Section II - SCA Documentation Index

How to Research a Feast
Doing the Documentation for A&S Competition
Whether you are cooking for fun or cooking for a feast you should have some basis in historical fact. I love to create new dishes and I have presented quite a few at feast, that have been created in the style of the era. This article was written with A&S competitions in mind, but you can relate most of the information here to researching a period recipe.

This is primarily a discussion on what I, as a A&S judge looked for in documentation and what I, as a A&S participant, did right or wrong. I have tried to give a few helpful hints, some thou should nots, and some discussion on sources.

   1. You should always show how you developed your idea.
Maybe show early efforts, even early failures.
Show where you obtained your original idea and how it changed as you progressed through the project.
Do not do a project, decide it was good enough to put into a competition, and then start researching.
This is the way most projects are done, but you should be aware that research is supposed to come first, not last.


    2. Show how you developed your idea into a working item/plan.
Record as much as possible all the steps you took to produce your item.
Did you make the item from scratch?
Did you grow the fruit or plants yourself?
Did you start with raw materials?
Growing your own Herb's, spinning your own thread to make the cloth you wove, etc. will earn extra points.


    3. The biggest failing of most entries, is the lack of documentation.
I have seen people do beautiful pieces of work, write three lines of documentation which said little and then were disappointed when their documentation points were relatively low.
In the case of documentation more really is better.
Also be aware that judges will be reading the documentation, so you should organize it with the most significant research first.
Don't just copy the book you found the information in.
Write it out, tell why, when and how.
Keep it as concise as possible.
Don't make the judges wade through unnecessary information to get to the documentation.
If they are in a hurry they could miss it, and not give you all the points you deserve.


Primary Sources: A primary source is an item that was made in period.
You can use a written description of an item that was written by someone who lived in period.
This is where you demonstrate to the judges that an item was used in the Middle Ages.
The item should be the basis of your own work, this is what you are trying to recreate.
Try to find as good a picture, photograph or drawing of the original item, if possible.


Secondary Sources: Line drawings or descriptions of the items by a contemporary scholar.
These are not as good as primary sources because they generally have some conjuncture or interpretation on the part of the author to prove an academic point or concept.



Tertiary Sources: These are papers or research that uses secondary sources for their basis. Unfortunately, this publication fits that category very well, as do most SCA Publications.


If SCA publications are not considered good sources for documentation what good are they?
Most of them have a decent bibliography in the back.
It is a way in which to develop your ideas.
They are a place to start.
You can find other members of the SCA that are interested in your field of endeavor.


    4. Showing your research to a judge. Type it out when possible.
Be organized, show how you did your project step by step, don't skip around.
Have clear concise points. Add copies of your sources.
Do not give conflicting documentation or sources with opposing points of view, show what you did and why.
Do not give lengthy papers on why you agree or disagree with a particular source.
If you agree with it, add it.
If you disagree with it, leave it out.
State the facts and let the judges draw their own conclusions about the work.
Do not give theory that you can not back up with actual data.
Show the sources that allowed you to develop your idea.
Example: I went to an event and saw a gown I really liked, so when I went home I sketched a gown that I wanted to make.
Then I found other drawings (secondary sources) and modified my design to include box pleating.
I then decided that I should be looking at period documentation,
so I went through some old masters paintings and found a picture by Holbien (1500) that was close to what I wanted, but also had some design differences.
I picked out what I wanted to use design wise and the patterns changed again.
There was a progression to this outfit and I needed to show that progression step by step.
if you will note, the documentation and pattern building came before the outfit was cut out.


    5. Materials and Construction.
After you have a basic design or idea, you need to show what materials you used.
Did you make your own pattern?
Did you spin your own thread?
Is what you are using available for use in that time and country?
Construction methods also are important.
Did you grow your own Herb's, did you have to prepare them before using?
Is it a whole piece or did you do the project in stages?


    6. Present your project in as pleasing a manner as possible.
Presentation does count. Good first impressions go a long way.


    7. Judges Observations.
This is a small part of the score, but you should keep the judge in mind.
Negative, pushy, conclusive writing will not win points.
Assume that they know what you are talking about, they are supposed to know what the art encompasses.
Don't talk or write down.
Your judge is not a child and should be considered your equal.
Don't leave out vital information.
Don't hover over a piece, the judges aren't supposed to know who is presenting the work.
Note: Anonymity is sometimes not possible, such as when you must model a costume for judging.


