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.
Showing posts with label German. Show all posts
Showing posts with label German. Show all posts
Monday, January 7, 2013
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!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Chalice Feast thingz
So, here is the current up-to-date Chalice Feast menu -
Travelers Dish (Fri night):
Chili (It's gonna be cold most likely, a warm chili will help)
Water
Tea
Breakfast:
Eggs (scambled, plain or with cheese!)
Glazed Toaste
Water
Tea
Coffee
Lunch:
Cold cut sandwiches - Ham or chicken, served on a small roll with mustard and fresh cut onion rings
Pickle spear
Water
Tea
Dinner:
Beverage choices -
. Water
. Tea (sweetened and nonsweetened)
. Lemonade (not period, but popular)
First Course -
. Bread and butter (honey, spiced, plain)
. Apple slices
. Pasta with Saffron and Mace
Second Course -
. Mushroom Onion Soup
. Meatballs with a honey mustard sauce
. Salat
Third Course -
. Sausage in an Apple and Onion sauce
. Barbequed Carbonadoes (various meat selections BBQ'd and spiced)
Fourth Course -
. Funnelcake
. Bacon-wrapped dates
I am doing a Feast for 60 people, so my budget is 600. I may subtract/change dishes as my finances allow, I'll be going and price checking down at Restaurant Depot next weekend. There's a couple things still up in the air that I'm waiting to hear back on that could change the food items a bit, such as if the lunch is including Feast or a fundraising one.
With 60 people being served, I have to add a few more numbers to get my total for food to prepare. High Table is not counted amongst that number, the largest I've seen is 16 so I'll plan for that. I also need to include kitchen staff and servers, to make sure they have enough noms for their service. I'll give that an additional 10, making the total servings needed to account for as 86. Which means I need to spend roughly 6.98 on each person, to maximize my 600 and feed everyone I need to feed. I'm gonna be spending a lot of my free time this weekend on figuring this math out on my portions for each dish so when I price-check I can see how far over/under I am and where I need to adjust.
Gonna be putting out calls for kitchen-staff help and serving help having some confirmed people on my side in advance will really help me avoid extra stress. I'm hoping to find someone to handle Lunch, I don't mind breakfast but that meal in the middle of the day will throw me ff if I have to handle it myself.
I want matching tabards! I know its gonna be a stretch, and not as likely to follow through, but I would LOVE for all my servers to be wearing a matching tabard because it's a good period display. Also, it would look cool. I'm currently shopping around for donations of fabric, is anyone has any they wouldn't mind parting with I'd love to take it off your hands!
Another idea I really wanna do is a fancy presentation for dessert. You know at the end of the Feast, before dessert is called, when they call out the cooking staff and servers to be recognized? I want all my staff to come out and each holding a covered dish. When the thank you's are given and they ask for the dessert to be brought forth, I want the covers to be removed to show that dessert is ready NOW! So they're served immediately, High Table first then the populous.
I dunno, I think it's pretty cool :). This is gonna be an awesome time.
Travelers Dish (Fri night):
Chili (It's gonna be cold most likely, a warm chili will help)
Water
Tea
Breakfast:
Eggs (scambled, plain or with cheese!)
Glazed Toaste
Water
Tea
Coffee
Lunch:
Cold cut sandwiches - Ham or chicken, served on a small roll with mustard and fresh cut onion rings
Pickle spear
Water
Tea
Dinner:
Beverage choices -
. Water
. Tea (sweetened and nonsweetened)
. Lemonade (not period, but popular)
First Course -
. Bread and butter (honey, spiced, plain)
. Apple slices
. Pasta with Saffron and Mace
Second Course -
. Mushroom Onion Soup
. Meatballs with a honey mustard sauce
. Salat
Third Course -
. Sausage in an Apple and Onion sauce
. Barbequed Carbonadoes (various meat selections BBQ'd and spiced)
Fourth Course -
. Funnelcake
. Bacon-wrapped dates
I am doing a Feast for 60 people, so my budget is 600. I may subtract/change dishes as my finances allow, I'll be going and price checking down at Restaurant Depot next weekend. There's a couple things still up in the air that I'm waiting to hear back on that could change the food items a bit, such as if the lunch is including Feast or a fundraising one.
