FEASTS - descriptions, menus, and recipes
- 1999
- I joined the SCA at the age of 50. In December i was part of the kitchen crew for the Boar Hunt Feast, the only feast i worked on before becoming a Head Cook myself (gulp)
- 2000
- My First SCA Period Feast As Head Chef - Beacons Gate Boar Hunt - 10 December 2000
My first feast as Chief Cook after only a year and a half in the SCA. 24 dishes, 19 from England, France, Italy, and Spain. A cheese plate of purchased cheeses, all types originating within SCA-period, purchased manchets and peri-oid sausages. Non-period hot spiced apple cider, traditional Beacon's Gate garlic roast pork legs, and Beacon's Gate gingered apples.
- 2001
- Iron Chef sort-of Persian - Mists Principality Fall Investiture - 10 November 2001
The feast was a sort-of Iron Chef competition with three teams, each cooking one course. I chose entirely historical Near Eastern food, most of which, while not actally Persia, was Persian in origin. I tied for first place and I was asked to cook some of the dishes again for another feast in 2002.
- German Feast 08 December 2001 - Beacons Gate Boar Hunt -
I was the Chief Cook / Kitchen Steward again. This time I selected primarily German food, although I filled in with six English recipes. Plus the traditional Garlic Roast Pork legs. The sixteen German recipes came from three sources, Ein Buch von Guter Spise from the 14th century, Ein Kochbuch von Sabina Welserin, 1553, and Ein Neu Kuchboch von Marx Rumpolt, 1581.
- 2002
- 13th C. Andalusian Garlic Chicken - Mists Spring Coronet - Iron Chef Cook-Off - 05-07 April 2002
Because the Iron Chef dinner at the Principality of the Mists Fall Investiture 2001 ended in a tie, there was a tie-breaker served only to the High Table. I made a Near Eastern dish from the 13th century anonymous Andalusian cookbook, Thumiyya, a garlic-chicken dish with spices, lavender flowers, and almonds. I won...
- Casbah! Middle Eastern Feast - Purgatorio Coronation - 23-25 August 2002
The site was a park not far from San Jose and often people just leave after the last court Saturday rather than camp until Sunday. Duke Fabian had an idea: create a feast to encourage people to stay on site. I created the menu and recipes and cooked most of it at home myself. Because of the extreme fire hazard no fires or flames of any sort were permitted, and cooking was allowed only propane stoves in one particular parking lot. Fabian's idea was a success and we served at least 100 people.
- Mediterranean Tour Feast - Principality of the Mists Bardic Competition - 07 September 2002
Conchobhar, the outgoing bard and autocrat, had the idea of different food in each course. To have the food tied together i choose Mediterranean cultures and dishes that featured ingredients brought to Europe by the Arabs. The first course featured dishes from all three cultures, the second Catalan, the third Italian, the fourth Middle Eastern, and fifth course of sweets again featured all three cultures. Also at the Bard's request, i made modern baklava; I choose a Syrian recipe that was absolutely fabulous.
- 2003
- 13th C. Andalusian and modern Moroccan dishes - Private Feast for Cynaguan Royalty - January 2003
My services were engaged to prepare a small feast for a dozen people at which the guests of honor were the sitting Prince and Princess of the Principality of Cynagua, and Their guards and consorts. The recipes came from the 13th Century Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook as well as a number of modern Moroccan cookbooks. Alas, i lost the menu list and can only remember a few of the dishes.
- Greco-Roman Feast - Principality of the Mists Bardic Competition - 13 September 2003
I cooked a Greco-Roman Banquet of six courses comprising 25 dishes for out-going Bard of the Principality of the Mists, Sir Colin McLir. The original recipes came from a variety of Greek and Latin sources, not just the Apician cookbook.
- Iron Chef Competition - various times and cultures - Great Western War - October 2003
Two teams each made a meal, every dish featuring the "secret" ingredient, at this event apples. I unexpectedly took over as lead at the last minute. In the 4 hours allotted, we managed to prepare 18 dishes! The recipes came from sources as diverse as Byzantium, Germany, France, and al-Andalus, working directly from Medieval recipes just as they were written, without modern pre-tested versions. We won! Unfortunately, due to the situation, I do not have a list of recipes, since i never wrote down a list, just tabbed them in my books as i traveled to the event in a friend's car.
- 2007
- West Kingdom Royal Middle Eastern Feast - Pennsic 36 - 08 August 2007
When Kaaren was Queen of the West during the Spring and Summer of 2007, She decided to have a Persian reign. Since i would be at my very first Pennsic in 2007, She asked if i could prepare a Middle Eastern feast for Her and King Jade and about a dozen royal or formerly royal guests. I served thirteen dishes in three courses. I tried to keep it tasty but light, due to the high heat and insane humidity at the site.
- 16th Century Ottoman Feast - Principality of the Mists Fall Investiture - 10 November 2007
In the Summer of 2006 i translated À la table du Grand Turc by Stéfane Yerasimos into English. The book covers his research into the cuisine of the 16th century Ottoman Empire. It includes 42 recipes, around half of them actual Ottoman recipes written down in the late 15th century. I served thirteen dishes, along with purchased flat bread and rose petal jam, in three courses, plus Turkish coffee.