    8. Don't get bent out of shape if you aren't dubbed the greatest new talent ever on your very first try at a A&S competition. Sometimes you need to go to competition just so you know what to expect next time. Also, judges who judge more then one year like to see people coming back again with improvements. Try to take what the judges write with a grain of salt, they are trying to give positive feedback which may not come across that way to someone who has not been given a first place. Keep your perspective, believe in your abilities and talents. Everyone has horror stories, I know that I do, but I keep trying.


    9. If you get a first place at the Regional level your work is expected to go to Kingdom Level. If you get a second place you may elect to go to Kingdom and you may correct any documentation mistakes the judges pointed out, before that time. Its generally a 4 to 6 week period before the next round. Good luck.

For Feast
You should try to read as many period cookbooks as possible. I have included a list of books where you can begin your research. You need to get a feel for the way that food was prepared in the Middle Ages. I get the feeling from the language used and the way in which they present their food, that the kitchen, albeit a productive place, is one in which the cooks and the food are engaged in mortal combat. And that every time a dish is presented for approval, the cooks have won. They persevered through famines, rotten ingredients, unsanitary slaughtering conditions, and primitive utensils. The process of producing all that food with out modern conveniency is labor intensive, back breaking, and in general hard work.

Bibliography
These are books with which to start your documentation or quest for the perfect recipe.
Cook Books Written In Period - Primary Sources

    A COLLECTION OF MEDIEVAL & RENAISSANCE COOKBOOKS edited by TG Cariadoc of the Bow and Diana Alene

    A FIFTEENTH CENTURY COOKRY, John L Anderson. (1430 to 1450)

    A NOBLE BOKE OFF COOKERY FOR A PRYNCE HOUSSOLDE, Mrs. Alexander Napier, ed. Written about 1467, similar to Forme of Cury.

    A PROPER NEWE BOOKE OF COKERYE editor Catherine Frances Frere, (written before 1575)

    ANTIQUITATES CULINARIAE; OR, CURIOUS TRACTS RELATING TO THE CULINARY AFFAIRS OF THE OLD ENGLISH WITH A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, notes and illus. Richard Warner (1763-1857)

    CURYE ON INGLYSCH HIEATT, Constance & Sharon Butler. Oxford University Press 14th century English recipes.

    DELIGHTES FOR LADIES by Sir Hugh Plat (1609)

    A DELIGHTFUL DAILY EXERCISE FOR LADIES AND GENTLE WOMEN, John Murrell, 1621.

    A NEW BOOKE OF COOKERIE, John Murrell, 1615

    EARLY ENGLISH RECIPES, Sir Stephen Caselee, from the Harleian ms. of 1430. Small collection

    LEVIANDIER DE TAILLEVENT: 14TH CENTURY COOKERY; James Prescott Editor

    STERE HTT WELL: A BOOK OF MEDIEVAL REFINEMENTS, RECIPES AND REMEDIES From a manuscript in Samuel Pepy's Library. MMS Pepys 1047 late 15th Cent.

    TAKE A THOUSAND EGGS OR MORE, VOLS 1 & 2; Renfrow, Cindy.

    THE BABEE'S BOOK; MEDIEVAL MANNERS FOR THE YOUNG; done into Modern English from Dr. Furnivall's Text's.

    THE CLOSET OPENED by Sir Kenelme Digbie (1669)

    THE FORME OF CURY editor Gustavus Brander, attributed to the Mastercooks of Richard II (1390)

    THE GOOD HUSWIFES HANDMAIDE FOR THE KITCHIN, edited by Stuart Peachey.

    THE GOOD HUSWIFES JEWELL by Thomas Dawson (1596-97)

    THE SECOND PART OF THE GOOD HUSWIVES JEWEL, Thomas Dawson, (1597).

    THE GOODMAN OF PARIS editor GG Coulton and Eileen Power; (Le Menagier de Paris) For the young wife of a middle class Parisian. (1393)

    TWO ANGLO-NORMAN CULINARY COLLECTIONS Edited from British Library Manuscripts Additional 32085 and Royal 12.Cxii; Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame

    TWO FIFTEENTH CENTURY COOKERY BOOKS, T. Austin from 1888 edition

Cookbooks using period recipes, with a modern version Some Primary Sources with Secondary Commentary

   CHRISTMAS FEAST FROM HISTORY Sass, Lora. J. The Met. Museum of Art. 1976.

