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Kouzinography-art - 9/24/18

"Kouzinography" by Lord Gillucan ua Tomaltaig. An in-persona discussion for new cooks on preparing a feast. Written in the style of the 14thC Orchesography dance manual.

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NOTICE -

This article was added to this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium, with the permission of the author.

These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous

stefan at florilegium.org

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Kouzinography

by Lord Gillucan ua Tomaltaig

U-Lead Systems, Inc.

Gillucan: Ho, Jonathan! Long has it been since I saw your face. The sight does me good! You are well?

Jonathan: Well enough, I thank you. Yet there is a matter that weighs upon me, and it is my hope that you may ease the burden.

Gill: And what burden would this be? Speak, and I shall aid you if I can!

John: I have been convinced to assist in the preparation of a feast. A small affair, but I wish to ensure all proceeds smoothly.

Gill: An admirable aim. Yet I do not yet see the difficulty.

John: I have been convinced to assist… in the role of Head Cook.

Gill: Ah! Now it becomes plain. You have not served in this capacity before, I assume?

John: Indeed not. Yet I hear that you did the self-same thing, and for the first time, but a little while ago. I would like to discuss your experience with you, if you would permit it.

Gill: But of course! Sit, good fellow – my knowledge is at your disposal.

John: I thank you. Tell me, what is the chief piece of advice you would impart?

Gill: The most useful thing I can tell you is to get a mentor. Find someone who is experienced in running a kitchen for an event, and through talking with them amass as much information as you are able.

John: What if there are no such people in my area? Or if they are disinclined to assist me?

Gill: In that case, read as much as you can and amass your information in this manner. Also, do not be afraid of making mistakes. Such things are inevitable, no matter how much information you gather. Only make sure that you learn from such mistakes, so that you do not make the same ones again.

John: And what mistakes did you make?

Gill: I made several, but none were disastrous and the event survived nonetheless.

John: Well and good, but what were they?

Gill: Before we dwell on such matters, it would perhaps be better to examine the matters which proceeded as they ought. With this as a foundation we may then move to what can be improved for next time.

John: Very well. But tell me, what kind of event was it in which you were Head Cook?

Gill: It was a Tavern Night, as it happens; appended to a series of classes on the techniques involved in fletching and archery. There were forty people in attendance.

John: Is that very many?

Gill: Not so many when you consider Coronations and grand feasts, but quite enough for my first time!

John: Would you recommend such an event for a first-time Head Cook? My doom runs along similar lines.

Gill: Doom, indeed! Fret not, as such an event is ideal for the first time. Any event with a High Table and the nobility in attendance brings with it a new set of challenges and complications. Best to start simple, make your first few mistakes, and thence work your way to grander undertakings.

John: There are the mistakes again! I am very curious…

Gill: All in good time! We still have not discussed the foundations of running a kitchen.

John: That is true. Pray, enlighten me!

Gill: There are many aspects to being a Head Cook that must be carefully considered. Firstly, you are a part of the greater event. You are the master of the kitchen, but the Steward is the master of the event. All that you do is done to support them and their vision for the experience they are creating.

John: Have you no autonomy then?

Gill: On the contrary! A good Steward will be open to discussion, and will listen to your own ideas and vision such that you arrive at a plan agreeable to both of you. But if you desire to craft a magnificent soteltie of spun sugar and marchpane, and their aim is a simple event with no court or ostentation, you may have to put your plans aside and wait for another event more suited to your notion.

John: And how was it with your event?

Gill: I was most fortunate! The Steward was a gentle who has run many a feast kitchen herself, and was very accommodating of my ideas while being clear on her own. We both agreed it would be a low-key affair, with simple dishes and few frills. Ideal for my first foray!

John: What were these dishes?

Gill: It was the middle of winter, so the predominant fare was stew. I had a beef stew with copious vegetables, and a vegetable pottage for those who shun meat.

John: That was all? Two dishes entire?

Gill: Such was my plan in the beginning, yet I was advised that variety is also important. In addition, folk crave a sweet to finish the meal, and can also be quite hungry upon arrival, before the food is ready.

John: How did you accommodate such appetites?

Gill: By having food ready-laid to assuage the ravenous prior to the main remove - dried fruit, nuts and cheese. And also by adding Emplumeus to the menu, a spiced apple dessert. Moreover, I prepared a dish of roasted vegetables, which required very little effort - it could be put in the oven and largely forgotten for an hour, upon which time it would be done.

John: That makes five dishes, by my count.

Gill: Yes. I think it was a good number for a first feast. Each dish must be carefully planned, and the more dishes you have the more intricate the planning becomes.

