"Ewww, he's making compost to eat? Gross..."
That's the typical response I've received when mentioning this years A/S entry for myself. People often mistake this for some kind of garbage recycling or other pile of junk, but it couldn't be further from the truth! This is another dish from Forme of Cury, my favorite resource when it comes to the 14t century it seems of late. While I decided not to enter this at a higher level this year, I did do some things different than last year.
The biggest thing is that this is my first self-redacted and self-translated piece, for many previous entries I've often worked from a redacted recipe that others have done for me. Doing the translation from middle English to modern English was a challenge, but a fun one! This is a dish that takes a day to prepare, as you are pickling the vegetables overnight, so make sure to prep this a day before to be ready in time to snack!
Tools Needed:
. Pot
. Towel you don't mind possibly ruining
. Spider or ladle
. sauce pan
. Measuring spoons
. Cutting board
. Chopping knife
. Veggie peeler
. Glass dish
. Large bowl
Ingredients:
. 4 parsley roots (sub. for extra parsnips if you cannot find any good parsley roots at Whole Foods)
. 8 parsnips (only 4 if you can grab some parsley roots!
. 1/2 tsp. anise seed
. 3 turnips
. 1 cabbage
. 5 pears
. 1 cup vinegar
. 1 1/2 cup sweet wine
. 1/2 cup honey
. 1 Tbsp. mustard
. 1/2 cup currants (zante raisins)
. salt to cover
. cinnamon
. 1/2 tsp. fennel seed
. pepper
. saffron
. powder douce
Compost (from Forme of Cury) -
Take
rote of parsel. pasternak of rasenns. scrape hem waisthe hem clene.
take rapes & caboches ypared and icorne. take an erthen panne with
clene water & set it on the fire. cast all þise þerinne. whan þey
buth boiled cast þerto peeres & parboile hem wel. take þise thynges
up & lat it kele on a fair cloth, do þerto salt whan it is colde in a
vessel take vineger & powdour & safroun & do þerto. &
lat alle þise thinges lye þerin al nyzt oþer al day, take wyne greke and
hony clarified togider lumbarde mustard & raisouns corance al hool.
& grynde powdour of canel powdour douce. & aneys hole. &
fenell seed. take alle þise thynges & cast togyder in a pot of
erthe. and take þerof whan þou wilt & serue forth.
Translation (as translated by myself) -
Take
the roots of parsley and parsnip and scrape and wash them clean. Take
turnips and cabbages and cut them up. Take an earthen pan with clean
water and set it on the fire. Cast all of this inside. When they have
boiled, cast pears in and boil them well. Take these things up and let
it cool on a fair cloth, add salt when it is cold. In a vessel take
vinegar and powdour and saffron and let these things lie there in all
night or all day.
Take
greek wine and clarified honey together with mustard and whole raisins
and grind cinnamon powder, powder douce and whole anise and fennel seed.
Take all of these things and cast together in an earthen pot. Take
thereof what you will and serve forth.
Instructions:
1) Wash then peel
all the vegetables and pears. It's important to give them a good wash, in case anything got on the goods before you purchased them!
2) Cut them all into bite-sized pieces, but keep the pears in a separate bowel with a little water and lemon juice to prevent browning.
3) Parboil them
until just tender, then add in the pears. Wait just a few minutes till the pears can absorb the water and become tender themselves.
4) Remove from the water with either your spider or ladle. Place the parboiled veggie/pear mixture on your towel, sprinkle with
salt to cover and allow to cool.
5) Put vegetables in large bowl and add pepper,
saffron, and vinegar. Make sure the veggies have cooled before this step otherwise you may change the flavor of the final dish!
6) Let sit overnight in a cool place, covered. If you have kids or pets that might get into the mess, I recommend putting a lid on your bowl and keeping it in a high/dry place like a closet (it's where I keep mine!).
7) The next
day, put the wine and honey into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and then
simmer for several minutes. The idea here it to combine the flavors, not to damage the honey or wine with scorching so make sure to stir frequently.
8) Let cool and add currants and remaining
spices. Mix well and pour over vegetables. Serve cold.
There are a multitude of items you can add to this dish, that blend well. I'm a fan of carrots and radishes, and they're a similar veggie to the parsnip so they taste great as well. If you want a sweeter pickle, go for more honey and spice, if you like the tart then I recommend cutting back on the fennel and douce.
If you try this, or have tried this before, leave a comment bellow and let me know what you think!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
By the course - breaking down the Chalice Feast
Each course of my last Feast was a separate recipe, and each one came with its own set of challenges. Some were easy and simple, while others provided hazards in just cooking them! Here i a breakdown of the last Feast, course by course.
Course #1
. Brot und Äpfel
Baked loaf bread served with a side of butter (both salted and honey) and freshly cut apples drizzled with a hint of honey.
This was a simple and easy choice as far as into courses go. Bread was a common staple diet for the Middle Ages, and fruit selections were also common for a noble environment. Raw apples were not overly eaten in Germany, but a simple plating of them for the first course nibbles would suffice and be appropriate.
. Gewürzgurken
Fresh cucumbers sliced and generously coated in salt, pepper, fennel seed and caraway. A light coating of vinegar helps to seal in the flavor and accent the sweetness of the spices as well as the wet crispness of the cucumber.