   COOKING AND RECIPES FROM ROME TO THE RENAISSANCE, Richard Barber

    FOOD FOR THE EMPEROR, Recipes of Imperial Chin with a dictionary of Chinese Cuisine, John D. Keys. Some period information.

    COOKING THROUGH THE AGES, J.R. Ainsworth-Davis, Secondary Source

    DINING WITH WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE; Lorwin, Madge. Atheneum. 1976.

    DINNER WITH TOM JONES, Lorna Sass

    COLUMBUS MENU, ITALIAN CUISINE AFTER THE FIRST VOYAGE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, Stefano Milioni

    EARLY FRENCH COOKERY: sources, history, original recipes and modern adaptations, D. Eleanor Scully, Terence Scully.

    ENGLISH BREAD AND YEAST COOKERY, Elizabeth David

    A BEGINNER'S BOOK OF RECEIPTS FOR THE CURRENT MIDDLE AGES. 25 recipes from England and France in the 14th and 15th Centuries.

    FOOD AND COOKING IN MEDIEVAL BRITAIN. Black, Maggie. English Heritage.

    FOOD OF THE BARDS Roberts, Enid. Image Publishers, 1982. A "period Welsh" cookbook

    GREAT COOKS AND THEIR RECIPES From Taillevent to Escoffier Willan, Anne.

    Kanz al-fawaid fi tanwi al-mawaid MEDIEVAL ARAB, ISLAMIC CULINARY ART, Manuela Marin and David Waines.

    LIBRE DEL COCH: TRACTAT DE CUINA MEDIEVAL, Robert Mestre (Spain medieval)

    PLEYN DELIT, Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler.. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.1979. 14th & 15th century recipes with the complete original recipe and a modern redaction.

    SALLETS, HUMBLES & SHREWSBERY CAKES. Beebe, Ruth Anne. David R. Godine. 1976. A collection of Elizabethan Recipes adapted for the modern kitchen.

    SAVORING THE PAST. The French Kitchen and Table from 1300 to 1789. Wheaton, Barbara Ketcham.

    THE ENGLISH MEDIEVAL FEAST; William Edward Mead

    THE MEDIEVAL COOKBOOK. Black, Maggie. Thames & Hudson. 1992.

    THE ORIGINAL MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE: Medieval recipes for today. Santich, Barbara. Prospect Books.

    THE SEVEN CENTURIES OF ENGLISH COOKING, From Richard II to Elizabeth II. Maxime McKendry;

    TO THE KING'S TASTE, Sass, Lora. J. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1976.

    TO THE QUEEN'S TASTE, Sass, Lora. J. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1976.

Cookbooks about period cooking without period recipes Secondary Sources at Best

    THE DELECTABLE PAST Aresty, Esther B.. Simon & Schuster. 1964.

    FABULOUS FEASTS. Cosman, Madeliene Pelner. George Brazlier. 1976.

    OLDE ENGLISHE RECIPES, Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, 15th to 19th Cent.

    RECIPES OF OLD ENGLAND, B.N. Bessunger

    COOKING AND EATING: A PICTORIAL HISOTRY WITH RECIPES. Katie Stewart

    HOLY FEAST AND HOLY FAST - THE RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF FOOD TO MEDIEVAL WOMEN, Caroline Walker Bynum.

Books about Food, preparation, etc. - May have recipes, but not the focus of the book.

   THE ART OF DINING: A HISTORY OF COOKING AND EATING, Sara Paston-Williams.

   A TASTE OF HISOTRY: 10,000 YEARS OF FOOD IN BRITAIN, Peter Brears

   BANQUETTING STUFF Wilson, C. Anne. (ed). Edinburgh University Press. 1990.

   CONSUMING PASSIONS: A HISTORY OF ENGLISH FOOD AND APPETITE. Philippa Pullar

   THE COOK'S TALES: ORIGINS OF FAMOUS FOODS AND RECIPES, Lee Edwards Benning

   FAST AND FEAST: FOOD IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY; Bridget Ann Henisch; Food and habits in the 15th Cent. No recipes.

   FOOD AND DRINK IN BRITAIN From the Stone Age to Recent Times; Wilson, C. Anne. Penguin. 1984.