John: How do you mean?

Gill: That question opens the door to a great many discussions! I shall start by saying this: the job of the Head Cook is not to cook food.

John: But how can this be?

Gill: I say again: the job of the Head Cook is not to cook food. It is rather to ensure that food is cooked.

John: I see little distinction there.

Gill: Then I shall make it plainer. The act of cooking involves many activities – chopping, measuring, mixing, tasting, adjusting of seasonings and so on. It is a complex task, and one that demands much attention. If, as Head Cook, you get too involved in any one dish, you must necessarily have less attention to devote to the others. Your job is to see that all of the food is prepared, rather than any one dish in particular.

John: So how does one accomplish this?

Gill: With a great deal of help! I enlisted one dedicated kitchen helper in the planning phases of my event, and she arrived as soon as the hall opened and got to chopping for me. When our guests arrived, some of them appeared in the kitchen asking if they might assist, and were put to work also.

John: And yourself?

Gill: I must admit I went somewhat against my own advice. I was indeed greatly involved in the cooking of the dishes, especially the stew and the pottage. The kitchen was small enough that I could do this without losing track of the rest of the activity. Had the kitchen been larger, the number of dishes increased or their complexity greater, there would have been quite enough for me to attend to without stirring a pot myself.

John: And that is the crux of the role of the Head Cook? Overseeing and directing?

Gill: Yes and no. That is what the Head Cook should be doing in the kitchen on the day of the event. The majority of the Head Cook's job should be done far in advance. Preparation is the key, and an ill-prepared kitchen will be a woeful kitchen by event's end.

John: What manner of preparation is required?

Gill: You must survey your kitchen ahead of time, you must plan your menu, you must establish your quantities and proportions, you must assemble your ingredients and your kitchenware, and you must organise your helpers.

John: That is quite a lot to do!

Gill: Yes, and I may be forgetting to mention some.

John: In any case, can you impart what you remember?

Gill: Indeed! First, survey your kitchen. Take note of the facilities available to you – how many sinks and how large they are, the size of the oven, the number of burners on the stove, and number and location of power points, etc. No good planning to bake one hundred pies if the only oven can house but five at a time!

John: Taking your example, what would you do in such a circumstance?

Gill: If the oven is inadequate, you must hope the stove or some other facility can make up for it and plan your menu accordingly – pies must make way for stews, for instance. If no amount of creativity will suffice to establish a menu sufficient to feed the number you require, you must talk to your Steward and notify them that the venue is unacceptable.

John: And what then?

Gill: That is up to the Steward. A wise Steward may either reduce the number of guests, or find a new venue. Most large halls will have a correspondingly large kitchen, but you must always check!

John: And that is all there is to surveying?

Gill: Not quite. Also test each facility and ensure it is working. An oven that will not light is of no assistance when you are cooking! At this juncture you may hear of one of my mistakes – when I first turned on my oven a foul smell exuded from it, and it had to be cooled down and scrubbed out before it could be used. It was not a large problem, but it would have been better had I found it as soon as I arrived, if not in advance, rather than at the time I needed the oven to function. Check early, and you can avoid many problems.

John: I shall make good note of this. Are we now finished with the topic of the kitchen survey?

Gill: We are. Now we may turn to planning the menu.

John: Eagerly I await your wisdom!

Gill: That is putting it a bit thick. In this matter I am deeply indebted to the experienced cooks of my Barony. The considerations are manyfold. Chiefly, ensure that you are accommodating of any allergies, intolerances or other dietary restrictions present in your guests. There are some common ones, such as meat, dairy and gluten. Good practice to plan a couple of dishes that lack each of these, or to devise alternative ingredients to circumvent the issue. You may need to bake special pies with a gluten-free crust, for example. For each dish a guest cannot eat, make sure there is another in that remove that they can.

John: And how did it go for your event?

Gill: Quite well. I had several vegetarians, a few who avoided dairy and some other more complicated ones. I would counsel you to ask questions if you are unsure. Most people will be happy to answer if it means they can eat! I had one guest who noted an inability to eat garlic or onions, so I substituted leeks. Upon asking, I found that leeks were also unacceptable.

John: What then?

Gill: I removed the leeks from the beef stew recipe, and advised the gentle in question that they would be unable to eat the vegetable pottage. They were most understanding.

John: And that is all to say about planning a menu?

Gill: By no means! There are several other points to consider. Have you included a protein source – especially in your vegetarian offerings? Have you provided a range of textures, or are all the dishes alike? And the like for flavours – are all similar, or is there a mix of spiced, rich and simple? Indeed, variety in all things – colour and temperature of the food as well.