With 60 people being served, I have to add a few more numbers to get my total for food to prepare. High Table is not counted amongst that number, the largest I've seen is 16 so I'll plan for that. I also need to include kitchen staff and servers, to make sure they have enough noms for their service. I'll give that an additional 10, making the total servings needed to account for as 86. Which means I need to spend roughly 6.98 on each person, to maximize my 600 and feed everyone I need to feed. I'm gonna be spending a lot of my free time this weekend on figuring this math out on my portions for each dish so when I price-check I can see how far over/under I am and where I need to adjust.
Gonna be putting out calls for kitchen-staff help and serving help having some confirmed people on my side in advance will really help me avoid extra stress. I'm hoping to find someone to handle Lunch, I don't mind breakfast but that meal in the middle of the day will throw me ff if I have to handle it myself.
I want matching tabards! I know its gonna be a stretch, and not as likely to follow through, but I would LOVE for all my servers to be wearing a matching tabard because it's a good period display. Also, it would look cool. I'm currently shopping around for donations of fabric, is anyone has any they wouldn't mind parting with I'd love to take it off your hands!
Another idea I really wanna do is a fancy presentation for dessert. You know at the end of the Feast, before dessert is called, when they call out the cooking staff and servers to be recognized? I want all my staff to come out and each holding a covered dish. When the thank you's are given and they ask for the dessert to be brought forth, I want the covers to be removed to show that dessert is ready NOW! So they're served immediately, High Table first then the populous.
I dunno, I think it's pretty cool :). This is gonna be an awesome time.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Two possible feast menu's
For the upcoming event when I get to cook for, I must plan out a menu and what foods to serve the populous. I'm torn between 2 options, and well be sitting down with the Autocrat and my teacher at the next event to get opinions on which of the two. I'm going with a German theme of camp cooking, so almost every dish can be traced from that region. But for you faithful readers, you all can get a sneak peek!
Menu #1 - The Carnivore
This menu is selected with the carnivore in mind. It's based around the Paleo diet (the diet my soon-to-be King is on) and is meat heavy as well as trying to use only foods that can be obtained in the wild/not based around agriculture
Breakfast:
Eggs (scrambled with/without mess) - A mess is a wild assortment of items, what was on hand. So I'd offer eggs plain or with onions/mushrooms blended in.
Bacon - I would prefer cured ham steaks, but bacon is most likely cheaper
Apple slices
Water
Coffee
Tea
Lunch:
Cold cut sandwiches - Ham or chicken, served on a small roll with mustards and fresh cut onion rings
Pickle spear
Water
Tea
Dinner:
Beverage choices -
. Water
. Tea (sweetened and nonsweetened)
. Lemonade (not period, but popular)
First Course -
. Bread and butter (spiced and plain)
. Wild Salad
Second Course -
. Mushroom and Onion Soup
. Sausage in an Apple and Onion sauce
Third Course -
. Barbequed Carbonadoes (various meat selections BBQ'd and spiced)
. Shiraziyya
Fourth Course -
. Funnelcake (oh yes, funnelcake is period)
. Sweetened Fruit
. Strawberry Puree
Menu #2 - The Well Balanced
This menu straddles the line. It doesn't favor anyone's particular dietary restrictions/choices, and is just full of things I find yummy!
Breakfast:
Eggs (scambled, plain or messed or with cheese!)
Glazed Toaste
Cinnamon Oatmeal
Water
Tea
Coffee
Lunch:
Cold cut sandwiches - Ham or chicken, served on a small roll with mustards and fresh cut onion rings
Pickle spear
Water
Tea
Dinner:
Beverage choices -
. Water
. Tea (sweetened and nonsweetened)
. Lemonade (not period, but popular)
First Course -
. Bread and butter (honey, spiced, plain)
. Apple slices
Second Course -
. Mushroom Onion Soup
. Meatballs with a cherry sauce
Third Course -
. Pasta with Saffron and Mace
. Barbequed Carbonadoes (various meat selections BBQ'd and spiced)
Fourth Course -
. Funnelcake
. Bacon-wrapped dates
Menu #1 - The Carnivore
This menu is selected with the carnivore in mind. It's based around the Paleo diet (the diet my soon-to-be King is on) and is meat heavy as well as trying to use only foods that can be obtained in the wild/not based around agriculture
Breakfast:
Eggs (scrambled with/without mess) - A mess is a wild assortment of items, what was on hand. So I'd offer eggs plain or with onions/mushrooms blended in.