The original recipe for the pickled cucumbers is as follows:
Marx Rumpoldt:
Schel die Murcken (sic!) / und schneidt sie breit unnd dünn / mach sie an mit Oel /
Pfeffer und Saltz. Seind sie aber eyngesaltzen / so seind sie auch nit böß / seind besser
als roh / denn man kans eynsaltzen mit Fenchel und mit Kümel / daß man sie uber ein Jar
kan behalten. Unnd am Rheinstrom nennet man es Cucummern.
Peel the cucumbers and slice them broad and thin, and dress them with oil, pepper and salt.
But if they are salted, they are also not bad, they are better than raw, because you can salt
them with fennel and caraway so that you can keep them for a whole year. And on the Rhine
they are called Cucummern.
This made for a very tasty nibble, I substituted vinegar for the oil to give it a bit ore bite which helped balance the sweetness of the apples. This was a very easy dish to prepare, just storage for the slices was the hardest part. They needed abit more space for the full portions than I was ready for, so next time more storage containers!
Course #2
. Pilze und Zwiebel Suppe
A clean and warm soup of mushrooms and onions, simmered for hours and stewed generously with saffron and fresh sea salt.
Marx Rumpoldt:
Nimm duerre Schwammen / wasch sie sauber auß etlichen Wassern / setz sie
zu mit Erbeßbrueh unnd klein geschweißten Zwibeln / mach es ab mit Essig /
Pfeffer / mit Saffran und Saltz / laß miteinander ein stundt oder zwo sieden
/ so wirt es gut und wolgeschmack
Take dried mushrooms, wash then several times until they are clean and place them on the
fire with pease broth and small fried onions. Season it with vinegar, pepper, saffron and salt
and boil it together an hour or two. Thus it will be good and tasty.
From the same 16th century source as the cucumbers, this is another great soup. The onions seemed to have a sweetness all to their own after a while of simmering for the soup, I had to very carefully balance the sea salt with the onions sweetness as to not have the two flavors conflict. The hardest part was just the time, this took up a lot of stove space for a long time as it slowly simmered for hours.
. Frikadellen
Ground beef mixed with bread crumbs, garlic and a pinch of pork belly meat that are rolled into balls and boiled to a juicy finish. Served in a small pool of beef broth.
Maister Hannsen:
Knödel mach also. Item nym ain kalbflaisch vnd hack speck darunder vnd gewürcz wol
vnd reibs, thue ayer vnd weiss prot darund(er) vnd mach kügelein daraus vnd sewd es mit
haissem wasser vnd schneid sy vnd gib es hin zue essen.
To make meatballs: Take veal and chop bacon into it and season it well, grind it, add eggs and
white bread and make balls of it. Cook them in hot water, cut them and serve them to eat.
This is a late 15th century recipe from Germany, and very tasty. This one was critical, not just as a supporting meat portion for this course but because all the beef broth made by boiling the meatballs would be used in travelers faire as well as lunch! This was the very first thing I cooked on Friday after arriving onto site, cold storing the cooked meatballs then slowly waring them an hour before feast back in the same broth.
. Salat
A fresh lettuce and herb salad, lightly dusted with salt. Goes great when eaten either with the meatballs or the mushroom and onion soup.
There was no true recipe for this dish, I've made a number of salat's before for personal meals from a variety of sources and I made a simple enough one that would go well with the overall course. This was fresh lettuce and greens, shredded with fresh thyme and rosemary and parsley added in. This was specifically over spiced, to go with the under spiced meatballs and soup. The populous was encouraged to eat the salat with either or both other dishes for full flavor experience!
Course #3
. Wurst in Apfelmus
Pork sausages coated in a ground pepper and salt mixture, grilled in a sauce of fresh diced apples. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Innsbruck:
Wildu ein gemacht wurst machen, so henk di wurst in ein rauch und brat si
dann und mach dann ein ziseindel dar uber mit zwifeln oder mit opfeln etc.
If you wish to make a made sausage, hang it in the smoke and then roast it and add a sauce of
apples or onions etc.
This was a tricky dish to cook, because I couldn't prepare it much ahead of time. The finely diced apples could sit a while in a lemon juice mixture, and I could season and prep all the sausages hours in advance, but cooking couldn't happen till the last possible chance. I added a bit of liquid smoke to mimic the husky flavor, as well as some black lava salt for the charcoal taste, and then roasted the sausages as best I could. This was one of the harder dishes to prepare!
. Carbonadoes gegrillt
Grilled beef steaks, covered in a ginger glaze that are coked over open coals. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Frantz de Rontzier:
Karbanart von Rinder unnd Hamelfleisch/ Schwein/ Hirsch unnd Rehe
Wildbrat Wenn mans thun will / mag man uber die Karbanart / wenn sie gar
sein / Wein oder Bieressig geben. Man sol sie allezeit / ehe sie gebraten
werden / mit einem Messerruecken schlagen daß sie moerbe werden. Man bradet
die Moerbraten oder Magerfleisch auff einer Rost / besprengets mit Saltze gibts
zum tische / etc. Man legts ein Nacht in Essig / darnach besprengvet mans
auff einer Rost mit Salz / und lests haftig abbraten etc
Item man vermischet Salz und Pfeffer / bestrewet sie damit unnd bradet sie
darnach auff einer Rost / wenn sie gar sein gibt mans also warm zum tische.