John: This is a lot to take in!

Gill: Indeed. Hence the importance of a mentor, someone to check over your proposed menu and ensure you have not neglected anything.

John: I shall endeavour to find someone. What is next?

Gill: Once you have decided what to cook, you must then determine how much to cook.

John: And how does one do that?

Gill: I have been taught a pair of different ways. I must admit that this is one point I was long stuck on. How much stew should be prepared for forty people?

John: Indeed – how is one to tell? Pray, enlighten me!

Gill: The first method I was taught is perhaps more suited to larger feasts with many dishes. Envisage a plate, and in your mind fill it with a reasonable portion of each dish you will cook. One full plate should be sufficient for one guest. If your reasonable portions overflow the plate, you should consider eliminating some dishes. If there is still room left over, perhaps you should add another. Then multiply the portion size by the number of guests and you will have your goal.

John: So if my 'reasonable portion' of pie is a quarter, and I expect thirty guests, I should bake eight pies?

Gill: Yes, or thereabouts. It is not an exact science. Indeed, not everyone will eat everything. This method gives you a guide and a target, nothing more.

John: You mentioned there were two methods you were taught…

Gill: That is true. The other is to estimate based on the mass of food. One kilogram per guest will leave them "rolling home stuffed full", I was told. Another knowledgeable gentle opined that this amount was excessive in the extreme, and that perhaps half a kilogram apiece would suffice. Again, it is not exact. A related point to note is that a reasonable portion of meat is around two hundred grams or so; keep this in mind when planning meat-based dishes. Oh, and the weight used in your calculations includes the water, stock and other liquid. But also be aware that a menu entirely composed of soup may leave your guests unsatisfied no matter how much you provide.

John: And how did you resolve this matter for your event?

Gill: I used the second method. To begin with I was estimating based on the quantities in my original recipes. "Chop 2 carrots" became "chop 4", then "chop 8", and then began to become unwieldy. Once I learned the mass budget method, "2 kilograms" was much easier to manage.

John: And given it was for stew, I suppose the quantities were flexible?

Gill: More so than pie would have been, yes. People could take a half a bowlful, or two full bowls if they were hungry. The mass budget gives you a target to aim for, and simplifies your task when shopping for ingredients.

John: Yes, let's discuss that!

Gill: One word more on quantities before we move on. It is best to cook the exact right amount of food, but it is better to go over than under.

John: I do not quite follow you.

Gill: I mean, estimate your quantities as exactly as you can, but if you are unsure it is better to over cater than to leave people hungry. Leftovers may perhaps be sent home with departing guests, or saved for your lunch the next day. Hungry guests, however, are dissatisfied guests.

John: Now your meaning is clear. May we move on?

Gill: Yes, to shopping. Your Steward will assign you a budget. Mine was seven dollars per guest. It is important to remember that this is the absolute limit of your spending capacity. If you cannot acquire all that you need with the budget you are given, you must adjust your plan. My beef stew was originally going to be venison, but upon checking the prices I quickly made the switch.

John: And what if you have an amount of budget remaining?

Gill: It may be tempting to add a few more items and provide a few more options, but resist that temptation! Your plan should already have accommodated the needs of your guests, and so following the plan will suffice. Every dollar you do not spend is a dollar of profit for the event and your group. Here was another slight mistake on my part, and one I have touched upon already: Not everyone will eat everything. Upon finding that red wine was half the cost I had expected, I bought a second cask to mull. I was concerned that 3 litres among 40 guests would not stretch very far. But remember: not everyone will eat – or drink – everything. As it happens, I didn't get to mulling the wine in any case, and no-one seemed to bemoan the lack. I could have saved some money by sticking to the plan and resisting temptation.

John: I see. And how did you maximise your use of the budget?

Gill: By researching ahead of time. Fresh produce I obtained from the market, which is generally cheaper than at the supermarket. Prices do fluctuate though, which made predicting my expenditure difficult. I set a reasonable estimate of the price in my planning, and then hoped it would be borne out on the day. As it happens I was fairly accurate, but this is one aspect that comes with experience. I do much of my own shopping at the market, so I knew what to expect.

John: And for the rest?

Gill: For the items I would buy in a store I went to the store beforehand and made my preparations. I took note of every ingredient I needed or thought I might need, and then sat down and found the most economical options.

John: And the result?

Gill: I came in under the seven dollars, but my Steward had been overgenerous in my favour, and the event as a whole made a loss. And for my pains I ended up with more food than people could eat. Again I will repeat: Not everyone will eat everything. Had my will been more firm in resisting temptation, or my planning and predictions more accurate, I could have been left with a substantial sum remaining and helped compensate for the other areas that ran over. This was perhaps my chief mistake.

