lunch-feasts-msg - 4/18/10

Ideas and recipes for a warm weather lunch feast with limited kitchen facilities.

NOTE: See also the files: picnic-feasts-msg, Picnic-Basket-art, pies-msg, Platina-Lunch-art, hot-weth-fsts-msg, finger-fd-fst-art, dayboards-msg, pickled-foods-msg, meat-pies-msg.

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This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:11:30 -0400
From: Elaine Koogler <kiridono at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch ideas- feedback
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 11:05 AM, tudorpot at gmail.com <tudorpot at gmail.com>wrote:
<<< I have volunteered to create a lunch for 50 at an event in June, warm
weather here in Ealdomere. This will be my first contribution to my canton,
in this my first year in the SCA. The budget is $100- which may go to $150
if I whine a little. Is this budget doable?

Suggestions would be appreciated. I have been told that period food is not
necessary, but I would like to have one or two period items. I only have one
period cookbook- Take a Thousand Eggs.

Theodora >>>

Some years back, we used a sage sauce recipe from Du fait de cuisine with
great success.  You can make the sauce up ahead of time...it's actually
better to do this because it allows the seasonings to meld.  We served it
with cold chicken, again cooked ahead of time.

*Froide sauge--Cold Sage Sauce*?*Du fait de cuisine, #49*,from *Early French
Cookery.*

* *

Et pour vous donner a  entendre comme vous feres la froide sauge si faictes
que vous haies grant foison de percy, grant foison de salvy, et qui?ilz
soient bien deliez et laves et esgoutes et broyes tresbien, et si en broyes
tant grant quantite qu?elle soit bien verd; et quant elles seront bien
broyees si les mesles et mectes avecques vostre pain.  Et puis prennes voz
espices, c?est assavoir gingibre blanc, granne et du poyvre et coiles tout
cela, et agoustes du vin aigre et du sel et le coules trebien espes.  Et
quant vostre grein sera bien cuit si le tires hors sur belles postz et
tables belles et nectes, et puis partisses ledit grein, c?est assavoir la
poullaille d?une part et d?autre part les pieces du porcellot, et tant que
quant viendra au drecier si mectes en ung chescun platz quatre pieces duit
grein, c?est assavoir ung quartier de poullaille et une piecete dudit
porcellot sus et en la moytie d?un chescun plat, et en l?autre partie
autretant; et en chescun plat en l?une part si mectes de la calaminee et
l?autre part a couste de la froide sauge.  Et puis prennes du blanc des oefs
et les tailles par menuz dez, puis ensemes sus lesditz platz par dessus la
friode sauge; et de la dragiee mectes sur la calunafree.**

Redaction: Scully.

1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2-3/4 cup fresh sage
1 cup hot chicken bouillion
pinch saffron
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp grains of paradise
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces

1.  Process parsley & sage in blender with chicken broth or bouillion.  Blend
slowly.

2.  Cook on low heat.  Add saffron.

3.  Add vinegar to mashed hard-boiled egg yolks and blend with herb mixture

4.  Add spices

5.  Add bread a little at a time until thick consistency is reached.

6.  Taste, correct spices, remove from heat and cool.

If you have a Restaurant Depot anywhere near you, they usually have
boneless, skinless chicken breasts for around $1.28/lb...if you buy a 40#
case.  We have found that it works well to purchase the 40# case, and, if
you only need 20#, it's not hard to find people who are willing to puchase
the remaining 20#...it comes in 10# bags, so it's easy to split up!

Kiri


Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:21:12 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch ideas- feedback
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< I have volunteered to create a lunch for 50 at an event in June, warm 
weather here in Ealdomere. This will be my first contribution to my canton, 
in this my first year in the SCA. The budget is $100- which may go to $150 
if I whine a little. Is this budget doable?

Suggestions would be appreciated. I have been told that period food is not 
necessary, but I would like to have one or two period items. I only have 
one period cookbook- Take a Thousand Eggs.

Theodora >>>

$2-3 per person is workable.