Item man bestrewet sie mit Saltze und Ingber / und bradet sie auff einer
Rost / und gibts zu tische.
Item / man bestrewet sie mit Muscatenblumen unnd Saltz / unnd bradet sie
auff einer Rost / etc.
Item / man bestrewet sie mit Saltze und Negelein / bradet sie dann ab / etc.
Item/man bestrewet sie mit Gartenkoehm und Saltz / bradet sie damit ab /etc.
Item / man bestrewet sie mit Gartenkoellen / gruen oder duer / und Saltz /
darnach bradet man sie ab / begeust sie mit Butter oder Bratenfeiste / etc
Item / man bestrewet sie mit zerstossen Wacholderbirn unnd Saltz / wenn sie
auff die helfte gebraten sein / etc.
Carbonadoes of Beef and Mutton, Pork, and Venison of Hart and Roe Deer
If you want you can pour vinegar or alegar over the carbonadoes once they are grilled. You
must always beat them with the back of a knife before they are grilled so that they become
tender.
You roast tender roast or lean meat on a griddle, sprinkle it with salt and serve it etc.
You place it in vinegar overnight, sprinkle it with salt on the griddle and roast it over very hot
coals, etc.
You sprinkle them with ground dried juniper berries and salt when they are half done etc.
You mix salt and pepper, sprinkle them with it, then roast them on a griddle and serve them
when they are done.
You sprinkle them with salt and ginger, fry them on a griddle, and serve them.
You sprinkle them with salt and ginger, fry them on a griddle, and serve them.
You sprinkle them with salt and mace and fry them on a griddle etc.
You sprinkle them with salt and cloves, fry them, etc.
You sprinkle them with salt and caraway and then roast them etc.
You sprinkle them with caraway, green or dried, and salt and fry them, then pour butter or
dripping over them etc.
This was a fun dish, with plenty of options! I used Angus eye round steak for the meat cut, and each person was cut a 4oz portion of steak. I tenderized each piece then did a simple glaze of salt, pepper, oil and ginger. Once glazed and cooled to dry and lock in the flavor, I had the steaks grilled over open coals to give them that dusky sweetness that smoke provides. This was another tricky dish, as the timing had to be just right for them to still be warm and juicy. As well I ran out of heat from my coals 3/4 the way through and had to switch to a flattop griddle for the last bit! The green herb sauce was served on the side, I felt the steak had its own flavor but the herbs sauce gave it a unique bite. The recipe for the green herb sauce is as follows:
De salsa viridi: ad salsam viridem accipe petrosillum cum menta, fusticellas,
cardamomum, nucem muscatam, piper, gariofilum, zinziber. Tere omnia in mortario
fortiter et cum eis tere parum de mica panis. Et si vis, potes ponere allea. Distempera
cum bono aceto.
Green sauce. For green sauce take parsley with mint, 'fusticelli' (possibly a variety of pepper,
or pine nuts), cardamom, nutmeg, pepper, cloves and ginger. Grind it all in a mortar, and a
small piece of bread along with it. If you want, add garlic. And mix it with good vinegar.
. Teigwaren
Lightly boiled pasta, coated with a thin layer of sweet butter. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Marx Rumpoldt:
Nudel gekocht mit Erbeßbrüh unnd Muscatenblüt / mit Butter / und ein wenig gelb gemacht
/ so ist es gut und wolgeschmack.
Noodles cooked with pease broth and mace, with butter, and made yellow a bit, these will be
good and tasty.
Another simple dish, just the portions were tricky! I underestimated how much 10 pounds of pasta would take up in space, and had to cook this in 3 separate containers! The sauce fr the pasta came out so well, I was riginally going to cook it seperate and serve in on the side but I had the pasta done earlier than epected and thus had to blend the saffron sauce in with the noodles to preserve the food dish.
Course #4
. Funnelcake
Fried cakes, cooked in a hot oil, shaped into a circular style funnel. Topped off with powdered sugar and happiness.
Marx Rumpoldt:
Mach ein Teig mit guter Milch / schlag drei oder vier Eyer darein / und ruer jn wol glat
an / mach Loecher durch ein Hafen / der nicht groß ist / geuß den Teig darein / und halt
ein Teller unten auff den Boden / daß der Teig nicht heraus rinnet / daß du es kanst
kreutzweiß in heisse Butter eynziehen / zeuchs nicht zu dick eyn / daß es kann außbacken /
bestraew es mit Zucker / unnd gibs kalt oder warm auff ein Tisch / so ist es ein gut
Strauben Gebackens.
Make a batter of good milk, break three or four eggs into it and stir it until it is nice and
smooth. Make holes into a pot that is not too large, pour the batter into it and hold a plate
against the bottom so it does not run out. You can pour it crosswise into hot butter. Do not
pour it on too thick so that it can bake. Sprinkle it with sugar and serve it warm or cold.
These are good fritters.