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- 2008
- Middle Eastern Refreshment Table for the Populace of the Mists - Principality of the Mists Spring Investiture - 17 May 2008
Her Excellency Princess-to-be Kamiilah asked me to provide refreshments for the populace between courts. I prepared a selection of eight sweets, most of them from historical recipes, a few modern but peri-oid, as well as two homemade beverage syrups along with modern Moroccan mint tea.
- Middle Eastern Dinner - Private Feast for Mists Royals - Principality of the Mists Fall Coronet - September 2008
I cooked a small feast for the Prince and Princess of the Principality of the Mists, Sigifrith and Kamiilah, at a weekend camping event. There were five dishes: 9th c. cold herbed chicken salad; 16th c. Ottoman soup; 15th c. Ottoman lamb with fruit; 13th c. spiced spinach; and 16th c. Ottoman three-colored rice. I precooked some of the food and made other dishes on-site. Dessert was chocolate cake brought by friends of the Princess.
- 2013
- Private dinner for Mists Royals - September
hosted by the Prince and Princess of the Mists for Their successors, the winners of Mists Fall Coronet.
I made several 15th and 16th c. Ottoman dishes.
- 2015
- Kingdom of Lochac - Rowany Festival - April 17-22
The Kingdom of Lochac invited me and generously contributed to my travel expenses. I taught about Ottoman cuisine. I also assisted Baron Drake Morgan, OL, OP, prepare a Mongol feast for the King and Queen of Lochac, who had Mongol personae, and Drake's household.
- Kingdom of Lochac - Barony of Aneala (Perth) - April 25
I cooked an Ottoman feast using recipes I translated. The kitchen crew was very helpful and allowed me to sit often, to relieve my back pain, which meant I was actually able to act as head cook.
- 2019
- Birthday Dinner by request - June 15
At the request of my friend Dame Alys Katherine, Laurel, Pelican, and Lady of the Rose in the Kingdom of the Middle, I cooked a birthday dinner of 5 period dishes and a modern Moroccan salad for her daughter and her husband, who live in Oakland, and two of their friends.
- Shîrâz bi-Buqal - Yogurt with herbs & walnuts - 13th c. cookbook by al-Baghdadi
- Fresh Cucumber Pickles with fresh mint and tarragon from al-Baghdadi
- Jazr - spiced carrots - from Fadalat al-Khiwan, a 13th c. Andalusian cookbook (my translation)
- Stuffed eggs from 13th c. anonymous Andalusian cookbook
- Orange and Radish Salad with Orange Flower Water, modern Moroccan
- Lime quince polaw with chicken, from 16th c. Safavid Persian cookbook (my translation)
- 9th c. - Bawarid: Two Cold Chicken Dishes rather like chicken salad, from 9th Century Baghdad, capital of the 'Abbasid Empire.
- 13th c. - Chicken and Chicken Meatballs Covered with Walnuts and Saffron from the Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook, with my worked out version. This is very delicious and well worth the effort.
- 13th c. Andalusian lamburgers, A Type of Ahrash Called Isfîriyâ, with vinaigrette sauce or Sinab, honey-almond mustard.
- 13th c. Andalusian Lamtûniyya, fowl dressed with sauce and garnishes.
- 14th c. - Four Arabic Dishes for Lent, from a chapter titled "What Monks and Christians Eat in Lent" in the Book of the Description of Familiar Foods.
- Three Medieval Near Eastern Recipes that you can even cook at a camping event.
- 14th c. - Ambrogino - a delightful and luscious Renaissance Italian dish of chicken cooked with dried fruit and spices, which may reflect Arabic influence.
- Lime Quince Polaw, an exceedingly delicious Persian polaw from 1594, with quinces, sliced sweet limes or sweet lemons, golden raisins, pistachios, and chicken (but you can leave it out if you're vegetarian). I've made it many times because it is so freaking good!
- 14th - 16th c. - 23 German Mushroom Recipes - My translations of recipes from a number of 14th to 16th century cookbooks in several German dialects, graciously sent to me by Prof. Thomas Gloning of Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany.
- Fine Spice Powders - A very slightly revised version of an entry in a 2004 West Kingdom Arts and Sciences competition. I document and give recipes for eight blends from 1324 to 1607, as well as a mid-17th century recipe - including my own translations of all recipes originally in Medieval and Renaissance French.
- Two 13th c. Spice Boxes from two Arabic language cookbooks, that composed by al-Baghdadi and the anonymous one from al-Andalus. I counted all the spices, herbs, and other seasonings and flavorings used in all the savory recipes. I wanted to get some idea of the frequency that seasonings were used. This was quite a bit of work, and it has produced interesting results:
- An Annotated Bibliography of SCA-period Near and Middle Eastern cookbooks.
- Links to SCA-period Near and Middle Eastern Cuisine. This dates from 2005, so the links don't all work. Consider it a snapshot from the past.
- Cameline Sauce and Green Sauce: Two of the more popular medieval European sauces. Cameline is a cinnamon-based sauce - usually thick, so more like a dip. Green Sauce is a mixture of many herbs made tangy with verjus or another tart liquid. I'm a big fan of green sauce. I've collected all the recipes i could find (i'm sure there are some more out there), then compared their ingredients. There is even a Cameline Sauce with no cinnamon.
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