Our next local SCA event is in less than two weeks, and I am actually going to get to help my house compete! Aside from helping to make donations to largess/war chest, one of the many activities is Siege Cooking:
Siege Cooking Challenge
“Maestra Fiamma the Unquenchable has issued this challenge:
Demonstrate the bounty of your house and bring a period potluck to the Open Tavern, serving at least 10 folks as part of the Tavern Meal that will be served to the populace and provide a complete ingredient list.
The more authentic and period the dish, the higher the score.
Documentation can be as simple as a copy of the original period recipe. Your redaction (interpretation) of the recipe a bonus. No New World ingredients, unless you can document their use within the SCA period.
The winning dish will be worth one War Point.
Please remember to bring your own cooking/heating/serving equipment and to clean up and remove your stuff as soon as the food serving is finished. If you have any questions, I am available for consultation on ideas and sources for period recipe. Please contact me.
How the Judging works: each person attending the tavern (including entrants) will receive a nut, which they may put in a cup by the dish they like best. Certain people (such as Their Excellency’s) will have multiple nuts to award as they see fit. The judge will award additional nuts for authentic and period dish, simple documentation see rule above, your redaction interpretation. See rules above.
Judge / Coordinator: Maestra Fiamma the Unquenchable (fiammetta@aol.com)”
I’ve never taken a medieval recipe and translated it myself, so I thought I would work with something I have some experience in, but try to apply it to an authentic recipe. For Fiamma’s Vigil, I made mini meat pies using this basic recipe:
http://www.godecookery.com/goderec/grec11.htm
That was more like a formula, not a specific recipe though, so I have been curious about exploring those more. In there, it refers to Austin’s Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books which Google quickly helped me find a link to in black and white .pdf format:
Click to access twofifteenthcent00austuoft_bw.pdf
Time to start studying the different options and see what I can come up with before the house meeting on Saturday. I would like to be able to present an actual plan at that point and maybe solicit help. I have an idea for presentation that would be quite amusing and I think the house would be on board.
Since the meat pie can be made ahead of time, and can be served warm or cold, I should be able to still have plenty of free time on site. Looking through the other challenges, another challenge I would like to help with is the Scribal Challenge:
“Iron Ink
You’ve heard of an Iron Needle to test sewing prowess? This year we are testing your scribal skills in an Iron Ink. Bring your scribal kit and demonstrate illumination or calligraphy or both in the creation of a scroll.
Contestants will receive a charter blank and a piece of prose and have 6 hours to complete their piece. Winner will receive a War Point for their House. Remaining pieces will be donated to largess.
Judge / Coordinator: Daigo Tsukime Kitsume”
I have some ideas for incorporating documentable repairs, as that would be part of a scribe’s job, and will definitely make it stand out from the rest. I also recently purchased this tiny book for inspiration when working on scroll painting. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789202166/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It is so tiny, but it travels well. Time to hunt down my calligraphy pen that got packed away a while ago and make myself a scribal kit!
*This was initially published on a different blog and moved here 10/2/25
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