I won't lie...I totally cheated and used a premade batter. It tasted ust a great and cooked just as well as the stuff I amde at home to test, and was cheaper! The oil frying was simple and clean, thank god, and this dish came out great. It was a bit of a nail biter because I couldn't start it till ust before Feast started, as the fritters tasted better fresh.
. Termine Speckmantel
Pitted dates, wrapped in bacon and baked in a warm oven until done. Its bacon, its dates, its amazing.
There is no period recipe for this dish that I have seen, I think this falls into the category of period-like foods eaten at a Feast. It is very popular in Trimaris and a dish I find very yummy, so I thought it appropriate to use it to finish off my dessert! This was very simple to make, it could be made hours in advance and ust sat aside for later consuming.
Course #1
. Brot und Äpfel
Baked loaf bread served with a side of butter (both salted and honey) and freshly cut apples drizzled with a hint of honey.
This was a simple and easy choice as far as into courses go. Bread was a common staple diet for the Middle Ages, and fruit selections were also common for a noble environment. Raw apples were not overly eaten in Germany, but a simple plating of them for the first course nibbles would suffice and be appropriate.
. Gewürzgurken
Fresh cucumbers sliced and generously coated in salt, pepper, fennel seed and caraway. A light coating of vinegar helps to seal in the flavor and accent the sweetness of the spices as well as the wet crispness of the cucumber.
The original recipe for the pickled cucumbers is as follows:
Marx Rumpoldt:
Schel die Murcken (sic!) / und schneidt sie breit unnd dünn / mach sie an mit Oel /
Pfeffer und Saltz. Seind sie aber eyngesaltzen / so seind sie auch nit böß / seind besser
als roh / denn man kans eynsaltzen mit Fenchel und mit Kümel / daß man sie uber ein Jar
kan behalten. Unnd am Rheinstrom nennet man es Cucummern.
Peel the cucumbers and slice them broad and thin, and dress them with oil, pepper and salt.
But if they are salted, they are also not bad, they are better than raw, because you can salt
them with fennel and caraway so that you can keep them for a whole year. And on the Rhine
they are called Cucummern.
This made for a very tasty nibble, I substituted vinegar for the oil to give it a bit ore bite which helped balance the sweetness of the apples. This was a very easy dish to prepare, just storage for the slices was the hardest part. They needed abit more space for the full portions than I was ready for, so next time more storage containers!
Course #2
. Pilze und Zwiebel Suppe
A clean and warm soup of mushrooms and onions, simmered for hours and stewed generously with saffron and fresh sea salt.
Marx Rumpoldt:
Nimm duerre Schwammen / wasch sie sauber auß etlichen Wassern / setz sie
zu mit Erbeßbrueh unnd klein geschweißten Zwibeln / mach es ab mit Essig /
Pfeffer / mit Saffran und Saltz / laß miteinander ein stundt oder zwo sieden
/ so wirt es gut und wolgeschmack
Take dried mushrooms, wash then several times until they are clean and place them on the
fire with pease broth and small fried onions. Season it with vinegar, pepper, saffron and salt
and boil it together an hour or two. Thus it will be good and tasty.
From the same 16th century source as the cucumbers, this is another great soup. The onions seemed to have a sweetness all to their own after a while of simmering for the soup, I had to very carefully balance the sea salt with the onions sweetness as to not have the two flavors conflict. The hardest part was just the time, this took up a lot of stove space for a long time as it slowly simmered for hours.
. Frikadellen
Ground beef mixed with bread crumbs, garlic and a pinch of pork belly meat that are rolled into balls and boiled to a juicy finish. Served in a small pool of beef broth.
Maister Hannsen:
Knödel mach also. Item nym ain kalbflaisch vnd hack speck darunder vnd gewürcz wol
vnd reibs, thue ayer vnd weiss prot darund(er) vnd mach kügelein daraus vnd sewd es mit
haissem wasser vnd schneid sy vnd gib es hin zue essen.
To make meatballs: Take veal and chop bacon into it and season it well, grind it, add eggs and
white bread and make balls of it. Cook them in hot water, cut them and serve them to eat.
This is a late 15th century recipe from Germany, and very tasty. This one was critical, not just as a supporting meat portion for this course but because all the beef broth made by boiling the meatballs would be used in travelers faire as well as lunch! This was the very first thing I cooked on Friday after arriving onto site, cold storing the cooked meatballs then slowly waring them an hour before feast back in the same broth.
. Salat
A fresh lettuce and herb salad, lightly dusted with salt. Goes great when eaten either with the meatballs or the mushroom and onion soup.
There was no true recipe for this dish, I've made a number of salat's before for personal meals from a variety of sources and I made a simple enough one that would go well with the overall course. This was fresh lettuce and greens, shredded with fresh thyme and rosemary and parsley added in. This was specifically over spiced, to go with the under spiced meatballs and soup. The populous was encouraged to eat the salat with either or both other dishes for full flavor experience!
Course #3
. Wurst in Apfelmus
Pork sausages coated in a ground pepper and salt mixture, grilled in a sauce of fresh diced apples. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Innsbruck:
Wildu ein gemacht wurst machen, so henk di wurst in ein rauch und brat si
dann und mach dann ein ziseindel dar uber mit zwifeln oder mit opfeln etc.
If you wish to make a made sausage, hang it in the smoke and then roast it and add a sauce of
apples or onions etc.