John: More dire than would be hoped, but less than could be feared.

Gill: You speak the truth. Although it must be said that the day's activities were quiet and peaceful. If my guests had been fighting in a tournament all afternoon, they could have been expected to be a good deal hungrier!

John: This also I shall remember. Is that all there is to be said?

Gill: All that I remember on that topic. Let us turn to kitchenware, and what is needful to cook and prepare your food.

John: Yes, let us do so!

Gill: I am fortunate in that my Barony has a store of such equipment, and I was able to arrive at the storage location and avail myself of it readily. I would counsel bringing another person along to help – two would have accomplished the task far more efficiently than one, and in considerably less time.

John: So it may be needful to enlist the services of a kitchen helper before you reach the kitchen?

Gill: Yes, but we shall be discussing helpers and their needs in a moment. For now I will tell you: There are several things you will be wanting, and there are several things you will always want more of.

John: And what are they?

Gill: You will want knives, and chopping boards, and pots and pans and baking trays. But you can never have enough bowls, nor serving trays, nor wooden boards on which to place hot pots, nor pots themselves. Drying cloths and bags for refuse are always needful, and you will be ever short of ladles, tongs and spoons.

John: And if my group has no store of such things?

Gill: If the group itself does not, I would advise asking the members of that group. Most everyone has a store of pots, pans and knives of their own – taking but one or two items from a host of people will fill your kitchen without impinging too much on any single person's generosity. Only make sure to note which item belongs to which gentle!

John: Yes, that is not something I would wish to forget!

Gill: Verily. I said that we would be discussing helpers, and discuss them we shall. You must guide them, but do not smother them overmuch. Explain in as much detail as you may the result you wish from a certain task, and then trust that they will accomplish it – or come with a question if confounded. It may not be enough to bid them "Chop these carrots". How do you wish them chopped? In rounds, or half-rounds, or straight lengths? This touches on the variety of the dishes, as we have mentioned before.

John: I remember it. It is a lot to think about.

Gill: Your helpers may have differing levels of experience. Some may be veterans of many kitchens, and others may be stirring a pot for the first time. Learn about your helpers, so you explain your needs in as much detail as they require.

John: So remember that they are people as well as minions, and treat them as individuals?

Gill: That is the truth of it. And speaking of truth, I must confess that the feast I am describing was not the first time I held the title of Head Cook.

John: It wasn't? You had been a Head Cook before?

Gill: In name, yes. I was nominally in charge of the kitchen for my Barony's signature event one year, a grand feast with the King and Queen in attendance.

John: For a first time? That sounds a mighty burden – my appointed task pales in comparison!

Gill: I say "in name", for my foremost helper was a mighty cook, and had been Head Cook for more events than I can count. She did the lion's share of the planning and preparation we have been discussing, and most of the directing on the day as well. My role was perhaps better described as liaison between the kitchen and the greater event – queries came to me from both sides, and I sought answers for them. Therefore I count the Tavern Night we are discussing as my first true time as a Head Cook.

John: I see. You must have learned much from your previous experience.

Gill: I did – including the following point on helpers. Ensure that they are comfortable. Lay on a ready supply of water or other beverages, and biscuits or other sweet things with which they may refresh and revive themselves. Helping in the kitchen is the gateway to sampling the kitchen sweets, and they will appreciate the reward.

John: And what manner of reward did you provide?

Gill: At the time, none – much to my chagrin. I gave gifts of sweets as a thank-you after the fact, but the best way is to do as I have urged.

John: I see. I shall strive to enact such a plan.

Gill: There is but one matter more that is needful to discuss: what to do when your guests are fed, and the dishes return to your care.

John: You mean the cleanup?

Gill: The very same. Organising this is also part of being Head Cook, and it requires no less attention than any other aspect.

John: And what advice would you give?

Gill: If you have sufficient time and helpers, it can be advantageous to clean your utensils progressively throughout the preparation. A bowl that was used and then cleaned is a bowl that may be used again for a different task. Even following such a plan, you are likely to have a great deal of washing and cleaning to do at the end.

John: And how should such a pile be managed?

Gill: It is quite likely that your kitchen helpers will be tired and drained from the effort of preparing the food. It can therefore be wise to enlist the services of a person – or a few people – specifically for the washing and cleaning phase.

John: I have heard of such people being referred to as 'dishpigs'.

Gill: Hardly a noble title. Call them what you will, they may bring fresh energy and effort to bear when your other helpers are worn out.