Bacon - I would prefer cured ham steaks, but bacon is most likely cheaper
Apple slices
Water
Coffee
Tea
Lunch:
Cold cut sandwiches - Ham or chicken, served on a small roll with mustards and fresh cut onion rings
Pickle spear
Water
Tea
Dinner:
Beverage choices -
. Water
. Tea (sweetened and nonsweetened)
. Lemonade (not period, but popular)
First Course -
. Bread and butter (spiced and plain)
. Wild Salad
Second Course -
. Mushroom and Onion Soup
. Sausage in an Apple and Onion sauce
Third Course -
. Barbequed Carbonadoes (various meat selections BBQ'd and spiced)
. Shiraziyya
Fourth Course -
. Funnelcake (oh yes, funnelcake is period)
. Sweetened Fruit
. Strawberry Puree
Menu #2 - The Well Balanced
This menu straddles the line. It doesn't favor anyone's particular dietary restrictions/choices, and is just full of things I find yummy!
Breakfast:
Eggs (scambled, plain or messed or with cheese!)
Glazed Toaste
Cinnamon Oatmeal
Water
Tea
Coffee
Lunch:
Cold cut sandwiches - Ham or chicken, served on a small roll with mustards and fresh cut onion rings
Pickle spear
Water
Tea
Dinner:
Beverage choices -
. Water
. Tea (sweetened and nonsweetened)
. Lemonade (not period, but popular)
First Course -
. Bread and butter (honey, spiced, plain)
. Apple slices
Second Course -
. Mushroom Onion Soup
. Meatballs with a cherry sauce
Third Course -
. Pasta with Saffron and Mace
. Barbequed Carbonadoes (various meat selections BBQ'd and spiced)
Fourth Course -
. Funnelcake
. Bacon-wrapped dates
Thursday, November 17, 2011
SCA Recipe of the day: Glazed Toast
OK, this is part 2 of a combo dish I'm doing for the House meal on December 5th. This part is the Glazed Toast. This is a dish from 14th century Germany, gathered form a collection of camp cook recipes by the wonderful kingdom of Drachenwald (this collection of recipes and more can be found at http://www.drachenwald.sca.org/index_new.php )
The following is the original translation:
Pour faire Tostees dorees, prenez du pain blanc dur et le trenchiez par tostees quarees et les
rostir ung pou sur le grail; et avoir moyeulx d'oeufz batuz et les envelopez tres bien dedans
iceulx moyeulx; et avoir de bon sain chault et les dorer dedans sur le feu tant qu'elles soient
belles et puis les oster dedans la paelle et mettez es platz, et du succre dessus.
The redaction and translation is as follows:
To make glazed toast, slice hard white bread into squares for toast, and roast them lightly on
the grill, and coat them completely with beaten egg yolks; get good hot grease and glaze them
in it on the fire until they are properly glazed; then take them out of the pan and put them on
plates, with sugar over top.
6 slices dry white bread
6 egg yolks (or 2 whole eggs)
oil or butter
sugar
Remove the crust from the bread slices and, if they are not sufficiently dry, lightly toast them before
the fire. Beat the egg yolks. Heat a little oil or butter in a pan, soak the toast slices in the egg and fry
them golden brown on both sides. Serve warm, with sugar sprinkled over the top. This can also be
served with savoury soups, leaving out the sugar.
* * * *
Oh yes, medieval french tost :p. This came out really well, the pre-toasting made these look a touch darker than I'd like but we'll hope that the flavor comes thru just fine. I cut the bread in half to spread the wealth as it were, in hopes that everyone will get a shot to nibble on.
Some of the bread came a little too well done, but that's ok. It tastes very yummy, and the strawberries added on compliments it very well. I'd say another B+
The following is the original translation:
Pour faire Tostees dorees, prenez du pain blanc dur et le trenchiez par tostees quarees et les
rostir ung pou sur le grail; et avoir moyeulx d'oeufz batuz et les envelopez tres bien dedans
iceulx moyeulx; et avoir de bon sain chault et les dorer dedans sur le feu tant qu'elles soient
belles et puis les oster dedans la paelle et mettez es platz, et du succre dessus.
The redaction and translation is as follows:
To make glazed toast, slice hard white bread into squares for toast, and roast them lightly on
the grill, and coat them completely with beaten egg yolks; get good hot grease and glaze them
in it on the fire until they are properly glazed; then take them out of the pan and put them on
plates, with sugar over top.
6 slices dry white bread
6 egg yolks (or 2 whole eggs)
oil or butter
sugar
Remove the crust from the bread slices and, if they are not sufficiently dry, lightly toast them before
the fire. Beat the egg yolks. Heat a little oil or butter in a pan, soak the toast slices in the egg and fry
them golden brown on both sides. Serve warm, with sugar sprinkled over the top. This can also be
served with savoury soups, leaving out the sugar.