This was a tricky dish to cook, because I couldn't prepare it much ahead of time. The finely diced apples could sit a while in a lemon juice mixture, and I could season and prep all the sausages hours in advance, but cooking couldn't happen till the last possible chance. I added a bit of liquid smoke to mimic the husky flavor, as well as some black lava salt for the charcoal taste, and then roasted the sausages as best I could. This was one of the harder dishes to prepare!
. Carbonadoes gegrillt
Grilled beef steaks, covered in a ginger glaze that are coked over open coals. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Frantz de Rontzier:
Karbanart von Rinder unnd Hamelfleisch/ Schwein/ Hirsch unnd Rehe
Wildbrat Wenn mans thun will / mag man uber die Karbanart / wenn sie gar
sein / Wein oder Bieressig geben. Man sol sie allezeit / ehe sie gebraten
werden / mit einem Messerruecken schlagen daß sie moerbe werden. Man bradet
die Moerbraten oder Magerfleisch auff einer Rost / besprengets mit Saltze gibts
zum tische / etc. Man legts ein Nacht in Essig / darnach besprengvet mans
auff einer Rost mit Salz / und lests haftig abbraten etc
Item man vermischet Salz und Pfeffer / bestrewet sie damit unnd bradet sie
darnach auff einer Rost / wenn sie gar sein gibt mans also warm zum tische.
Item man bestrewet sie mit Saltze und Ingber / und bradet sie auff einer
Rost / und gibts zu tische.
Item / man bestrewet sie mit Muscatenblumen unnd Saltz / unnd bradet sie
auff einer Rost / etc.
Item / man bestrewet sie mit Saltze und Negelein / bradet sie dann ab / etc.
Item/man bestrewet sie mit Gartenkoehm und Saltz / bradet sie damit ab /etc.
Item / man bestrewet sie mit Gartenkoellen / gruen oder duer / und Saltz /
darnach bradet man sie ab / begeust sie mit Butter oder Bratenfeiste / etc
Item / man bestrewet sie mit zerstossen Wacholderbirn unnd Saltz / wenn sie
auff die helfte gebraten sein / etc.
Carbonadoes of Beef and Mutton, Pork, and Venison of Hart and Roe Deer
If you want you can pour vinegar or alegar over the carbonadoes once they are grilled. You
must always beat them with the back of a knife before they are grilled so that they become
tender.
You roast tender roast or lean meat on a griddle, sprinkle it with salt and serve it etc.
You place it in vinegar overnight, sprinkle it with salt on the griddle and roast it over very hot
coals, etc.
You sprinkle them with ground dried juniper berries and salt when they are half done etc.
You mix salt and pepper, sprinkle them with it, then roast them on a griddle and serve them
when they are done.
You sprinkle them with salt and ginger, fry them on a griddle, and serve them.
You sprinkle them with salt and ginger, fry them on a griddle, and serve them.
You sprinkle them with salt and mace and fry them on a griddle etc.
You sprinkle them with salt and cloves, fry them, etc.
You sprinkle them with salt and caraway and then roast them etc.
You sprinkle them with caraway, green or dried, and salt and fry them, then pour butter or
dripping over them etc.
This was a fun dish, with plenty of options! I used Angus eye round steak for the meat cut, and each person was cut a 4oz portion of steak. I tenderized each piece then did a simple glaze of salt, pepper, oil and ginger. Once glazed and cooled to dry and lock in the flavor, I had the steaks grilled over open coals to give them that dusky sweetness that smoke provides. This was another tricky dish, as the timing had to be just right for them to still be warm and juicy. As well I ran out of heat from my coals 3/4 the way through and had to switch to a flattop griddle for the last bit! The green herb sauce was served on the side, I felt the steak had its own flavor but the herbs sauce gave it a unique bite. The recipe for the green herb sauce is as follows:
De salsa viridi: ad salsam viridem accipe petrosillum cum menta, fusticellas,
cardamomum, nucem muscatam, piper, gariofilum, zinziber. Tere omnia in mortario
fortiter et cum eis tere parum de mica panis. Et si vis, potes ponere allea. Distempera
cum bono aceto.
Green sauce. For green sauce take parsley with mint, 'fusticelli' (possibly a variety of pepper,
or pine nuts), cardamom, nutmeg, pepper, cloves and ginger. Grind it all in a mortar, and a
small piece of bread along with it. If you want, add garlic. And mix it with good vinegar.
. Teigwaren
Lightly boiled pasta, coated with a thin layer of sweet butter. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Marx Rumpoldt:
Nudel gekocht mit Erbeßbrüh unnd Muscatenblüt / mit Butter / und ein wenig gelb gemacht
/ so ist es gut und wolgeschmack.
Noodles cooked with pease broth and mace, with butter, and made yellow a bit, these will be
good and tasty.
Another simple dish, just the portions were tricky! I underestimated how much 10 pounds of pasta would take up in space, and had to cook this in 3 separate containers! The sauce fr the pasta came out so well, I was riginally going to cook it seperate and serve in on the side but I had the pasta done earlier than epected and thus had to blend the saffron sauce in with the noodles to preserve the food dish.