June and warm, I'm going to assume this is going to be a tourney lunch with 
limited kitchen.  I would consider melon, fruit compost, cold relatively 
thinly sliced meat (beef roast or ham, you need roughly 12-13 pounds), 
pepper sauce, garlic sauce and mustard for the meat, a soup (say, zanzarelli 
or a brodo of chickpeas), two types of tart or torte (sweet spinach and 
bolognese, perhaps, 7 each), assorted breads (15-16 pounds, cut before 
serving for portion control).  All of this can be prepared in advance and, 
other than the soup which would need to be reheated, served cold.

The mustard and compost need to be prepared well in advance so the flavors 
will meld.  Bread can be baked a couple days ahead.  If you do roast, cook 
it medium rare and slice it just before serving to keep it from drying out.

Bear


Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:22:48 -0700
From: David Friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch ideas- feedback
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< Suggestions would be appreciated. I have been told that period food 
is not necessary, but I would like to have one or two period items. 
I only have one period cookbook- Take a Thousand Eggs. >>>

You also have an internet connection. Our Miscellany has several 
hundred worked out period recipes, and other people have period 
recipes online as well.

http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/miscellany_pdf/Miscellany.htm

I think it should be doable--just look for period recipes that use 
relatively inexpensive ingredients, such as chicken, assuming you 
have reasonable prices on that where you are, and eggs, and bread 
crumbs, and ...  .

Some of the things we're fond of that would work well are Barmakiya, 
gingerbrede (not what moderns call gingerbread--texture of fudge, 
easy to make, keeps, lots of people like it), Khushkananaj (medieval 
islamic pastry), Badinjan Muhassa (medieval islamic dip, serve with 
pita, as an extra bonus its vegetarian). You don't say whether you 
have a kitchen on site or will be bringing cold food--all of the 
above fit the latter situation.
-- 
David/Cariadoc
www.daviddfriedman.com


Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:59:15 -0600
From: Susan Lin <susanrlin at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch ideas- feedback
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

The budget should be completely doable.
Depending on your kitchen facilities I would keep things simple.  Bear gave
you many great ideas.
I like making sweet breads (banana, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.) they're not
particularly period but they disappear whenever I make them.

Back in the East I wasn't allowed to make a meal or a sideboard without
honey butter for the bread - I think it might have been a rule or
something!!

Tarts work exceedingly well and can be served at room temperature.

Good luck and have fun.  Planning is key and making whatever you can in
advance to make the prep closer in time more manageable.

Shoshanna


Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:35:21 -0700
From: "Celia des Archier" <CeliadesArchier at cox.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch ideas- feedback
To: "'Cooks within the SCA'" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Meat (or chicken) pies (along the lines of "pasties") were always popular back when I was doing field lunches.  I made them for a
demo once in tart shells rather than large pie shells so that they were individual, in the hand servings.  I've since been told
(this was more than a decade ago) that the recipes I was using were more "perioid" than period, so rather than share those specific
recipes I'd echo what many here have said... try the flori-thingy :) ... there should be lots of recipes there for something that
will serve. 

They're relatively easy to make in a medium or large muffin pan, and they're relatively cheap (I always used ground beef and chicken
and made two types), but are also very hearty.  And, of course, you can make vegetarian ones also if need be, although I have no
idea if those will be period, but I suspect you can find something that will serve. 


Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:34:36 EDT
From: Bronwynmgn at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch ideas- feedback
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

tudorpot at gmail.com writes:
<<I have volunteered to create a lunch for 50 at an event in June, warm 
weather here in Ealdomere. This will be my first contribution to my 
canton, in this my first year in the SCA. The budget is $100- which may 
go to $150 if I whine a little. Is this budget doable?>>

$2/person can be doable for lunch depending on local food prices, judicious 
recipe choices, and your ability to shop around.  I could probably pull it off 
here, but I don't know what your food prices are like.  It also depends on 
what is being looked for - are we talking a light snack, or substantial food?  
I've seen lunches be either.  $3 would certainly make it easier, but I'd suggest 
doing some legwork to be able to present to your financial backers why you 
feel you need more.

