices. I always seem to forget while cooking at home that I can use that stock of spices sitting in the corner for something other than collecting dust and events. So I broke out a few things, mostly my peppers and let them enhance my flavor palette for the day. Cubebs and long pepper are quite fantastic. They really enhance meats and let me tell you, they taste good with tart fruit as well. So this year, I need to try to remember better that I can bust out that box and experiment everyday.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Research and rabbit holes
As I begin to embark further into the text that is the Neapolitan Cookbook, which until now I had only given a glance to in the context of reading it through and picking at it, making no notes other than mental and a few marked pages of immediate interest, I feel both excitement and trepidation. Excitement to learn and discover new things, to make connections with the things I already know having worked with sources that come before and come after this text. Trepidation in that it feels overwhelming with all that is buzzing in my head. I am going to need to focus to stay on task and not dive down too many rabbit holes.
I have only but begun and already I have in my notebook 2 rabbit holes to pursue at another time. Like Scappi it contains a bit of advice for the reader. Though nowhere near the comprehensive book (chapter) that is a dissertation from Master to apprentice on the teaching of how to be a master cook found in Scappi. It is nice to have something to think on from this time. An eye into the mind of a cook that was there.
' The professional cook must be devoted wholly to the service of his master; he has one capital rule and that must be always to work to satisfy his master's taste. His profession must exist solely to serve that taste.'
'Let the cook be a gourmand, not for his own sake but for that of his master.'
When cooking for certain personages I have already had this in mind but had not the words to express it. When cooking in a more general sense I cook to please my own tastes.
I have only but begun and already I have in my notebook 2 rabbit holes to pursue at another time. Like Scappi it contains a bit of advice for the reader. Though nowhere near the comprehensive book (chapter) that is a dissertation from Master to apprentice on the teaching of how to be a master cook found in Scappi. It is nice to have something to think on from this time. An eye into the mind of a cook that was there.
' The professional cook must be devoted wholly to the service of his master; he has one capital rule and that must be always to work to satisfy his master's taste. His profession must exist solely to serve that taste.'
'Let the cook be a gourmand, not for his own sake but for that of his master.'
When cooking for certain personages I have already had this in mind but had not the words to express it. When cooking in a more general sense I cook to please my own tastes.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
At it again
An opportunity has arisen to cook for an event closer to home this time. I will be cooking for an event that I have long missed. A return to a Fortuna's Champion type event. I have no name for the event yet but I look forward to cooking near Munich on the weekend of Feb 28 to March 1. I have only 2 requests from the event staff and that is I not do lentils and that I serve pear pudding at some point. Other than that it is free reign to make what I like. Lunch will be kept simple but period as usual, likely recipes from varied sources, and Dinner / Feast will let me explore better the Neapolitan Cookbook. While I have read through the source I have yet to fully explore it or do any redacting from it. I look forward to seeing what will develop.
We are expecting a smaller type event of about 30-50 people. I am hoping that we will have a good draw. An event focused on games is rare and this had been one of the best. I am excited to see where it leads especially at the chance to expand our southern groop again and maybe jolt them to some extra action. I would love to see a large turnout to show them that they have not been forsaken or forgotten. That the expansion into the Barony is a positive thing that will bring with it renewed vigor and energy for this hobby we love so much.
I look forward to this opportunity in so many ways!!! I am so excited!
We are expecting a smaller type event of about 30-50 people. I am hoping that we will have a good draw. An event focused on games is rare and this had been one of the best. I am excited to see where it leads especially at the chance to expand our southern groop again and maybe jolt them to some extra action. I would love to see a large turnout to show them that they have not been forsaken or forgotten. That the expansion into the Barony is a positive thing that will bring with it renewed vigor and energy for this hobby we love so much.
I look forward to this opportunity in so many ways!!! I am so excited!
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Tackling a Facebook question
Excerpt
from Facebook:
This
is one of those things that I don't think has a right or wrong answer, I'm just
curious about other people's thoughts on the topic ...
Most
(but not all) of the historical culinary manuscripts we use were written by or
for the person who managed the kitchen of a great household ... for a king, a
prince, a duke, a bishop, a pope, etc. The kitchens of such establishments
provided meals for vast numbers of people every day. Sometimes simple, everyday
fare, and sometimes grand meals meant to impress.
If these
"master chefs" of history are the people we emulate in our attempts
at period cooking, should the ability to manage a kitchen to provide good
period food to a large number of people, served at the proper temperature and
with proper timing be a requirement for our own "master chefs" in the
SCA? More simply, must a cooking Laurel be able to manage a feast
well, or just cook individual dishes well?
I
look for responses from those who are not Laurels and those who are Laurels. I
think that voices outside the Laurel council are just as, if not more valuable,
in growing our art. If you are a Laurel, please indicate if your accolade was
all or in part for your culinary abilities. I expect there may be regional
variations as well, so please indicate your kingdom too.
I'm
from the West and next March I will have been a Laurel for cooking and various
other things for 40 years.
Duquesa
Juana Isabella de Montoya y Ramirez
My
opinion on the matter (for what it may be worth). I do believe there is more
than just being able to reproduce individual dishes. Being able to create a
whole feast involves many skills including the ability to work under pressure,
juggle recipes, timing and flavours. Making several individual pieces a whole.
It also
includes the management of time, money and more importantly people. To be able
to have a cohesive kitchen that is producing good (if not better) food that is
filling, tasty and rooted in period example, is a skill and I feel an important
one to being considered for a cooking laurel.
I think
a person who does excellent individual dishes and an amazing amount of research
can still be a laurel, and even still considered a cooking laurel, but I think
then the emphasis is on the research and the excellence of reproduction is the
same as a Textile laurel's creation of a gown or outfit from the 'bottom up'.
I'm not
sure I have ever heard of a textile laurel that was elevated for just doing
underwear (for example). And to me a complete feast is equal to a complete
outfit. Now the feast or feasts do not have to be huge. They could be 30 - 50
people. I think less is not a large enough group to really test but I suppose I
am used to cooking for large numbers as my grandmother and great grandmother
began me on this path and they each fed families of around 10 people at a time.
Not
everything is able to be evaluated across the board when it comes to judging
someone's arts or talents but I do believe we can deconstruct cooking the same
way we look at textile arts. Research, individual assembly and the picture as a
whole. For me, the picture as a whole can only be seen in the context of a
feast.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
The successes of 'that Saturday'
Due to the screen on my laptop turning pink I was unable to make updates and so I am doing it now.
One saturday in October Brindis came up to help me with my project. To check my redactions and see where things can be improved in order to put them into a book. This is an ongoing project and one that is not going to be done in a short amount of time. I also asked if she wanted a formalized student relationship to give us structure to work under and also so I can help her discover and achieve her goals as well.
My goal was 7 recipes, we accomplished 5! Considering they arrived (she brought her hubby with as a taste tester) 4 hours late than planned this to me was a huge success! We ate as we went and made notes as well. We had a fantastic time even if we were just the 2 of us in my tiny kitchen. We even had to start putting things on the couch for lack of room!
For the most part only minor changes were made to the recipes. We did however experiment with 2 types of rice for the rice dishes as well as substituting broth for milk in one of them as well (it was an alternative in the original.
We accomplished:
To Make a Tart of Rice (Good Housewife's Jewel, p73)
Various ways to saute' a capon (Scappi p199)
To Prepare Rice Fritters (Scappi, p498 )
To Braise Eggplant (Scappi, p360)
To Prepare Pumpkin Tourte without a Shell (Scappi, p484)
Everything tasted fantastic and there is one more thing to try with the chicken and that it to grill it over wood and/or charcoal. We did fry it in oil and we grilled it on an electric grill. Both had distinct flavors. The fried of course carried the flavor of the oil with it as well, seeming to dull the flavor of the chicken some.
The rice tart is oddly better with the parboiled rice as opposed to milk rice.
The rice fritters were fantastic no matter what they were made with but really the milk rice helps them stick together best and to boil them in milk helps too, though the savoriness of those cooked in broth was also quite good.
