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?
Sunday, June 30, 2019
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.
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