<<Suggestions would be appreciated. I have been told that period food is 
not necessary, but I would like to have one or two period items. I only 
have one period cookbook- Take a Thousand Eggs.>>

Anything that will use local, in-season produce will be cheaper.  At least 
around here, that would be peas, greens, beans, berries, etc.  Things like 
apples or root veggies, which are more fall crops, would be more expensive.  One 
thing to consider - are they expecting things that can be put on a  plate and 
eaten with fingers, or do people expect to need a bowl and spoon or fork?  That 
can make a big difference in the recipes chosen.  Also, what type of cooking 
facilities will you have available, how much help, and how much time from when 
you can get on site until when you need to serve?  If you have minimal 
facilities, no help, or can only be on site for 2 hours before you serve, you need to choose things that can basically be prepped ahead, plated, and served; if you have better facilities, more time, and more help, you may be able to cook 
things fresh.

My personal rule when cooking for any SCA event is to use period foods only; 
we're supposed to be educating people, after all.  But it's certainly not a 
requirement.

Brangwayna Morgan
Shire of Silver Rylle, East Kingdom
Lancaster, PA


Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:20:26 -0400
From: devra at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch suggestions
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Pickles are a popular addition to a lunch board, especially if there is fighting. And they can be gotten pre-cut in spears relatively cheaply.

If serving pies, an empanada press, which cuts the pie dough and squeezes the thing shut, is a great help, and they're much easier to serve and eat than a slice of pie. Easier to make than the muffin tin ones, too.

Good vegetarian pies: Tarte in Ember Day (onion), spinache, pea and artichoke. (Yeah, sounds odd, but tastes good.) Less period, but very tasty - pork and apple pie, which is good hot and cold.

(No I don't have documentation. I sell the books, I don't read 'em....joke, it's a joke, really it's a joke.)

Devra


Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:41:09 -0600
From: Susan Lin <susanrlin at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch suggestions
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

I did a large sideboard/lunch where I made many different kinds of handpies
(among other things).  I cut them in different shapes and folded them by
hand.  they were not expensive and with the different shapes I could tell
what they were without having to crack them open.  This helped a great deal
since the Baronness was allergic to apples and all I had to do was tell her
to stay away from that particular shape (they were labeled as well).

I didn't use any type of press - but, you can ask around to see if anyone
has one or two you could borrow - I know I have several in several different
sizes that would be available if you lived anywhere near me.

That was when I fed 120 people for $300.

Shoshanna


Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 11:32:45 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Dayboards
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< In the past we have served lunches with a price on each item.  I know that 
for some events, the dayboard is included in the event fee, but we aren't 
used to doing it that here.  How do people handle charging for food served 
buffet style?   Do you break things down to portions and put a price on 
each portion?  One fixed price for everything?   I'd be inclined to put a 
donation basket out, but the autocrat said not.

<clipped>

Ranvaig >>>

The three pricing options that come to mind are per item, per plate, and all 
you can eat.  Since one can't control portioning on the latter, the first 
two are a better bet.  You might wish to consider using both per item and 
per plate.  Single items that sell well as snacks could be individual priced 
per unit for the casual muncher while a more substantial meal (consisting of 
a main dish and some of the individual items) could be sold to those who 
want it.  You would need to withhold some of the individual stock for the 
plates, but as you run out of the main dish or if you find it's not going to 
sell, the reserve can be moved over to ala carte.  I would price the plates 
to be a little less expensive than the individual items as an inducement.

Bear 


Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:30:03 -0400
From: devra at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] lunch fund raisers
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

I like small empanadas with a pork and apple or pies of paris filling. They're neat to eat, can be baked the day before, freeze well, and taste good cold or hot. Since they're small, you probably couldn't ask more than 50 cents per pie-let, though. And they do take a lot of work, mushing the pies together. However, the work can all be done well in advance. 

Devra

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	lunch-feasts-msg	7 of 7