   ALL MANNERS OF FOOD: EATING AND TASTE IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE PRESENT; Stephen Menell

   FOOD AND DRINK IN BRITAIN. C. Anne Wilson

   FOOD AND FEAST IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND. Hammond, P.A. Alan Sutton. 1993.

   FOOD IN HISTORY. Tannahill, Reay. Stein and Day.1973.

   A HANDBOOK OF ANGLO-SAXON FOOD and A SECOND HANDBOOK OF ANGLO-SAXON FOOD & DRINK: PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION. Hagen, Ann. Processing and Consumption. Anglo-Saxon Books, Nisslwawx, England. 1992.

   HISTORY OF FOOD. Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne. Blackwell. 1992.

   Kitchen and Table, Colin Clair

   MRS. GROUNDES-PEACE'S COOKERY NOTEBOOK. Discussions of English food history, table equipment

   OLD COOK BOOKS: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, Eric Quayle

   OLD COOKERY BOOKS AND ANCIENT CUISINE, W. Carew Hazlitt, Secondary Source

   ON FOOD AND COOKING; THE SCIENCE AND LORE OF THE KITCHEN; Harold McGee

   TALES OF THE TABLE Norman, Barbara.. Prentice-Hall. 1972.

   WHY WE EAT WHAT WE EAT: HOW THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE NEW WORLD AND THE OLD CHANGED THE WAY EVERYONE ON THE PLANET EATS, Richard Sokolov.

Cookbooks published within the SCA Mostly from the Middle Kingdom

   DELAYED DESSERTS, Johnna Hawkins Holloway, SCA Pub

   IN SERVICE TO OUR MIDDLES, The Midrealm book of feast and foods, edited by Duchess Caellyn.

   THE COMPLETE DAGGER LICKIN GOOD, Mistress T'Sivia ba Tamara V'Aberview.

   HOW TO COOK FORSOOTHLY, Mistress Kathrine de Baillie du Chat.

   JOURNEY FOOD, by Lady Annyse Lionstone

   MEDIEVAL FEASTING by Lady Elspeth Margaret of Brynnae Sea and Herbs and Uses by Lady Sammantha La Chatte Du Soir of Mag Mor Nice little cookbook, no original recipes.

   A MISCELLANY by Their Graces Cariadoc of the Bow & Diana Alene

   SCA KITCHEN MANAGEMENT by Lady Annyse Lionstone

   THE HONEY BOOK, for Pooh's Everywhere, by Lady Annyse Lionstone

   THE LION'S GATE COOK BOOK OF THE MIDDLE AGES, This is a guild's publication, from the Shire of Lion's Gate, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

   THE PETER PIEMAN PIE BOOK, by Lady Annyse Lionstone

Traditional and Ethnic CookBooks These are not period but seem to be SCA acceptable

   CELTIC COOKBOOK: 156 TRADITIONAL RECIPES FROM THE 6 CELTIC NATIONS, Helen Smith-Twiddy.

   THE FRUGAL GOURMET CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS, Jeff Smith

   THE FRUGAL GOURMET ON OUR IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS, Jeff Smith

   THE ART OF ITALIAN COOKING, Giuliano Bugialli

   GUNDEL'S HUNGARIAN COOKBOOK, Karoly Gundel, translated by Agnes Kadar. Kner Printing House, Bekesesaba, 1986.

Other Sources

   A CONFERENCE ON CURRENT RESEARCH IN CULINARY HISTORY--SOURCES, TOPICS, AND METHODS: PROCEEDINGS: A CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY THE SCHLESINGER LIBRARY OF RADCLIFFE COLLEGE AND THE CULINARY HISTORIANS OF BOSTON, RADCLIFFE COLLEGE, JUNE 14-16 1985, edited by Jillian Strang, Bonnie Brown, and Patricia Kelly.

   A GODE COOKE'S GLOSSARIE, compiled by Susan J. Evans c. 1984. A must if you are translating recipes from the middle ages.

Some tips on deciphering period recipes.

   1. Get as close to the original recipe as you can. Reprints can sometimes take liberties, such as correcting the English translation. The word Almaynne is sometimes translated as almond when it really means Germany. Almond by the way has nine variations of spellings, that is that I know about and remarked upon. I recommend getting a good glossary.

