War-Fare-rev - 6/9/11

"War Fare Review" by by Johnnae llyn Lewis, CE.

A review of the book "War Fare: A collection of recipes and remembrances from The Sated Tyger Inn and Battlefield Bakery, two famous food purveyors at the Pennsic Wars of the Society for Creative Anachronism" 

NOTE: See also the files: cookbooks-SCA-msg, cookbooks-bib, Feudl-Gourmet-art, Eatng-Pennsic-art, ovens-msg, P-history-msg, Pennsic-101-art, P-stories-msg.

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NOTICE -

This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium. 

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

Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author or translator.

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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War Fare Review
by Johnnae llyn Lewis, CE

Feinberg, Bonnie and Marian Walke. War Fare: A collection of recipes and remembrances from The Sated Tyger Inn and Battlefield Bakery, two famous food purveyors at the Pennsic Wars of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Redmond, WA: Layer Five Group, 2010. 172 pages. With photos.

As the 40th anniversary of the Pennsic War rapidly approaches, there has appeared on the market, this marvelous compilation of recipes and anecdotes from the earlier days of Pennsic. Long ago two cookshops, namely The Sated Tyger Inn and Battlefield Bakery made it their business to feed people at the War. This is a true account of those endeavors written by the two ladies that made it all happen. The book also captures that elusive magic of the War, that magic of gathering, those two weeks in August, and of friends, and of the community. So much of what makes the war an experience that draws people back and back yet again can be found in the volume. It preserves and celebrates the War in a warm fashion in a volume with distinctive style. As such it would make a grand gift for those that once attended Pennsic but cannot now participate due to age or infirmity. It's a wonderful volume for provoking memories.

And almost as a bonus, it includes the recipes for the foods once served through those cookshops. These tried and tested recipes have been reworked for the home cook and for amounts now suitable for families, rather than for armies! For the bakers among us, there's a valuable chapter titled "Medieval Breads and How to Make Them With Some Degree of Authenticity."

The co-author of this volume Marian Walke, known to her countless friends on many cookery lists and in person as Old Marian / Marion of Edwinstowe, sadly passed away shortly before the book was published in the fall of 2010. I am sure that she would have approved of the results. Co-author Bonnie Feinberg is to be commended for her work in bringing the volume to life. Marian's passing sadly reminds us that many of older members are aging and taking their memories of the Society with them. It's a reminder that the older generation and their insights (not to mention their recipes and accounts) are passing away with them. It's past time to assemble more accounts and gather up more recipes before it is too late and our own culinary and Society history is lost forever. The past, after all, even the Society's past should be celebrated by all.

As Food History News' Sandy Oliver noted, "It is a fun read, full of terrific illustrations of field ovens, food in the past, dishes made, and baked goods, and full of accessible recipes for all kinds of medieval dishes for modern people."

I can think of no better way to celebrate Pennsic XXXX than to acquire One's own copy of War Fare. (Devra has copies, so contact her for details.)
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Copyright 2011 by Johnna H. Holloway. <Johnna at mac.com>. Please don't reprint without permission from the author.

If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate 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.

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Edited by Mark S. Harris	War-Fare-rev	2 of 2