Course #4
. Funnelcake
Fried cakes, cooked in a hot oil, shaped into a circular style funnel. Topped off with powdered sugar and happiness.
Marx Rumpoldt:
Mach ein Teig mit guter Milch / schlag drei oder vier Eyer darein / und ruer jn wol glat
an / mach Loecher durch ein Hafen / der nicht groß ist / geuß den Teig darein / und halt
ein Teller unten auff den Boden / daß der Teig nicht heraus rinnet / daß du es kanst
kreutzweiß in heisse Butter eynziehen / zeuchs nicht zu dick eyn / daß es kann außbacken /
bestraew es mit Zucker / unnd gibs kalt oder warm auff ein Tisch / so ist es ein gut
Strauben Gebackens.
Make a batter of good milk, break three or four eggs into it and stir it until it is nice and
smooth. Make holes into a pot that is not too large, pour the batter into it and hold a plate
against the bottom so it does not run out. You can pour it crosswise into hot butter. Do not
pour it on too thick so that it can bake. Sprinkle it with sugar and serve it warm or cold.
These are good fritters.
I won't lie...I totally cheated and used a premade batter. It tasted ust a great and cooked just as well as the stuff I amde at home to test, and was cheaper! The oil frying was simple and clean, thank god, and this dish came out great. It was a bit of a nail biter because I couldn't start it till ust before Feast started, as the fritters tasted better fresh.
. Termine Speckmantel
Pitted dates, wrapped in bacon and baked in a warm oven until done. Its bacon, its dates, its amazing.
There is no period recipe for this dish that I have seen, I think this falls into the category of period-like foods eaten at a Feast. It is very popular in Trimaris and a dish I find very yummy, so I thought it appropriate to use it to finish off my dessert! This was very simple to make, it could be made hours in advance and ust sat aside for later consuming.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Hero of the Chalice - A Feast in Review
So yeah...Chalice.
Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while, life has been a whirlwind of things in all of December. Started my new job (which is going GREAT), been helping two friends with moving into a new place and of course all the planning for the feast at Chalice. Now that Chalice is over I can dedicate more time to working on the Queens Tea for Gulf Wars, but that's another post for another day. Today will be covering and talking about the feast itself! It was exciting and one that will stick in my memory for a VERY long time. I had so any people offering help and providing services to me that I can barely remember all their names, and I could never have done all this work and pulled off such a wonderful feast without their support and aid.
So...Hero of the Chalice was my first feast ever!I spent many days and days planning it, testing recipes and checking in with my Laurel to make sure I was on track that when the feast actually rolled in I was pumped and excited. The feast went better than I hoped it would, the hall decor clicked great and everyone really loved the food. Some reactions to the dishes were surprising while others were expected, and everyone left full. I learned a lot of lessons, and was very patiently taught a few others, and this was an overwhelmingly positive experience!
This ended up being my final menu, I was pretty happy with the results. Almost every dish was taken from Plain Faire, a collection of camp recipes assembled by a Laurel in the Kingdom of Drackenwald:
Travelers Faire:
. Verbotene Eintopf
This dish is a dangerous secret, forbidden from use for its potency of flavor. Tender beef roast is slowly stewed with a collection of spices, stoked over a flame and drowned in red wine to provide the perfect introduction to a weekend of merriment.Just don't tell Mistress Madhavi that her apprentice cooked this!
Breakfast:
. Rührei
Eggs are cracked and scrambled, tossed with salt and shredded cheese and served with a side of ground pepper.
. Glasierte Toaste
Loaf bread covered in a freshly scrambled egg glaze, lightly dusted with cinnamon and brown sugar then grilled till light and crispy. Covered with a helping of powdered sugar and maple sauce.
Lunch:
. Zitrone Rindergulasch
A rich and hearty stew, cooked with fresh mixed herbs and peppercorns. The salted lemons provide a sweet twist to complement the dish, and the warm feeling will accompany you through the remainder of the day.
Dinner:
1st Course -
. Brot und Äpfel
Baked loaf bread served with a side of butter (both salted and honey) and freshly cut apples drizzled with a hint of honey.
. Gewürzgurken
Fresh cucumbers sliced and generously coated in salt, pepper, fennel seed and caraway. A light coating of vinegar helps to seal in the flavor and accent the sweetness of the spices as well as the wet crispness of the cucumber.
2nd Course -
. Pilze und Zwiebel Suppe
A clean and warm soup of mushrooms and onions, simmered for hours and stewed generously with saffron and fresh sea salt.
. Frikadellen
Ground beef mixed with bread crumbs, garlic and a pinch of pork belly meat that are rolled into balls and boiled to a juicy finish. Served in a small pool of beef broth.
. Salat
A fresh lettuce and herb salad, lightly dusted with salt. Goes great when eaten either with the meatballs or the mushroom and onion soup.
3rd Course -
. Wurst in Apfelmus
Pork sausages coated in a ground pepper and salt mixture, grilled in a sauce of fresh diced apples. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
. Carbonadoes gegrillt
Grilled beef steaks, covered in a ginger glaze that are coked over open coals. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
. Teigwaren
Lightly boiled pasta, coated with a thin layer of sweet butter. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Dessert -
. Funnelcake
Fried cakes, cooked in a hot oil, shaped into a circular style funnel. Topped off with powdered sugar and happiness.