John: I can see what a boon that would be at the end of a long event.

Gill: In addition, do not neglect the supplies that will be needful for the cleaning effort. Drying cloths, and soap, and scrubbers and scourers. And perhaps a store of bags in which leftover food may be placed and offered to departing guests – or kitchen helpers. And check in your kitchen survey that brooms, mops and buckets are available, or else bring your own.

John: And so may you leave your kitchen and your implements in a fit state, ready to be used again.

Gill: Indeed. We have now covered the rudiments of organising a kitchen, and you may get your wish: knowledge of the mistakes I made when the kitchen was in my care.

John: Yes, yes! Eagerly have I awaited this!

Gill: I have already imparted my blunder in neglecting to check the oven, and my chief mistake in overspending on needless items. My other large error was in timing. The cooking began too late, and thus the food was not ready at the appointed hour. The vegetable pottage was in its pot and had been on the fire, but the contents had not even begun to soften.

John: What did you do? And how could it have been prevented?

Gill: The last first. A wiser cook would have planned, in detail, how much time each step in preparing the dish would consume. This is especially needful for larger events with more and more complex dishes. The wise cook prepares a running order, detailing what step will be accomplished at what time by what person, and will remain vigilant to ensure the order is followed.

John: And how might this be accomplished?

Gill: This question is beyond my ken, for the true answer is: with experience. Make a note of how long it takes to chop two kilograms of carrots, and you shall know for the future, and for your planning. I had no such knowledge, to my detriment.

John: And so what became of the pottage?

Gill: It was the principal dish for my nine vegetarian guests, and so it was needful that it should be prepared. It was not needful to prepare the entire quantity I had planned – enough for nine would suffice. Therefore I removed the required quantity from the pot and availed myself of the technological marvel of 'the microwave'. This greatly speeded the cooking of the dish, and after a time it was returned to a smaller pot to complete the process. It was late, but it was done.

John: And the rest? The remainder that was not prepared in this manner?

Gill: I placed it in bags and offered it to departing guests as 'ready-to-cook pottage mix'. I ended with several bags myself, which become dinner in later days.

John: You say these were your large mistakes. Were there others?

Gill: Indeed yes, and deeper they ran. I underestimated the scale of my task, and the time it would take. Again we return to time! In any case, I did my shopping on the day, and did not start cooking until the afternoon. Had I prepared the running order as I ought, I would have seen that more time was required to accomplish my aim, and planned to arrive earlier.

John: I see. Did this have any other impact?

Gill: Such attention was focused on the pottage that the dessert was not even begun when the first remove was served. There was thus a large gap between courses; perhaps overlarge, such that people sated their appetites well before the dessert finally arrived. When it did, it was barely picked at. Although truth to tell, it was not the most visually appealing of dishes. You must delight the eye as well as the palate, and in this matter I failed.

John: And that is all?

Gill: There were other mistakes, born of clumsiness or inattention, but they may happen to anyone at any time and are difficult to avoid. I will say only that you should keep your wits about you, and keep your focus firmly on your aim.

John: Are there any limits to the wisdom you may impart?

Gill: There are, and we are swiftly approaching them. I will now summarise the four points I hope you will most remember.

John: Gladly I receive them!

Gill: First, plan your menu well. Ensure there is sufficient fare for all, and that allergies are accommodated.

John: I will commit this to memory.

Gill: Second, plan your timing well. Ensure you have sufficient time to complete your tasks – and if you do not, find additional helpers to increase the work you may do in the time you have.

John: I shall keep this chief in my thoughts.

Gill: Thirdly, learn from every kitchen you run or assist in. Build your knowledge of timing and technique, and devise means to circumvent any difficulties you encounter.

John: This I will do.

Gill: Fourthly and lastly, I reiterate where I began. Seek out a mentor, or more than one, and learn from them all that you might. Their knowledge and experience will assist you in all matters, until you are fit to be a mentor yourself.

John: It is as you say. Well will I remember this!

Gill: We have now wrung my brain to its last drop. It is my hope that the knowledge I have imparted will profit you.

John: Well it may! I thank you for your consideration in this matter. A good day to you, good sir.

Gill: And to you as well. Go with a glad heart.

A note on the title:Orchesography is a period text, detailing the dances fashionable in France in the latter half of the 16^th century through the means of a dialogue between Arbeau, the author, and Capriole, his student. The title comes from the Greek orchesis, meaning dancing. The word kouzina is also Greek, meaning kitchen.

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Copyright 2016 by Stephen Drane. <s.b.drane at gmail.com>. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the publication and if possible receives a copy.

If this article is reprinted in a publication, please place a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.