I didn't take the time to puree the pumpkin only to mash it and the texture was still good. This is a recipe I would make for modern potlucks. Though we followed the weights exact to the medieval recipe (in proportion) It could do with less cinnamon or with a bit more ginger.
We could have used more eggplant for the amount of herbs we had but it was still a lovely flavor and I need to serve this again. It is not a pretty dish but it is quite tasty.
I had started some of the things on the day before. The chicken especially needs to be started ahead of time. I had prepped the filling for a 6th dish but we didn't get to it and that was ok. In total the cost of the experiment was a day and a half of work on my part and Brindis putting in about 6 hours helping as well and an actual cost of 50€ including ingredients for the 2 unmade dishes. Each dish could have served 6 at least except the chicken. The chicken was only 4 whole legs that were split, so 8 pieces.
We are looking for a good time to move on to the next set of recipes as well as Dominik is trying to recover my files from my brick of an old laptop!!! I hope he is successful!
One saturday in October Brindis came up to help me with my project. To check my redactions and see where things can be improved in order to put them into a book. This is an ongoing project and one that is not going to be done in a short amount of time. I also asked if she wanted a formalized student relationship to give us structure to work under and also so I can help her discover and achieve her goals as well.
My goal was 7 recipes, we accomplished 5! Considering they arrived (she brought her hubby with as a taste tester) 4 hours late than planned this to me was a huge success! We ate as we went and made notes as well. We had a fantastic time even if we were just the 2 of us in my tiny kitchen. We even had to start putting things on the couch for lack of room!
For the most part only minor changes were made to the recipes. We did however experiment with 2 types of rice for the rice dishes as well as substituting broth for milk in one of them as well (it was an alternative in the original.
We accomplished:
To Make a Tart of Rice (Good Housewife's Jewel, p73)
Various ways to saute' a capon (Scappi p199)
To Prepare Rice Fritters (Scappi, p498 )
To Braise Eggplant (Scappi, p360)
To Prepare Pumpkin Tourte without a Shell (Scappi, p484)
Everything tasted fantastic and there is one more thing to try with the chicken and that it to grill it over wood and/or charcoal. We did fry it in oil and we grilled it on an electric grill. Both had distinct flavors. The fried of course carried the flavor of the oil with it as well, seeming to dull the flavor of the chicken some.
The rice tart is oddly better with the parboiled rice as opposed to milk rice.
The rice fritters were fantastic no matter what they were made with but really the milk rice helps them stick together best and to boil them in milk helps too, though the savoriness of those cooked in broth was also quite good.
I didn't take the time to puree the pumpkin only to mash it and the texture was still good. This is a recipe I would make for modern potlucks. Though we followed the weights exact to the medieval recipe (in proportion) It could do with less cinnamon or with a bit more ginger.
We could have used more eggplant for the amount of herbs we had but it was still a lovely flavor and I need to serve this again. It is not a pretty dish but it is quite tasty.
I had started some of the things on the day before. The chicken especially needs to be started ahead of time. I had prepped the filling for a 6th dish but we didn't get to it and that was ok. In total the cost of the experiment was a day and a half of work on my part and Brindis putting in about 6 hours helping as well and an actual cost of 50€ including ingredients for the 2 unmade dishes. Each dish could have served 6 at least except the chicken. The chicken was only 4 whole legs that were split, so 8 pieces.
We are looking for a good time to move on to the next set of recipes as well as Dominik is trying to recover my files from my brick of an old laptop!!! I hope he is successful!
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Home from Kingdom University
Some people think I am crazy but I describe myself as passionate!
I was asked to come be a helper for the feast cooking at Kingdom University in Sweden, and that is exactly what I did. The trip there was an adventure of cancelled flights and screw ups, none of them my fault! But I finally arrived on site about quarter to 10 or so Friday night. I had missed the excitement of Alydis and Isabetta being sent to their vigils, Laurel and Pelican respectively. As soon as I checked in though I went straight to the kitchen to see those I would be working with, Erik, Ermingard, Eskill, and Dag. Things were already well under way in the kitchen so I popped out to change and put my stuff away. Once changed I headed back in a bee line back to the kitchen where I started in at once. They went over the menu and the recipes with me and where we were at and what we were doing. I'm not sure about the little things that were done but Friday night we rolled the Dolma. Something it seems I am pretty quick with. We were out around 1 am and most toddled off to the vigils. I spent a bit of time saying Hi to people in the hall and slowly making my way there. It was lovely to have surprised people and to have people waiting for me. So many hugs and so much love!
I ended up heading to bed about quarter to 5 in the morning... having been talking to William! again! (at AiA it was 530 am). I poured myself in bed and sleep came quick. My roommates were mostly quiet and that was quite pleasant. When someone's alarm went off in the morning I peeked at my phone and just rolled over, never even heard them leave. I woke on my own about 9:30 ish and got ready for my day, I was in the kitchen by 10... and off I went.... I was quite good to myself. I remembered liquids and even took a proper break to eat lunch and not just snack my way through as per usual. I sat when needed, and kept a pretty steady pace. It was an early feats, set to start at 1630 but asked that it be pushed to 1700 by the royals. I was asked to sit at high table by the crown Princes, a delight! I love sitting with her.
After getting home I began to wonder if my presence really did any good, I mean did I really help out that much. After listing it all... yes. If nothing else my extra body allowed the pace to be lighter and for people to step out when needed to eat, get a break, see the 'merchants', and whatever else they may have needed. Could they have done it without me, Yes! was it better that I was there, Yes.
Just for my own reference, what I did...
Friday night:
Rolled Dolma
Saturday:
Cut mushrooms
Cut onions and apples
Prepped the beef
Salted the chicken
Spiced the carrots and parsnips
Mixed honey into the cooked cabbage
Wrapped the veal in bacon
Rolled and prepped Plum pies (1/2 of them)
Started the water for the peas
Prepped the dolma for the oven
Along with much fun, conversation and tasting along the way.
I was asked to come be a helper for the feast cooking at Kingdom University in Sweden, and that is exactly what I did. The trip there was an adventure of cancelled flights and screw ups, none of them my fault! But I finally arrived on site about quarter to 10 or so Friday night. I had missed the excitement of Alydis and Isabetta being sent to their vigils, Laurel and Pelican respectively. As soon as I checked in though I went straight to the kitchen to see those I would be working with, Erik, Ermingard, Eskill, and Dag. Things were already well under way in the kitchen so I popped out to change and put my stuff away. Once changed I headed back in a bee line back to the kitchen where I started in at once. They went over the menu and the recipes with me and where we were at and what we were doing. I'm not sure about the little things that were done but Friday night we rolled the Dolma. Something it seems I am pretty quick with. We were out around 1 am and most toddled off to the vigils. I spent a bit of time saying Hi to people in the hall and slowly making my way there. It was lovely to have surprised people and to have people waiting for me. So many hugs and so much love!
I ended up heading to bed about quarter to 5 in the morning... having been talking to William! again! (at AiA it was 530 am). I poured myself in bed and sleep came quick. My roommates were mostly quiet and that was quite pleasant. When someone's alarm went off in the morning I peeked at my phone and just rolled over, never even heard them leave. I woke on my own about 9:30 ish and got ready for my day, I was in the kitchen by 10... and off I went.... I was quite good to myself. I remembered liquids and even took a proper break to eat lunch and not just snack my way through as per usual. I sat when needed, and kept a pretty steady pace. It was an early feats, set to start at 1630 but asked that it be pushed to 1700 by the royals. I was asked to sit at high table by the crown Princes, a delight! I love sitting with her.
After getting home I began to wonder if my presence really did any good, I mean did I really help out that much. After listing it all... yes. If nothing else my extra body allowed the pace to be lighter and for people to step out when needed to eat, get a break, see the 'merchants', and whatever else they may have needed. Could they have done it without me, Yes! was it better that I was there, Yes.
Just for my own reference, what I did...