. Termine Speckmantel
Pitted dates, wrapped in bacon and baked in a warm oven until done. Its bacon, its dates, its amazing.
Of all the dishes, the mushroom and onion soup was the only surprise. I knew the meat portions would do well, as would the bread because who doesn't love fresh bread, but the veracity that they attacked the soup was overwhelming! Everyone got a 9oz portion of soup, and when I got the pot back it had been scraped clean of every last drop!
What went right:
. Pre-planning, dear lord I cannot praise this enough.
Multiple copies of my recipes and schedules saved me many a time, and countless tests of each dish let me know immediately if something was working or not. Keeping my Royals in mind saved me when our Paleo diet King surprised us by dropping in, planning with him in mind I was able to ensure he could eat most dishes in each course.
. Knowing when to trust, and when to do myself was spot on.
I knew I could trust my Hall Steward to handle servers, heralding, decoration and food distribution once it was plated and handed off. All day I had server/seating/decor questions and all day the answer was "speak with my Hall Steward", because I knew I could trust her totally! I also knew that sometimes the quickest route was doing it myself, which I felt safe doing because I trusted the help in my kitchen. Too often I've seen messengers delayed/distracted when the head cook NEEDS and answer, so I resolved this problem by finding the answer myself when it was most important. Its not that I didn't trust them; I just knew the messages would be passed accurately and quickly if I did it, and I trusted my kitchen help to stay to task.
. Mandatory rest!
I scheduled time to rest, which was key to me being successful I feel. I made sure to set time aside for me to sit and eat, to take time to converse with friends and even a small meditation break to calm my nerves. Keeping myself hydrated and rested really helped me steel my nerves during crunch time.
What went wrong:
. Know when to plan, know when to go with the flow!
I am a rather organized and scheduled person by nature, and its a habit for me to try and schedule everything. One thing that didn't fit my schedule no matter how hard I tried was court/royal timetables. Court ran late, and thus the mood of the gentles eating changed as they desired chitchat time prior to and during the first course. Also I should have checked with the lyst field for lunch, while lunch was set for noon the fighters didn't finish a set till 12:30 thus delaying lunch. In the future, being more flexible during these flux times is key.
. Take more than I need, instead of exactly what I need.
The camp we were using has a good amount of cookware available to be used, but you have to check it all out for loan. I'm always nervous about other peoples gear, so I checked out exactly what I needed instead of a few pieces extra just in case. The idea was to lessen my stress AND have less dishes to wash, except that it turned out I needed extra pots and pans quicker than I had thought. I was scrambling to wash dishes, and later scrambling to get extra pots when I should have been resting. The same goes for milk and creamer, I thought what I had was enough exact but there are a GREAT many more coffee drinkers than I had counted on.
Lessons Learned:
. Planning is good, planning will save your butt! Always give yourself extra time.
. Overprep, don't prep straight to the line. Accidents happen!
. Trimarian's GUZZLE coffee! Bring extra creamer and milk!
. Assume on blah days people will be late, delay food prep fr maximum freshness.
. Always prepare with Crown/Nobles in mind, you never know when they'll surprise you with a visit!
. ALWAYS have things for people to do, they'll be happy to work!
. Don't forget to QUADRUPLE CHECK with the nobles, they have a bad habit of forgetting what thier food preferences are!
. Get extra utenils and bowls, don't get just enough. Have extras is never bad!
. Check if its plugged it, don't be a doofus!
Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while, life has been a whirlwind of things in all of December. Started my new job (which is going GREAT), been helping two friends with moving into a new place and of course all the planning for the feast at Chalice. Now that Chalice is over I can dedicate more time to working on the Queens Tea for Gulf Wars, but that's another post for another day. Today will be covering and talking about the feast itself! It was exciting and one that will stick in my memory for a VERY long time. I had so any people offering help and providing services to me that I can barely remember all their names, and I could never have done all this work and pulled off such a wonderful feast without their support and aid.
So...Hero of the Chalice was my first feast ever!I spent many days and days planning it, testing recipes and checking in with my Laurel to make sure I was on track that when the feast actually rolled in I was pumped and excited. The feast went better than I hoped it would, the hall decor clicked great and everyone really loved the food. Some reactions to the dishes were surprising while others were expected, and everyone left full. I learned a lot of lessons, and was very patiently taught a few others, and this was an overwhelmingly positive experience!
This ended up being my final menu, I was pretty happy with the results. Almost every dish was taken from Plain Faire, a collection of camp recipes assembled by a Laurel in the Kingdom of Drackenwald:
Travelers Faire:
. Verbotene Eintopf
This dish is a dangerous secret, forbidden from use for its potency of flavor. Tender beef roast is slowly stewed with a collection of spices, stoked over a flame and drowned in red wine to provide the perfect introduction to a weekend of merriment.Just don't tell Mistress Madhavi that her apprentice cooked this!
Breakfast:
. Rührei
Eggs are cracked and scrambled, tossed with salt and shredded cheese and served with a side of ground pepper.
. Glasierte Toaste
Loaf bread covered in a freshly scrambled egg glaze, lightly dusted with cinnamon and brown sugar then grilled till light and crispy. Covered with a helping of powdered sugar and maple sauce.