* * * *
Oh yes, medieval french tost :p. This came out really well, the pre-toasting made these look a touch darker than I'd like but we'll hope that the flavor comes thru just fine. I cut the bread in half to spread the wealth as it were, in hopes that everyone will get a shot to nibble on.
Some of the bread came a little too well done, but that's ok. It tastes very yummy, and the strawberries added on compliments it very well. I'd say another B+
SCA Recipe of the day: Strawberry Puree
OK, this is part 1 of a combo dish I'm doing for the House meal on December 5th. This part is the puree of strawberries. his is a dish from 14th century Germany, gathered form a collection of camp cook recipes by the wonderful kingdom of Drachenwald (this collection of recipes and more can be found at http://www.drachenwald.sca.org/index_new.php )
The original translation is as follows:
Item Schlah Erper durch mit weissem prot vnd mit hönigk, vnd thue essich vnd wein
daran vnd guot gewürcz. Das haist ein Erper muoß.
The translation and redaction from the text are as follows:
Pass strawberries through a sieve with white bread and honey, and add vinegar and wine and
good spices. That is called strawberry puree.
500g (1 lb) strawberries
1-2 slices white bread
honey
white wine vinegar
dry wine
spices (ginger,pepper, cloves)
Even if you do not have a sieve, strawberries mash easily. Boil them with a dash of vinegar and/or
wine and add the white bread, torn into small pieces, to thicken the dish. Stir constantly to prevent it
from burning until the bread has completely dissolved. You can pass the puree threough a sieve or
foodmill if you want it to be particularly smooth. Remove it from the fire and add honey and spices
to taste. It can be served hot or cold.
* * * *
OK, I don't have a sieve...but I do have my guest assistant to help me mash up all the strawberries! Meet my special assistant Juliana:
She's helped me make butter before, but now she's giving me guidance on mashing strawberries and even taking a hand in it herself :p The strawberries mashed well, I added the vinegar and dry white wine (called Prosecco for those curious) for preservation and cooking purposes.
Oh man, all the stirring. I think I stirred for almost 20 minutes, I have several lovely burns on my hand and face but I feel it was worth it! I added a pinch of cinnamon and clove for the smell, along with the rest of the spices. Man oh man does it smell good and it tastes pretty good too. Definetly something I'd serve on the side of instead as a whole dish. B+ from me!
The original translation is as follows:
Item Schlah Erper durch mit weissem prot vnd mit hönigk, vnd thue essich vnd wein
daran vnd guot gewürcz. Das haist ein Erper muoß.
The translation and redaction from the text are as follows:
Pass strawberries through a sieve with white bread and honey, and add vinegar and wine and
good spices. That is called strawberry puree.
500g (1 lb) strawberries
1-2 slices white bread
honey
white wine vinegar
dry wine
spices (ginger,pepper, cloves)
Even if you do not have a sieve, strawberries mash easily. Boil them with a dash of vinegar and/or
wine and add the white bread, torn into small pieces, to thicken the dish. Stir constantly to prevent it
from burning until the bread has completely dissolved. You can pass the puree threough a sieve or
foodmill if you want it to be particularly smooth. Remove it from the fire and add honey and spices
to taste. It can be served hot or cold.
* * * *
OK, I don't have a sieve...but I do have my guest assistant to help me mash up all the strawberries! Meet my special assistant Juliana:
She's helped me make butter before, but now she's giving me guidance on mashing strawberries and even taking a hand in it herself :p The strawberries mashed well, I added the vinegar and dry white wine (called Prosecco for those curious) for preservation and cooking purposes.
Oh man, all the stirring. I think I stirred for almost 20 minutes, I have several lovely burns on my hand and face but I feel it was worth it! I added a pinch of cinnamon and clove for the smell, along with the rest of the spices. Man oh man does it smell good and it tastes pretty good too. Definetly something I'd serve on the side of instead as a whole dish. B+ from me!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
SCA Recipie of the Day: Sausage and Apples with Onions
This is a dish from 14th century Germany, gathered form a collection of camp cook recipes by the wonderful kingdom of Drachenwald (this collection of recipes and more can be found at http://www.drachenwald.sca.org/index_new.php )
The original translation follows as such:
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.
The redaction and translation provided by the chef is as follows:
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.