   2. Find similar period recipes and see what they do differently and what they do alike. As today, recipes change drastically from region to region. Experiment with the various recipes until you find a combination that you like.

   3. Find a modern recipe for a dish that is similar and compare that to your period recipe. Is there a step in the modern version that is not explained in the original? Is that step necessary? Some of the methods were not written down, because it was assumed that the head cook would instruct apprentices in the proper methods of curing, soaking, baking etc. Many period cook books have no recipes for bread assuming everyone knew how to bake bread. This line of thinking leads to gaps in the recipes, by looking up a modern equivalent you can sometimes figure out what those gaps are, and how to deal with them.

   4. Decide which of the period methods you are going to use. Are you starting with dried or smoked meat or are you going to start with fresh meat? Remember that if you start with a modern product for dried meat that what you get may not be the same as if you started with meat you dried yourself. Grinding all ingredients and spices into a paste will give you a different type of meat pie then if you merely chopped all the ingredients really small.

   5. Don't be afraid to combine recipes, or to use substitutes for some of the ingredients. Period cooks would have used what was in season and what was available. When planning your feast you should look to recipes that suit the season that we are in. Not only can you get a seasonal flavor in your feast, you will also save money on the ingredients.

   6. Regional Cooking - If you are doing an ethnic feast you need to research types of food, regional growing and harvest seasons, and locality taste. Serving honey butter for bread at a Mediterranean feast would be as out of place as olive oil for dipping bread, would be at an English feast.

Date Line ~ What was in use when

This chart outlines some of the new world/old world foods. You might find it helpful when looking at ingredients and planning a redaction of a recipe. This is not a complete list and is meant to be a basic guide, meaning there is still research to be done.

Ingredient	Location	Date	Miscellaneous Notes
Allspice	New World	1621
Baking Soda	America	1840	Not used in period
Baking Powder	America	18th Cent. Late	Not used in period
Banana	Cyprus	Ancient
Bilberry	Native to Old World
Blueberry	Hybrid of Bilberry, America 1910		No period recipes, but an acceptable substitute for bilberries
Beans - Soy	Old World
Broad	Old World
Fava	Old World
Haricot	Old World
French	Old World
Kidney	Old World
Lima	New World
Sieva	New World
Rangoon	New World
Madagascar	New World
Butter	New World
Burma	New World
Pole	New World
Curry	New World
Navy	New World
Snap	New World
String	New World
Common	New World
Frijoles	New World
Coffee	Abyssinia	Ancient	Out of Period for European Feast
	Italy	1615	Late period for Islamic Feast
	Paris	1647
	England	1650
	Turkey	1592
Corn			A generic term for grain, creating some confusion when researching. Corn is mentiioned early in European text, but is not maize.
Corn Starch			not used in period
Corn Syrup			Not used in period
Cranberry	Native to Old and New Worlds		No period recipes. Modern version is a hybrid
Cocoa	Enfland	1604-1650
	Spain	1500's
Chocolate	England	1670-1681
Guava	India	1500's
Gourds	Italy	Pre 1492
	Islam	Pre-1492
Molasses Medical name: Treacle	England	Late 1600's	By product of refining sugar. Very late period. Used medicinally, but did not get used as a sweetener until there was a surplus.
Maize	America	1555	Not well liked as a food, grown as an exotic
	European Herbals	1539	Also grown for animal feed. No period recipes.
	Germany	1542
Potato, Sweet	Spain	1587	Aphrodisiac
	Portugal	1587
	China	1560
Potato, ordinary	Italy	1585
	England	1619
Peppers Hot and Sweet	England	1548	No period recipe
	Spain	1493	Not in common use
	Italy	1527	No period references of them served at feast
	Turkey	1569
Peanuts	New World		No uses prior to 18th Century
Pineapple	India	16th cent
Pumpkin	Europe	16th cent
Squash	Europe	1542
Tea	China	Prehistory	Out of period for European and Islamic Feast
	Dutch	1610	In period for Chinese and Japanese Feast
	England	1644	Ice Tea is a modern invention
Turkey		1555	Sometimes confused in cookbooks with guinea fowl
Tomatoes	Venice	1544	Our of period for Northern Europe
	Spain and Italy	1500's on	Late period for Southern Europe
	Enfland	1604	Considered Poisonous in Americas
Vanilla	New World	1662