Friday night:
Rolled Dolma
Saturday:
Cut mushrooms
Cut onions and apples
Prepped the beef
Salted the chicken
Spiced the carrots and parsnips
Mixed honey into the cooked cabbage
Wrapped the veal in bacon
Rolled and prepped Plum pies (1/2 of them)
Started the water for the peas
Prepped the dolma for the oven
Along with much fun, conversation and tasting along the way.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Saturday it starts
Saturday I start my cook book project. This is going to take a while and I'm OK with that. I have enlisted Brindis's help in testing my redaction as well as transcribing them to be both American and European measure.
I am hoping to be complete within a year, maybe 6 months if I find the time but I am not in a hurry. I want it done well not done quickly.
I am retesting recipes that I only made for a single event .. I am at a loss for some things though as they are on a dead laptop or a desktop that I don't have access too. If anyone out there can help me with the dead laptop... please!!!! The screen is dead on it. Really that is the only thing. I have tried hooking it to my TV but I don't seem to have the right cables for that. I really think it just needs to be hooked to a monitor and my info extracted off it. So much research and redactions on there.. I need to get them!
Anyway, updates as it goes.
Saturday I will do the rice fritters, rice tart, a chicken recipe and maybe another crack at mustard. I'd like to get more done, Maybe the custard fritter to try to get a sense of proportions for increasing as the increasing went wonky the last time it was tried, Though someone else did the math on that one.
I am hoping to be complete within a year, maybe 6 months if I find the time but I am not in a hurry. I want it done well not done quickly.
I am retesting recipes that I only made for a single event .. I am at a loss for some things though as they are on a dead laptop or a desktop that I don't have access too. If anyone out there can help me with the dead laptop... please!!!! The screen is dead on it. Really that is the only thing. I have tried hooking it to my TV but I don't seem to have the right cables for that. I really think it just needs to be hooked to a monitor and my info extracted off it. So much research and redactions on there.. I need to get them!
Anyway, updates as it goes.
Saturday I will do the rice fritters, rice tart, a chicken recipe and maybe another crack at mustard. I'd like to get more done, Maybe the custard fritter to try to get a sense of proportions for increasing as the increasing went wonky the last time it was tried, Though someone else did the math on that one.
Friday, October 4, 2019
Off to university
...to be a pair of hands :) I was asked by my friend Erik if I could make it possible to get there. Thanks to a cheap flight and having the time I will make my way there to be His assistant. I will be assisting him and Ermingard in the prep of food and feast. I am looking forward to going and being useful in the kitchen. I have no idea what the plan or menu is but I am sure it will be interesting.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Once more into the breach!
LOL, I was hit up by a friend in the US to help provide her a simple finger foods menu for a small gathering she is throwing. So, I will dig into the tarts some more and other simple things. she is a competent cook and I'm sure she could handle whatever I throw at her. I'm sort of enjoying these mini opportunities to do things in my 'down time' between planned events.
On the book front, I will start doing some extra testing of the recipes with Bridis in September and hopefully get a good jump on things with the recipes I have already re tested for AiA. I am thinking of double formatting the book with 3 columns. Column A in 'American measure', column B is the ingredients, and Column C is weight/ volume for the Europeans in my life. Now to see if I can the formatting as I like. i will need various amounts of the page in this 3 column style but not for the instructions. This will be a test of many skills and much learning. December might be asking too much but I will do my best.
Now on to less light hearted fun, Once more into the breach of ... well, I'm not sure what to call it.
This is a bit on the 'inside' of the hobby.
I was at a gathering and several of us were having an open discussion on peerage and vigils and other such things when I casually mentioned a protege group I am on. One of the members present 'Jumped my shit', at least that is how I felt, and began a line of questioning as to why I would be part of such a group, and who was my peer, and if I don't have a peer why was on the group. I answered all questions as best I could. No, I do not currently have a Pelican. I had been in a relationship prior to being taken as an Apprentice but the relationship was dissolved as the peer was no longer an active part of the SCA. I was accepted into the group because the admins said I could. I explained my situation and they felt I would be a welcome addition to their group. It is understood in the group that were I to become a peer (Laurel or Pelican) I would leave the group as it is intended for non peers only. I guess my trouble is, what is it to her if I am part of this group? I am not her apprentice, I am only casually associated with her, what does she care? And why does it bother me?
I am more than a cook, I am an artisan as well. I sew when I need to not because I have a passion for it. I can draft patterns, I have a pretty good eye for color and cut and spatial awareness. I embroider only for myself mostly. I enjoy a variety of arts and have a list of things I would like to try. I am MORE than a cook.
I am MORE! I serve, not always in the front, not always where it is seen. i go to events and like to enjoy myself. I may give service there in some for but I prefer to do the behind the scenes things. The things that keep the organization running. The things that get events off the ground. The things that not everyone sees. Hidden service is still service, and it is for this reason that I joined that group. To gather Ideas from other places that may help invigorate us here. To have a sounding board of others who view service the way I do. I am not a 'one trick pony' despite what outward appearances are.
I think I was upset most by the accusatory feeling I felt. Like I somehow didn't belong there because it wasn't my box. I have my Lindquist ring because I serve my Kingdom, I have my Wheel because I serve my Barony, I serve because it makes me feel good.
On the book front, I will start doing some extra testing of the recipes with Bridis in September and hopefully get a good jump on things with the recipes I have already re tested for AiA. I am thinking of double formatting the book with 3 columns. Column A in 'American measure', column B is the ingredients, and Column C is weight/ volume for the Europeans in my life. Now to see if I can the formatting as I like. i will need various amounts of the page in this 3 column style but not for the instructions. This will be a test of many skills and much learning. December might be asking too much but I will do my best.
Now on to less light hearted fun, Once more into the breach of ... well, I'm not sure what to call it.
This is a bit on the 'inside' of the hobby.
I was at a gathering and several of us were having an open discussion on peerage and vigils and other such things when I casually mentioned a protege group I am on. One of the members present 'Jumped my shit', at least that is how I felt, and began a line of questioning as to why I would be part of such a group, and who was my peer, and if I don't have a peer why was on the group. I answered all questions as best I could. No, I do not currently have a Pelican. I had been in a relationship prior to being taken as an Apprentice but the relationship was dissolved as the peer was no longer an active part of the SCA. I was accepted into the group because the admins said I could. I explained my situation and they felt I would be a welcome addition to their group. It is understood in the group that were I to become a peer (Laurel or Pelican) I would leave the group as it is intended for non peers only. I guess my trouble is, what is it to her if I am part of this group? I am not her apprentice, I am only casually associated with her, what does she care? And why does it bother me?
I am more than a cook, I am an artisan as well. I sew when I need to not because I have a passion for it. I can draft patterns, I have a pretty good eye for color and cut and spatial awareness. I embroider only for myself mostly. I enjoy a variety of arts and have a list of things I would like to try. I am MORE than a cook.
I am MORE! I serve, not always in the front, not always where it is seen. i go to events and like to enjoy myself. I may give service there in some for but I prefer to do the behind the scenes things. The things that keep the organization running. The things that get events off the ground. The things that not everyone sees. Hidden service is still service, and it is for this reason that I joined that group. To gather Ideas from other places that may help invigorate us here. To have a sounding board of others who view service the way I do. I am not a 'one trick pony' despite what outward appearances are.
I think I was upset most by the accusatory feeling I felt. Like I somehow didn't belong there because it wasn't my box. I have my Lindquist ring because I serve my Kingdom, I have my Wheel because I serve my Barony, I serve because it makes me feel good.
Monday, August 19, 2019
secret squirrel project
OK, not a squirrel but a Pelican.
Now that the cat is out of the bag I can post this.
I was asked on Sat night (ok it might have been super early Sunday morning) if I could plan and make the food for a vigil to be happening at Red and Gold. As it was a friend asking, I of course said yes. Not knowing who the candidate was and apparently no one knew their wishes, I just had to sort of wing it! Not really having time to redact or plan big I reached for old standbys. Tart de Bry, Mushroom tarts, a fruit tart, and an assortment of cheese, salami, pickles and olives. I did however add a recipe that was not redacted by me, Digby's fine cakes.