4-6 bratwurst sausages
2-3 apples
2-3 onions
butter or oil for frying
salt
pepper
If you like smoky flavour, you can suspend the sausages over the fire for a while before you prepare
them. Peel, core and dice the apples, peel and dice the onions. Fry the sausages in a pan. Once they
are browned, add the apples and onions and cook the whole till they soften and the sausages are
done. Season to taste – salt and pepper only are fine.
* * * * *
I am sadly not cooking over an open fire (yet) so I will be adding a touch of liquid smoke to try and emulate the flavor. I'll also be reducing the recipe for one person, so only 1 sausage and less on the onions and apples.
By the by, I find I remember how much I HATE peeling vegetables and fruit during this. Alas. The sausage is browning nicely and a wonderful smell is drifting through the kitchen of cooking meat. I added the apples and onions and turned it down a touch, I added a pinch of cinnamon on impulse so we'll hope it goes well over with the whole dish! I went ahead and chopped the sausage up halfway through the cooking process, it seemed to make sense to me that that's how they would serve such a dish so I did an early cut to increase saturation of the juice and flavors into the meat.
OK, meal is off the stove-top and boy-oh-boy does it look yummy. I like my sausage a little blackened so I cooked mine a touch longer than you normally would, but man does it smell heavenly.
...
OK, wow. Like...this is amazing. The apple/cinnamon/onion combo blends so well with the smoked flavors and salt/pepper of the sausage. Its like a party in my mouth, and everyone's invited! The onion and apple are soft and smooth and glide down the throat with the cooked meat, mixing perfectly with the whole dish. This...oh fuck I need to make this more often!
Seeing as mustard was a pretty standard German/period condiment I went ahead and added a bit of the only kind I have in the house (spicy brown, for those curious). I do say the mustard compliments this dish amazingly well, but the spiciness of the mustard distracted from the rich flavor off the apples and onions. Maybe a honey mustard or a standard brown would go better with this, but I would recommend against the spicy brown as it takes away from the flavors already added.
The only drawback I see with this is I will have an abundance of the onion/apple sauce left over after the meat is consumed. I'm told that traditionally that would be saved for other dishes to use as a baster or a marinade, and I believe it! A definite A+ from me folks, do try this one at home whenever you get a chance.
The original translation follows as such:
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.
The redaction and translation provided by the chef is as follows:
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.
4-6 bratwurst sausages
2-3 apples
2-3 onions
butter or oil for frying
salt
pepper
If you like smoky flavour, you can suspend the sausages over the fire for a while before you prepare
them. Peel, core and dice the apples, peel and dice the onions. Fry the sausages in a pan. Once they
are browned, add the apples and onions and cook the whole till they soften and the sausages are
done. Season to taste – salt and pepper only are fine.
* * * * *
I am sadly not cooking over an open fire (yet) so I will be adding a touch of liquid smoke to try and emulate the flavor. I'll also be reducing the recipe for one person, so only 1 sausage and less on the onions and apples.
By the by, I find I remember how much I HATE peeling vegetables and fruit during this. Alas. The sausage is browning nicely and a wonderful smell is drifting through the kitchen of cooking meat. I added the apples and onions and turned it down a touch, I added a pinch of cinnamon on impulse so we'll hope it goes well over with the whole dish! I went ahead and chopped the sausage up halfway through the cooking process, it seemed to make sense to me that that's how they would serve such a dish so I did an early cut to increase saturation of the juice and flavors into the meat.
OK, meal is off the stove-top and boy-oh-boy does it look yummy. I like my sausage a little blackened so I cooked mine a touch longer than you normally would, but man does it smell heavenly.
...
OK, wow. Like...this is amazing. The apple/cinnamon/onion combo blends so well with the smoked flavors and salt/pepper of the sausage. Its like a party in my mouth, and everyone's invited! The onion and apple are soft and smooth and glide down the throat with the cooked meat, mixing perfectly with the whole dish. This...oh fuck I need to make this more often!
Seeing as mustard was a pretty standard German/period condiment I went ahead and added a bit of the only kind I have in the house (spicy brown, for those curious). I do say the mustard compliments this dish amazingly well, but the spiciness of the mustard distracted from the rich flavor off the apples and onions. Maybe a honey mustard or a standard brown would go better with this, but I would recommend against the spicy brown as it takes away from the flavors already added.
The only drawback I see with this is I will have an abundance of the onion/apple sauce left over after the meat is consumed. I'm told that traditionally that would be saved for other dishes to use as a baster or a marinade, and I believe it! A definite A+ from me folks, do try this one at home whenever you get a chance.
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