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Aneala Newcomers Guide |
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INTRODUCTION |
COOKERYFood in the SCA can be experienced on several levels, from simply presenting an already cooked chicken on a platter , or 1 or 2 loaves of bread on a wooden board, just provide a knife so people can serve themselves, and you have a perfectly acceptable dish for a POTLUCK event. Food for a camping event would include anything that can be cooked over an open fire eg. porridge, soup, stew or grilled/ fried meats. Quite often a group of individuals will work together on meals for this type of event and thus only 1 or 2 pots are needed. Maybe someone in the group will have a jaffle iron or a long handled toasting fork. Your first experience with SCA medieval food will probably be at a FEAST. The people who organise these feasts try to present the kind of food that would have been eaten in the middle ages, but tempered slightly to modern tastes. Food is served in removes rather than courses, as in a modern meal. There may be 2 or 3 removes, featuring a range of tastes in each remove. For example a remove might consist of,
Roast chicken, with a spiced bread sauce, or Leeks and mushrooms, Bread would be served with all this and perhaps a soup as well. Sometimes cheese, bread and dried or fresh fruit is served at the start of a feast. Everyone brings their own platters, bowls and goblets to eat and drink from, and knives and spoons of course. Books on the subject of medieval cooking are not as readily available as I would like, but can be found in public libraries and in the book shelves of some local members, below is a short list as a starter :- 500 years of English Cooking, To the King’s Taste, To the Queen’s Taste, Fabulous Feasts and, Take a Thousand Eggs or More. |