I invaded my apprentice sister's house on Wednesday afternoon. She lives close to site and we would be day tripping each day. This made the cooking and most other prep easier, especially when I saw how tiny the space there really was. There was no way I would have been able to do the prep on site. In total it took 8 hours on Thursday and 2 hours Friday Morning and about an hour and a half (with help) Friday evening.
The reception of the food was glorious. people stood next to the table nibbling and eating the whole night and used the bits leftover as a breakfast buffet in the morning, Not a scrap went to waste.
My notes on Digby's cakes. They are a lovely cookie. They would be spectacular iced with lemon and sugar as well as the rose ones. The are sticky and not easy to roll so I patted the dough out to the right thickness according to the redaction and used a floured cutter to cut them out. The time they needed in the oven was less than stated so the first batch came out browned but still tasty and not dry. I am sure they were at their best because they sat for a day. Next time, and there will be a next time. I will add more nutmeg. I found the flavor to be lost among the currants and icing. I will also make them thicker, closer to 1/2 an inch thick. I used a double batch of the recipe and got close to 30 cookies, I forgot to do an actual count of them so that is something I will add to the 'next time' pile as well.
I think I will create a file of good finger food recipes in case I or someone else needs to do vigil foods on short notice.
I also bought new tartlet pans and they worked spectacularly!!! A little fiddly but well worth it! I need to experiment with my pie fillings for an accurate count of how many a batch makes but my estimate of doubling it went really well and garnered me about 50 to 75 tarts, again, silly me didn't write the count down. This will vary by type of filling I am sure. I do know that double my Tart de Bry got me 12 - 6 inch pies that I cut into six pieces each.
I look forward to more experimentation.
Now that the cat is out of the bag I can post this.
I was asked on Sat night (ok it might have been super early Sunday morning) if I could plan and make the food for a vigil to be happening at Red and Gold. As it was a friend asking, I of course said yes. Not knowing who the candidate was and apparently no one knew their wishes, I just had to sort of wing it! Not really having time to redact or plan big I reached for old standbys. Tart de Bry, Mushroom tarts, a fruit tart, and an assortment of cheese, salami, pickles and olives. I did however add a recipe that was not redacted by me, Digby's fine cakes.
I invaded my apprentice sister's house on Wednesday afternoon. She lives close to site and we would be day tripping each day. This made the cooking and most other prep easier, especially when I saw how tiny the space there really was. There was no way I would have been able to do the prep on site. In total it took 8 hours on Thursday and 2 hours Friday Morning and about an hour and a half (with help) Friday evening.
The reception of the food was glorious. people stood next to the table nibbling and eating the whole night and used the bits leftover as a breakfast buffet in the morning, Not a scrap went to waste.
My notes on Digby's cakes. They are a lovely cookie. They would be spectacular iced with lemon and sugar as well as the rose ones. The are sticky and not easy to roll so I patted the dough out to the right thickness according to the redaction and used a floured cutter to cut them out. The time they needed in the oven was less than stated so the first batch came out browned but still tasty and not dry. I am sure they were at their best because they sat for a day. Next time, and there will be a next time. I will add more nutmeg. I found the flavor to be lost among the currants and icing. I will also make them thicker, closer to 1/2 an inch thick. I used a double batch of the recipe and got close to 30 cookies, I forgot to do an actual count of them so that is something I will add to the 'next time' pile as well.
I think I will create a file of good finger food recipes in case I or someone else needs to do vigil foods on short notice.
I also bought new tartlet pans and they worked spectacularly!!! A little fiddly but well worth it! I need to experiment with my pie fillings for an accurate count of how many a batch makes but my estimate of doubling it went really well and garnered me about 50 to 75 tarts, again, silly me didn't write the count down. This will vary by type of filling I am sure. I do know that double my Tart de Bry got me 12 - 6 inch pies that I cut into six pieces each.
I look forward to more experimentation.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
I have found a project
It seems the quiet will not last.
And I'm ok with that.
I am often asked for copies of my recipe or links to them etc. I love to share and have no trouble doing so. Half the fun is sharing. It was suggested though that maybe I compile a collection of all the recipes I have redacted so far and used at events into a cookbook.
So many ideas and questions:
Should I print just my redactions?
Include the original recipe or just the source?
How to 'sort' the recipes? By country? By date?
In a more 'modern' format? ie meat, veg, dessert, etc...
Where to have it printed? I know I will fo with an online source.
I will likely have all the books sent to me and then ship them individually to their recipients. Excel here I come! lol.
Looks like I will have to learn to format lol!!
I will need a bit of clip art or other free donated art, and a cover.
And I'm ok with that.
I am often asked for copies of my recipe or links to them etc. I love to share and have no trouble doing so. Half the fun is sharing. It was suggested though that maybe I compile a collection of all the recipes I have redacted so far and used at events into a cookbook.
So many ideas and questions:
Should I print just my redactions?
Include the original recipe or just the source?
How to 'sort' the recipes? By country? By date?
In a more 'modern' format? ie meat, veg, dessert, etc...
Where to have it printed? I know I will fo with an online source.
I will likely have all the books sent to me and then ship them individually to their recipients. Excel here I come! lol.
Looks like I will have to learn to format lol!!
I will need a bit of clip art or other free donated art, and a cover.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
All quiet on the SCA front
With no immediate projects I have been quiet and taking time to focus on same rather mundane things. Like looking for work, I'm still looking btw. But my last post about it being hot did lead to a great post in my mundane blog. Yes, I started a second cooking blog to talk about mundane cooking. It reads a lot like this one in 'tone'. With me typing out a 'conversation ' with my reader and the focus is modern and mundane cooking.
I'm looking for projects and feel rather overwhelmed still at all the options, Though I would rather be able to focus on an event. Maybe I will create one (no, not giving up cooking for autocratting) but having a 'reserve pile' of menu's. Or maybe start planning well in advance the next Arts in April. It is only 9 months away after all, lol. No matter what I do I am still out here puttering and learning.
In fact I just had a rather funny, to me at least, experience. A friend posted a recipe she made that she had gotten from a friend. I asked about where it came from because it had a familiarity I couldn't put my finger on. It turns out it was a recipe I considered when doing my research For silver anniversary. It was from the 16th cent French cookbook I had looked through. Funny that I have not touched the book in depth in well over a year and still I could recognize the recipe. Even if I couldn't immediately place where from. It is amazing how much we retain as background noise in our brains and what triggers it to pop back up to the surface.
I'm looking for projects and feel rather overwhelmed still at all the options, Though I would rather be able to focus on an event. Maybe I will create one (no, not giving up cooking for autocratting) but having a 'reserve pile' of menu's. Or maybe start planning well in advance the next Arts in April. It is only 9 months away after all, lol. No matter what I do I am still out here puttering and learning.
In fact I just had a rather funny, to me at least, experience. A friend posted a recipe she made that she had gotten from a friend. I asked about where it came from because it had a familiarity I couldn't put my finger on. It turns out it was a recipe I considered when doing my research For silver anniversary. It was from the 16th cent French cookbook I had looked through. Funny that I have not touched the book in depth in well over a year and still I could recognize the recipe. Even if I couldn't immediately place where from. It is amazing how much we retain as background noise in our brains and what triggers it to pop back up to the surface.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Updates and alternatives
What do you do when it is hotter than Hades and there is a fire ban because of drought conditions? You have cold platters for dinner.
While this weekend I was intending to help Bridis with her fear of fire I was unable to do no such thing as we couldn't have a fire. So instead it was cold plates of meats (salami, ham and dried wursts), veggies (carrots, cucumber, kohlrabi), Cheese, nuts, dried fruit. It was too hot to have stood over a fire anyway. This sort of eating is my favorite go to alternative when its hot and I'm busy.
What are your favorite alternatives to cooking?
While this weekend I was intending to help Bridis with her fear of fire I was unable to do no such thing as we couldn't have a fire. So instead it was cold plates of meats (salami, ham and dried wursts), veggies (carrots, cucumber, kohlrabi), Cheese, nuts, dried fruit. It was too hot to have stood over a fire anyway. This sort of eating is my favorite go to alternative when its hot and I'm busy.