Lunch:
. Zitrone Rindergulasch
A rich and hearty stew, cooked with fresh mixed herbs and peppercorns. The salted lemons provide a sweet twist to complement the dish, and the warm feeling will accompany you through the remainder of the day.
Dinner:
1st Course -
. Brot und Äpfel
Baked loaf bread served with a side of butter (both salted and honey) and freshly cut apples drizzled with a hint of honey.
. Gewürzgurken
Fresh cucumbers sliced and generously coated in salt, pepper, fennel seed and caraway. A light coating of vinegar helps to seal in the flavor and accent the sweetness of the spices as well as the wet crispness of the cucumber.
2nd Course -
. Pilze und Zwiebel Suppe
A clean and warm soup of mushrooms and onions, simmered for hours and stewed generously with saffron and fresh sea salt.
. Frikadellen
Ground beef mixed with bread crumbs, garlic and a pinch of pork belly meat that are rolled into balls and boiled to a juicy finish. Served in a small pool of beef broth.
. Salat
A fresh lettuce and herb salad, lightly dusted with salt. Goes great when eaten either with the meatballs or the mushroom and onion soup.
3rd Course -
. Wurst in Apfelmus
Pork sausages coated in a ground pepper and salt mixture, grilled in a sauce of fresh diced apples. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
. Carbonadoes gegrillt
Grilled beef steaks, covered in a ginger glaze that are coked over open coals. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
. Teigwaren
Lightly boiled pasta, coated with a thin layer of sweet butter. These can be covered in either the fresh green herb sauce or hearty saffron sauce provided with this course, as well as be eaten unadorned.
Dessert -
. Funnelcake
Fried cakes, cooked in a hot oil, shaped into a circular style funnel. Topped off with powdered sugar and happiness.
. Termine Speckmantel
Pitted dates, wrapped in bacon and baked in a warm oven until done. Its bacon, its dates, its amazing.
Of all the dishes, the mushroom and onion soup was the only surprise. I knew the meat portions would do well, as would the bread because who doesn't love fresh bread, but the veracity that they attacked the soup was overwhelming! Everyone got a 9oz portion of soup, and when I got the pot back it had been scraped clean of every last drop!
What went right:
. Pre-planning, dear lord I cannot praise this enough.
Multiple copies of my recipes and schedules saved me many a time, and countless tests of each dish let me know immediately if something was working or not. Keeping my Royals in mind saved me when our Paleo diet King surprised us by dropping in, planning with him in mind I was able to ensure he could eat most dishes in each course.
. Knowing when to trust, and when to do myself was spot on.
I knew I could trust my Hall Steward to handle servers, heralding, decoration and food distribution once it was plated and handed off. All day I had server/seating/decor questions and all day the answer was "speak with my Hall Steward", because I knew I could trust her totally! I also knew that sometimes the quickest route was doing it myself, which I felt safe doing because I trusted the help in my kitchen. Too often I've seen messengers delayed/distracted when the head cook NEEDS and answer, so I resolved this problem by finding the answer myself when it was most important. Its not that I didn't trust them; I just knew the messages would be passed accurately and quickly if I did it, and I trusted my kitchen help to stay to task.
. Mandatory rest!
I scheduled time to rest, which was key to me being successful I feel. I made sure to set time aside for me to sit and eat, to take time to converse with friends and even a small meditation break to calm my nerves. Keeping myself hydrated and rested really helped me steel my nerves during crunch time.
What went wrong:
. Know when to plan, know when to go with the flow!
I am a rather organized and scheduled person by nature, and its a habit for me to try and schedule everything. One thing that didn't fit my schedule no matter how hard I tried was court/royal timetables. Court ran late, and thus the mood of the gentles eating changed as they desired chitchat time prior to and during the first course. Also I should have checked with the lyst field for lunch, while lunch was set for noon the fighters didn't finish a set till 12:30 thus delaying lunch. In the future, being more flexible during these flux times is key.
. Take more than I need, instead of exactly what I need.
The camp we were using has a good amount of cookware available to be used, but you have to check it all out for loan. I'm always nervous about other peoples gear, so I checked out exactly what I needed instead of a few pieces extra just in case. The idea was to lessen my stress AND have less dishes to wash, except that it turned out I needed extra pots and pans quicker than I had thought. I was scrambling to wash dishes, and later scrambling to get extra pots when I should have been resting. The same goes for milk and creamer, I thought what I had was enough exact but there are a GREAT many more coffee drinkers than I had counted on.
Lessons Learned:
. Planning is good, planning will save your butt! Always give yourself extra time.
. Overprep, don't prep straight to the line. Accidents happen!
. Trimarian's GUZZLE coffee! Bring extra creamer and milk!
. Assume on blah days people will be late, delay food prep fr maximum freshness.
. Always prepare with Crown/Nobles in mind, you never know when they'll surprise you with a visit!
. ALWAYS have things for people to do, they'll be happy to work!
. Don't forget to QUADRUPLE CHECK with the nobles, they have a bad habit of forgetting what thier food preferences are!
. Get extra utenils and bowls, don't get just enough. Have extras is never bad!
. Check if its plugged it, don't be a doofus!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)