What are your favorite alternatives to cooking?
Monday, June 24, 2019
Balance
I have a balance I use at home for cooking.
1 meat, 2 veg (if I can) and a starch. Am I perfect? No.
I keep this same balance in mind when planning feasts as well. My aim is to provide variety in tastes as well as color and consistency.
While bread was a large part of the medieval diet I do not, in general, like to serve it at feasts. Especially as an opening course. I find that at events one gets to feast hungry and fills up on bread before being able to enjoy what is the main part of the meal. I have served it alongside some courses as the starch component as well as some recipes calling directly for it to be served alongside or under the main part of the dish.
My idea of balance is definitely not what they were serving in the Renaissance. Their menus are heavy with meats, quite heavy. We can only assume bread was a constant offering but I have not seen it directly mentioned, I would think too that more vegetables were served but I suppose that doesn't need to be true. Meat was wealth and that is what you were showing off. Though close to all of an animal was used in one way or another, something that doesn't seem to appeal to us in the modern age ( at least not to me), several of the meat dishes would include the offal of the animals.
This is what is always at the heart of the matter for a cook. Balancing the modern with the medieval. We have changed, our way of seasoning has changed, the way we view certain foods have changed, and what we expect to find on a dinner table has changed. I do have the desire to someday serve a feast from a period menu, either as a whole or in part, for now I work on balancing the variety of aspects to make something pleasing to the palate, nutritionally and to the eye.
1 meat, 2 veg (if I can) and a starch. Am I perfect? No.
I keep this same balance in mind when planning feasts as well. My aim is to provide variety in tastes as well as color and consistency.
While bread was a large part of the medieval diet I do not, in general, like to serve it at feasts. Especially as an opening course. I find that at events one gets to feast hungry and fills up on bread before being able to enjoy what is the main part of the meal. I have served it alongside some courses as the starch component as well as some recipes calling directly for it to be served alongside or under the main part of the dish.
My idea of balance is definitely not what they were serving in the Renaissance. Their menus are heavy with meats, quite heavy. We can only assume bread was a constant offering but I have not seen it directly mentioned, I would think too that more vegetables were served but I suppose that doesn't need to be true. Meat was wealth and that is what you were showing off. Though close to all of an animal was used in one way or another, something that doesn't seem to appeal to us in the modern age ( at least not to me), several of the meat dishes would include the offal of the animals.
This is what is always at the heart of the matter for a cook. Balancing the modern with the medieval. We have changed, our way of seasoning has changed, the way we view certain foods have changed, and what we expect to find on a dinner table has changed. I do have the desire to someday serve a feast from a period menu, either as a whole or in part, for now I work on balancing the variety of aspects to make something pleasing to the palate, nutritionally and to the eye.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
What good are reports?
Recently I took an opportunity to talk to the Society Minister of Arts and Sciences, Master Etienne Le Mons. I have often been asked as well as been curious as to what the goal of collecting reports was. I understood quite well why a financial accounting is in order but what does the BoD care about the arts and sciences going on. As an officer I see it as part of my job to make award recommendation nd to do such the collection of information is important.
A quick note on award recommendations as an officer. Your words carry weight in your office and while someone may be getting recommended in their local group when a crown sees an outside recommendation it carries a bit more with it. Also in the reports you see what people are doing on a regular basis and can comment, where others who are closer may not be paying attention or think about passing the info to the cron. Really award recommendations will be its own post in the future, as well as my feelings on the role of officers.
Now to the meat of the matter, Why are reports important? Ask and you shall receive.
- Jessica Page What happens to our reports? What use are they on a society level?
- Etienne Le Mons Branch level reports that go to the Kingdom Officers are used by those officers to create their report to me. Basically, they're consolidated and streamlined into a digestible format that I can process for my report to the Board of Directors.
Additionally, should the tax man come calling, MoAS reports would be the first place that we look to prove our 501(c)3 educational non-profit status. Of all the things that the SCA does, A&S is where we do the majority of our research, documentation and teaching of period medieval topics. - TL;DR: A&S reports are how we stay non-profit and they're REALLY important ;-)
I went on to ask some follow on questions and instead of boring you with the blow by blow I will sum up the information.
Do you use a form to consolidate your report?
I use a form for the Kingdom Officers to submit information to me, but the consolidation is done
on my own.
on my own.
I have several different sections of my report to the BoD which are dictated by the BoD
A. REQUESTED BOARD ACTIONS
B. POLICY INTERPRETATIONS
C. NEW POLICIES
D. COMMENDATIONS
E. GENERAL STATUS REPORT
F. PUBLISHABLE SUMMARY
G. KNOWN WORLD SUMMARY
H. TRAVEL
I. CONFIDENTIAL SECTION
J. ADDENDUMS
the information from the Kingdom reports help me fill out D, E, F & G and of course I & J
a lot of what I get in the reports is simply stored but there are specific questions that I ask that I address every time
first are 4 numbers....each quarter, I ask the Kingdom Officers to do a self-rating from 1-10 on the state of the KMoAS office in their Kingdom and separately the state of A&S in their Kingdom
I also ask how many warranted MoAS's they have and how many Laurels were elevated in that quarter there is no judgement from me on if these numbers are high or low or in-between.... that's really not what I'm looking at what I'm looking at are the trends over time I also ask if they need anything from the Society Office and I address that every time they put anything there
for the "Known World Summary", I have a bullet point for each Kingdom I read through their report and see what jumps out at me, what they're excited about, what they've spent a lot of time and resources on and those things go into their Kingdom's bullet I also note if they've had a major competition with good turn out or a University with particularly good attendance
for the "Known World Summary", I have a bullet point for each Kingdom I read through their report and see what jumps out at me, what they're excited about, what they've spent a lot of time and resources on and those things go into their Kingdom's bullet I also note if they've had a major competition with good turn out or a University with particularly good attendance
Friday, June 14, 2019
Behind the scenes
I've been ruminating on this for a while now. What do we (cooks) do behind the scenes to get ready for a feast? What are the costs in terms of time and energy? Things not normally documented or talked about very much.
First thing we rarely talk about is the actual monetary costs that go into planning a feast. In general the idea is to charge for food what we need to cover the cost of all supplies to cook, clean and present the food for an event but what does this translate to for me at home? That answer varies but in general I would say the average at home output in food costs is around 150€. This does not account for water, cleaning supplies, electricity and maintenance of pots and pans. This is a rough estimate, I have never actually calculated my costs for redacting. I could be way off but if I am it is because I ballparked too low. In this manner I feel for the scribal community and understand the 'price' that the art that you generously donate comes with. I get it and I'm grateful. Supplies for practice, supplies for finished products, time given to research and technique. I feel you because I do the same thing. I can spend what amounts to hundreds of euros to test and retest recipes, on spices that are used for one thing and one thing only but you need it to get it 'right', just for one feast. For one moment that is sure to pass into memory and blend in with a multitude of other foods, feasts and memories. If you are lucky someone will hold onto that memory and it will stay with them. That is the biggest difference between what you do (the scribe) and what I do ( the cook). My art is fleeting and temporary. It is meant to be consumed but hopefully not to be forgotten.
The planning for my two largest feasts to date, Drachenwald's Silver Anniversary/ coronation and Known World Dance Symposium, the planning stages each started more than a year in advance. First was to decide with the autocrat if there would need to be 'theme' or desired direction for the feast / food to take. Second, if there was no desired direction was to pick a direction. At the time of KWDS I was intent on the study of Scappi and so it became my focus for the feast. The rest of the food, lunches and suppers, I chose to look for period recipes but didn't stick to any one culture or time period. For silver Anniversary feast I wanted to represent as much of Drachenwald as I could reasonably do and so I narrowed the field to 16th century but broadened it to as many countries as I could find that fit the time frame. Both events had me exploring for hours on end but in very different ways. For each of them number of dishes, meat dishes vs vegetable dishes and suitable starches were always in my mind. I detailed my process I use here on the blog once before but my usual start is to choose the resources, read them through, then read them through noting the recipes that peak my interest. I read through again paying more attention to ingredients and looking for that balance I just spoke of. I narrow my field to tests recipes and then I test them.
Testing is more complex than it sounds. Testing involves redacting it first. The first redaction is almost never the final redaction. I have gotten quite lucky with a handful of simple and basic recipes that were fantastic my first try, and only because we have modern equivalents that I am already comfortable making. Of these first tries I begin to weed down the choices. My criteria changes based on the kitchen facilities I am using. I have used kitchens where baking was a dream, with a very large industrial oven, and I have been in others where baking was just not a good option. My criteria changes with the size of the event as well as certain attendees and what their 'station' is at the moment. Silver Anniversary feast was cooked completely without onion, garlic or saffron as the Queen who was stepping up has an allergy. I have cooked for her as a 'participant of events as well and how I plan for each is different.
Once testing is done I review the recipes and usually have to weed down ever further, to have the 'balance' I was speaking of. Now is the review and finalizing the menu. making notes on changes that need to be made or substitutions because of allergies or other dietary restrictions, and testing to make sure they still produce a quality dish with the substitutions. Do I need an extra dish or two? What do I feed the vegetarians? care and feeding of the vegetarians is another previous post but each time I plan a feast it is something I must be mindful of and do.
After I have a menu, and recipes, now starts the lists! I love my lists. Lists of ingredients, multiplication of the recipe list, list of tools I need, list, list , list!!!!! I am not finished until the last item is prepared and served, and even then I am not completely done. I listen around and ask for feedback on dishes to see what still needs work where. I make notes while cooking, on things that I may have changed on the fly or because of issues.
First thing we rarely talk about is the actual monetary costs that go into planning a feast. In general the idea is to charge for food what we need to cover the cost of all supplies to cook, clean and present the food for an event but what does this translate to for me at home? That answer varies but in general I would say the average at home output in food costs is around 150€. This does not account for water, cleaning supplies, electricity and maintenance of pots and pans. This is a rough estimate, I have never actually calculated my costs for redacting. I could be way off but if I am it is because I ballparked too low. In this manner I feel for the scribal community and understand the 'price' that the art that you generously donate comes with. I get it and I'm grateful. Supplies for practice, supplies for finished products, time given to research and technique. I feel you because I do the same thing. I can spend what amounts to hundreds of euros to test and retest recipes, on spices that are used for one thing and one thing only but you need it to get it 'right', just for one feast. For one moment that is sure to pass into memory and blend in with a multitude of other foods, feasts and memories. If you are lucky someone will hold onto that memory and it will stay with them. That is the biggest difference between what you do (the scribe) and what I do ( the cook). My art is fleeting and temporary. It is meant to be consumed but hopefully not to be forgotten.
The planning for my two largest feasts to date, Drachenwald's Silver Anniversary/ coronation and Known World Dance Symposium, the planning stages each started more than a year in advance. First was to decide with the autocrat if there would need to be 'theme' or desired direction for the feast / food to take. Second, if there was no desired direction was to pick a direction. At the time of KWDS I was intent on the study of Scappi and so it became my focus for the feast. The rest of the food, lunches and suppers, I chose to look for period recipes but didn't stick to any one culture or time period. For silver Anniversary feast I wanted to represent as much of Drachenwald as I could reasonably do and so I narrowed the field to 16th century but broadened it to as many countries as I could find that fit the time frame. Both events had me exploring for hours on end but in very different ways. For each of them number of dishes, meat dishes vs vegetable dishes and suitable starches were always in my mind. I detailed my process I use here on the blog once before but my usual start is to choose the resources, read them through, then read them through noting the recipes that peak my interest. I read through again paying more attention to ingredients and looking for that balance I just spoke of. I narrow my field to tests recipes and then I test them.
Testing is more complex than it sounds. Testing involves redacting it first. The first redaction is almost never the final redaction. I have gotten quite lucky with a handful of simple and basic recipes that were fantastic my first try, and only because we have modern equivalents that I am already comfortable making. Of these first tries I begin to weed down the choices. My criteria changes based on the kitchen facilities I am using. I have used kitchens where baking was a dream, with a very large industrial oven, and I have been in others where baking was just not a good option. My criteria changes with the size of the event as well as certain attendees and what their 'station' is at the moment. Silver Anniversary feast was cooked completely without onion, garlic or saffron as the Queen who was stepping up has an allergy. I have cooked for her as a 'participant of events as well and how I plan for each is different.
Once testing is done I review the recipes and usually have to weed down ever further, to have the 'balance' I was speaking of. Now is the review and finalizing the menu. making notes on changes that need to be made or substitutions because of allergies or other dietary restrictions, and testing to make sure they still produce a quality dish with the substitutions. Do I need an extra dish or two? What do I feed the vegetarians? care and feeding of the vegetarians is another previous post but each time I plan a feast it is something I must be mindful of and do.
After I have a menu, and recipes, now starts the lists! I love my lists. Lists of ingredients, multiplication of the recipe list, list of tools I need, list, list , list!!!!! I am not finished until the last item is prepared and served, and even then I am not completely done. I listen around and ask for feedback on dishes to see what still needs work where. I make notes while cooking, on things that I may have changed on the fly or because of issues.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Cook for sale or rent
At the moment my services are not engaged and I find that I am at loose ends. I currently have only one project in front of me that is rapidly approaching and that is cooking over a fire at Summer Bash at the end of June. I will be cooking with Claudia and teaching her about fire, fire safety and helping her get comfortable cooking over a fire. After that I am not sure what lies ahead until next April when Arts in April rolls around again.
Looking for a head cook? Want a menu? Just looking for help? Let me help!
Qualifications:
Much cooking experience for groups of 30 to 150. Meal planning for breakfast, lunch, supper, feast, coffee / tea time snacks. Works best with 16th Century Italian, English and German. A bit of experience with 16th Century French, Danish and Spanish as well. Can also wander the centuries in English or Italian cooking.
Payment:
At this time my resources are limited but if you can help get me to you, and give me a place to stay, I'm all yours!
I have many ideas cooking at the moment and no real place to explore them. Well, I can explore them but no place to actualize them for a larger audience. My art frustrates me at the moment because it really needs a broad audience to be appreciated and to gather feedback to improve.
Looking for a head cook? Want a menu? Just looking for help? Let me help!
Qualifications:
Much cooking experience for groups of 30 to 150. Meal planning for breakfast, lunch, supper, feast, coffee / tea time snacks. Works best with 16th Century Italian, English and German. A bit of experience with 16th Century French, Danish and Spanish as well. Can also wander the centuries in English or Italian cooking.
Payment:
At this time my resources are limited but if you can help get me to you, and give me a place to stay, I'm all yours!
I have many ideas cooking at the moment and no real place to explore them. Well, I can explore them but no place to actualize them for a larger audience. My art frustrates me at the moment because it really needs a broad audience to be appreciated and to gather feedback to improve.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Cooking over a fire
I have decided that i will cook over the fire at an upcoming event at the end of June and have offered to teach any who would like to join. I have at least one candidate interested and I look forward to working with her especially as she has a self professed fear of fire. i am hoping I can help her through this. I am hoping to drum up a bit more interest but we will see. The event is a very lazy and relaxed event so I am trying not to push.
The trouble I am having is what to cook!?! I am at a complete loss at the moment, lol.
I always go through a phase when planning a menu where I don't know what I want to cook but this feels beyond that. There is nothing official tying me to this endeavor and maybe that is what is keeping inspiration from me. What's a cook to do.. sigh.. I guess it is time to hit the books again. Not that I mind, I like reading, I like reading cookbooks (even modern ones) I know I'm weird but join me in my madness and you may learn.
The trouble I am having is what to cook!?! I am at a complete loss at the moment, lol.
I always go through a phase when planning a menu where I don't know what I want to cook but this feels beyond that. There is nothing official tying me to this endeavor and maybe that is what is keeping inspiration from me. What's a cook to do.. sigh.. I guess it is time to hit the books again. Not that I mind, I like reading, I like reading cookbooks (even modern ones) I know I'm weird but join me in my madness and you may learn.
Monday, April 29, 2019
Post event thoughts
Arts in April iv is complete (OK I still have receipts to do but that is the last thing, promise).
It is always a pleasure to work with Anna and on this particular event it was a lot of just her and I hashing things out and making decisions. It is only my opinion but I think we work well together. We have mutual trust, respect and love. These are rare things to find and so hold them fast!
My planning was done in advance and I was all set to go. Things got a little jumbled at times and other plans changed but as with most things it all works out in the end. Budget went over but there were price changes on ingredients that were sudden and unexpected. Specifically the beef for the bresaola It was about double the price I was expecting. It was ordered in advance and because I wasn't present when it was cut I couldn't stop her and say I only needed half the amount ( the pieces were long and could have been cut in half. . They were on the other hand the perfect width and thickness!
Multiplication of recipes is also never perfect and so there were leftovers of something and others went quite well.
I am over all happy with the way things went.
On personal notes: I was awarded 2 awards at the event. The first I was summoned from the kitchen for. And while someone came and retrieved my assistant to bring her in ... the cracked open the door between the hall and the kitchen and just yelled louder for me, lol! Feel the love... actually I did feel the love, all the love of the room when I walked into the hall to kneel before the Baron and Baroness. Everyone laughing and smiling as my hands were dirty, one from rolling meat the other from the batter for frying. At one point a very kind Aethstan came with a bowl and towel for me to clean my hands, I chose to clean only the meat hand as the other was just going back into batter. To my surprise I was to be the third of the Barony to be given the Golden Book, The Knights Crossing A&S award. I was completely surprised and bewildered. I was in awe of the scroll and just completely overcome with the love.
During feast as is sometimes the want of their majesties to thank the staff, So... Anna and I went up front to represent the staff, as the space was small and all my kitchen helpers would not have fit and some requested not to be dragged into court at all. We were thanks and presented with some kind words and tokens for our efforts over the weekend, However it seemed their majesties had further business with me and so I was given into the company of the ring, the grant level of kingdom awards and as such was given into the company of the swan, the grant level A&S award. Again, Humbled and in awe of the scroll and the honor being bestowed upon me. and in tangent to this...
The award meant more to me in a much larger sense. I have been 'lobbying' for cooking to be taken seriously as an art and not dismissed as service for many years. I get that it is a service. A needed aspect of many events especially here in Drachenwald with the distances we travel etc... I honestly do what I do because I love it. I think those of us who cook especially are ones who do it out of love. If we didn't love it we wouldn't keep doing it, as is proven by the numbers of people who try but don't continue. This/ these awards to me mark an accomplishment not just for myself but for cooks in general.
It is always a pleasure to work with Anna and on this particular event it was a lot of just her and I hashing things out and making decisions. It is only my opinion but I think we work well together. We have mutual trust, respect and love. These are rare things to find and so hold them fast!
My planning was done in advance and I was all set to go. Things got a little jumbled at times and other plans changed but as with most things it all works out in the end. Budget went over but there were price changes on ingredients that were sudden and unexpected. Specifically the beef for the bresaola It was about double the price I was expecting. It was ordered in advance and because I wasn't present when it was cut I couldn't stop her and say I only needed half the amount ( the pieces were long and could have been cut in half. . They were on the other hand the perfect width and thickness!
Multiplication of recipes is also never perfect and so there were leftovers of something and others went quite well.
I am over all happy with the way things went.
On personal notes: I was awarded 2 awards at the event. The first I was summoned from the kitchen for. And while someone came and retrieved my assistant to bring her in ... the cracked open the door between the hall and the kitchen and just yelled louder for me, lol! Feel the love... actually I did feel the love, all the love of the room when I walked into the hall to kneel before the Baron and Baroness. Everyone laughing and smiling as my hands were dirty, one from rolling meat the other from the batter for frying. At one point a very kind Aethstan came with a bowl and towel for me to clean my hands, I chose to clean only the meat hand as the other was just going back into batter. To my surprise I was to be the third of the Barony to be given the Golden Book, The Knights Crossing A&S award. I was completely surprised and bewildered. I was in awe of the scroll and just completely overcome with the love.
During feast as is sometimes the want of their majesties to thank the staff, So... Anna and I went up front to represent the staff, as the space was small and all my kitchen helpers would not have fit and some requested not to be dragged into court at all. We were thanks and presented with some kind words and tokens for our efforts over the weekend, However it seemed their majesties had further business with me and so I was given into the company of the ring, the grant level of kingdom awards and as such was given into the company of the swan, the grant level A&S award. Again, Humbled and in awe of the scroll and the honor being bestowed upon me. and in tangent to this...
The award meant more to me in a much larger sense. I have been 'lobbying' for cooking to be taken seriously as an art and not dismissed as service for many years. I get that it is a service. A needed aspect of many events especially here in Drachenwald with the distances we travel etc... I honestly do what I do because I love it. I think those of us who cook especially are ones who do it out of love. If we didn't love it we wouldn't keep doing it, as is proven by the numbers of people who try but don't continue. This/ these awards to me mark an accomplishment not just for myself but for cooks in general.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Bay vs Bay
I have a recipe that calls for 'sweet powder', and this powder calls for 'Indian bay leaf', so when I first made it I read up on this Indian bay leaf and all descriptions just said it was not like the traditional bay leaf that we find in our grandma's beef stew recipes. Ya know that leaf you throw in and even really sure why except that the recipe calls for it. Most people toss it before serving the stew, but not in my family, in my family the lucky person with it in their bowl did the dishes, lol!
Anyhow, the first time I made it I substituted regular bay leaf for the indian bay life. I mean, close enough right? I couldn't find the Indian bay and looking on amazon did not occur to me. This time around though, this time, I went directly to amazon and found I could get it with little trouble, so I ordered bit. It arrived quickly and when it did I was quite intrigued to find out what the hubbub is with it.
So, being daring I broke off a piece and stuck it in my mouth, and..... nothing. It tasted like nothing and I was quite disappointed, Then I decided, chew on it a bit, can't hurt. I'm so glad I didn't give up, the flavor is amazing! It was cinnamon and gingery and a little numbing in the mouth the way clove does. The more I chewed the more flavor I got. It was NOTHING like it's counterpart that we use. This stuff was flavorful and delicious. I look forward to making the 'proper' sweet powder and seeing how it enhances the other flavors of the dish
Anyhow, the first time I made it I substituted regular bay leaf for the indian bay life. I mean, close enough right? I couldn't find the Indian bay and looking on amazon did not occur to me. This time around though, this time, I went directly to amazon and found I could get it with little trouble, so I ordered bit. It arrived quickly and when it did I was quite intrigued to find out what the hubbub is with it.
So, being daring I broke off a piece and stuck it in my mouth, and..... nothing. It tasted like nothing and I was quite disappointed, Then I decided, chew on it a bit, can't hurt. I'm so glad I didn't give up, the flavor is amazing! It was cinnamon and gingery and a little numbing in the mouth the way clove does. The more I chewed the more flavor I got. It was NOTHING like it's counterpart that we use. This stuff was flavorful and delicious. I look forward to making the 'proper' sweet powder and seeing how it enhances the other flavors of the dish
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Medieval chicken nuggets revisited
As said in my previous post I am revisiting some of my old recipes. Cleaning up some things, refining techniques, and just in general seeing when I can improve upon. Today was phase 2 of the medieval chicken nugget.
I had posted a basic recipe with my post about cooking them over a fire at Double Wars. I wasn't 100% satisfied then and I had questions.
Looking over the original I will have to do this again 😏 (oh how my heart breaks 😜 )
Here is what I have learned so far and the recipe I will use for the event.
3 chicken breasts boiled until soft (soft is important! This will take about an hour)
2 (125g ea) balls of mozzarella
35 gm grated parmesan
3 eggs
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/8 c sugar (that's 2 Tbsp) This can be upped to as much as 1/4 cup but I was going for less sweet
Boil the chicken until soft, cut into pieces, beat with an electric mixer. You can break it apart by hand but it is a lot of work!
Add the sugar, Cinnamon and cheese, beat it some more until well blended. Remember ultimately you are looking for a paste consistency
add the eggs and beat some more! You want paste. If it is too dry add another egg or up to 3 egg yolks one at a time.
I put mine in the fridge overnight because I was tired. Tasted fine.
Portion into 1 Tbsp balls (I have a scoop that helps with this) I got 50! balls from the batch!
You need to have hot oil standing by in a fryer or heavy pan or cast iron. I used my cast iron frying pan 2/3 full of oil as that is what I had on hand. I could fit 10 balls in the pan with space for turning and proper cooking.
You need a batter of eggs and flour:
1 cup flour
4 eggs
This was enough to cover 40! of the balls. So I am thinking the ratio of 1/4 c flour per egg.
Your oil needs to be hot. Lightly coat the balls and put them in the hot oil. You are looking for golden brown all over, no pale spots. turn them as needed. i found that in my pan they would turn themselves! ( It was cool)
Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Serve!
OK, second experiment time. I fried my last 10 balls in the hot oil without coating them, YUM!!! Just fry them until they are deep brown so they are cooked through. This can be done as gluten free option.
Third experiment: Reheating in an oven.
220c over under if using convection ( which my oven doesn't have, use 200c)
I tested both those that sat on a counter and those put in the fridge:
regardless of which you do 15-20 min in the over perks them up nicely!
I had posted a basic recipe with my post about cooking them over a fire at Double Wars. I wasn't 100% satisfied then and I had questions.
Looking over the original I will have to do this again 😏 (oh how my heart breaks 😜 )
Here is what I have learned so far and the recipe I will use for the event.
3 chicken breasts boiled until soft (soft is important! This will take about an hour)
2 (125g ea) balls of mozzarella
35 gm grated parmesan
3 eggs
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/8 c sugar (that's 2 Tbsp) This can be upped to as much as 1/4 cup but I was going for less sweet
Boil the chicken until soft, cut into pieces, beat with an electric mixer. You can break it apart by hand but it is a lot of work!
Add the sugar, Cinnamon and cheese, beat it some more until well blended. Remember ultimately you are looking for a paste consistency
add the eggs and beat some more! You want paste. If it is too dry add another egg or up to 3 egg yolks one at a time.
I put mine in the fridge overnight because I was tired. Tasted fine.
Portion into 1 Tbsp balls (I have a scoop that helps with this) I got 50! balls from the batch!
You need to have hot oil standing by in a fryer or heavy pan or cast iron. I used my cast iron frying pan 2/3 full of oil as that is what I had on hand. I could fit 10 balls in the pan with space for turning and proper cooking.
You need a batter of eggs and flour:
1 cup flour
4 eggs
This was enough to cover 40! of the balls. So I am thinking the ratio of 1/4 c flour per egg.
Your oil needs to be hot. Lightly coat the balls and put them in the hot oil. You are looking for golden brown all over, no pale spots. turn them as needed. i found that in my pan they would turn themselves! ( It was cool)
Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Serve!
OK, second experiment time. I fried my last 10 balls in the hot oil without coating them, YUM!!! Just fry them until they are deep brown so they are cooked through. This can be done as gluten free option.
Third experiment: Reheating in an oven.
220c over under if using convection ( which my oven doesn't have, use 200c)
I tested both those that sat on a counter and those put in the fridge:
regardless of which you do 15-20 min in the over perks them up nicely!
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Revisiting redactions
When is a redaction done? Is it ever truly done? do you revisit these creations or leave them after they have served their purpose?
These questions have recently popped up in my head and I felt 'called out' by them. I began to hear the recipes call to me like forgotten toys at the back of the closet, 'I'm tasty!,' 'You weren't completely happy with me but I was good enough.'. Especially the latter group calls to me, and so with an event on the horizon I am taking this opportunity to revisit some of these 'lost toys' and maybe get a chance to clean them up, give them a new shine and really make a go of them.
This weekend I played with my Meat Pasties. A recipe I originally garnered from a website but through some trial and error began to make it my own. Changing the spicing some and this last batch by far was the best tasting I had made yet. My children aren't fans of raisins so I am thinking of mashing them for the next batch to sneak them in and hold the sweetness and flavor.
I learned that to accommodate the gluten free crowd I would either need a crust of gluten free flour or I need to bake them. The sugar in them as well as the raisins do not lend to pan frying... but I tried.
I payed attention to measuring this time, well I should say portioning. How many does this actually make, something I often forget to track but in the long run is helpful to know.
I'm looking forward to the next revisit and that is my medieval chicken nuggets. I have many 'toys' to revisit and I do hope to get to them all as well as add to the toy chest.
These questions have recently popped up in my head and I felt 'called out' by them. I began to hear the recipes call to me like forgotten toys at the back of the closet, 'I'm tasty!,' 'You weren't completely happy with me but I was good enough.'. Especially the latter group calls to me, and so with an event on the horizon I am taking this opportunity to revisit some of these 'lost toys' and maybe get a chance to clean them up, give them a new shine and really make a go of them.
This weekend I played with my Meat Pasties. A recipe I originally garnered from a website but through some trial and error began to make it my own. Changing the spicing some and this last batch by far was the best tasting I had made yet. My children aren't fans of raisins so I am thinking of mashing them for the next batch to sneak them in and hold the sweetness and flavor.
I learned that to accommodate the gluten free crowd I would either need a crust of gluten free flour or I need to bake them. The sugar in them as well as the raisins do not lend to pan frying... but I tried.
I payed attention to measuring this time, well I should say portioning. How many does this actually make, something I often forget to track but in the long run is helpful to know.
I'm looking forward to the next revisit and that is my medieval chicken nuggets. I have many 'toys' to revisit and I do hope to get to them all as well as add to the toy chest.
Monday, April 1, 2019
In absentia
OK, recently I was to attend Serve it Forth but due to mundane intervention I was unable to make it, but my class and recipe was passed along to be taught and made in absentia.
My topic: care and feeding of vegetarians:
The following is/ was the notes on my subject.
I am addressing vegetarians and not vegans though with minor changes things can be made vegan friendly as well.
Vegetarian can mean many things, some might eat chicken and fish, others may eat no meat at all but be ok with products such as milk, butter and honey. When in doubt, ASK! Communication is key when it comes to anyone with dietary restrictions.
Vegan on the other hand is a very specific diet. No meat, animal products, or animal by products of any kind. No flesh of any kind, eggs, butter, milk, or honey.
Feeding vegetarians can be daunting and many people solve this by serving them some extra veggies or some bread and butter. For a weekend it they will get by but one is forgetting that they really need sources of protein. We are providing protein for our omnivore friends, why not our vegetarian ones as well.
The average person’s need according to the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake), is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. This amounts to: 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man. 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman. I am not saying we can be perfect in providing all the protein they need but we can be mindful and do the best we can for them. Below is a small list of protein alternatives and their protein content. I have limited the list to period, simple to make items.
Alternative protein sources:
Lentils and beans: 4gm per ¼ cup (cooked)
Peas: 5gm per ⅔ cup
Eggs: 6gm per large egg
Rice: 2.7gm per ½ cup (cooked)
Oatmeal: 6gm per 1 cup (cooked)
Nuts:
Almonds: 5.9 gm in 22
Pistachios: 5.9 gm in 49
Walnut halves: 4.3 gm in 14
Peanuts: 6.7 gm in 35
Cashews: 4.3 gm in 18
Cheese:
Parmesan: 10 gm per ounce
Cheddar, Brie, Gouda, Mozzarella: 6-7 gm per ounce
Cheese spread, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta: 3 gm per ounce
Vegetables:
Broccoli: 6.8 gm per cup
Spinach: 13 gm per cup
Brussel Sprouts: 3 gm per cup
Fruits:
Apricot: Fresh; 2.2 gm per 1 cup halves
Dry; 4.4 gm per 1 cup halves
Orange: 1.7 gm per cup
Cantaloupe: 1.3 gm per 1 cup cubes
Orange: 1.7 gm per cup
Cantaloupe: 1.3 gm per 1 cup cubes
Peach: 1.4 gm per cup slices
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