Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. The trip was fun. A write up will be forthcoming.

For ysabella_dolfin

1. What virtue do you think is most overrated?
Chastity :-)

2. Which vice is your favorite?
A toss up between Lust, Gluttony and Sloth … of course combining the three is particularly good :-)

3. Which feast that you have done in the past is your favorite (that you were Exec Chef for), and why was it your favorite?
Hmmmm … well, the first one I ever did had the best hall. It was in the refectory of a seminar; long wood tables with benches, the high table on a dias, high beamed ceilings, and a good kitchen.
The feast for the Heraldic Symposium was fun to think up … dishes based on the names of all the Principal Heralds.
The Marco Polo Feast was extravagent… an Italian course, a Middle Eastern course, an India course and a Chinese course … but from what I know now, I doubt the accuracy of the dishes. We had a huge map on the wall of his route, a person being Marco Polo and engaging the diners, Indian temple dancers and a Chinese musician.
The last one I did for Collegium where I made no compromises for the diners was good too … if you don’t like pig, don’t eat this feast. Vegetarians will not be catered to. That was also the one where the first course was an Olla Pordida, a one pot meal served as three dishes.
All feasts have their high and low lights, but there isn’t one in particular that is my favorite.

4. If you could give me one piece of advice to help me navigate treacherous "You are toxic and a detriment to the kingdom" waters... what would it be?
Joke ‘em if they can’t take a fuck :-)
This has certainly not been the way you want to learn these things, but you’re learned 1) when given the choice, you take the high road; and 2) who your real friends are.

5. The cooks play days at W/AT are so much fun and so well attended... do you have some things you would like to see us doing at Kingdom local events that we are not currently doing?
Foodie things I assume … the schedules are too full at Crowns, Coronets, Coronations and Investitures to add anything more. That’s why I like doing the food stuff at wars … there’s nothin’ much to do if you don’t fight. We did do a cooks playdate at a Caldarium event last Spring. They had a sight with the permanent BBQ pits that made it easy to set up. So, small local events are good for the playdate format, which I like lots because we can get into a much more period cooking technique.
I don’t think that the grand potluck on the Eric for Saturday dinner is a good idea. As I said, the schedules for Crowns, Coronets, Coronations and Investitures are too full to add something that takes that much coordination and set up. However, more people dining on tableau like we do in St. Teresa, and like the cooks did for West An Tir is good. It is a practical demonstration of one way that people dined in period. So, even for those who don’t like to cook, knowing how people ate may be of interest, since everybody eats.
Just as I like the occasional non period dance or non period song at an SCA event, I don’t object too much to the occasional non period food (s’mores are a fav) but working toward the expectation of at least peri-oid food if not period food at events from most people, not just the culinary community, would be a nice thing. For example, while a Queen’s Tea is a totally out of period concept, if most of the refreshments served were vaguely period, it would be nice. If the Saucy Wench (or its ilk) is set up again, period or peri-oid bar snacks would be nice. I don’t expect everyone to be as into food as me, but making an effort at period food along with your effort at period clothes would be nice.


For Sarah Bellem

1. You're a foodie and you're a San Franciscan, and you've been in the SCA for ages and have multiple peerages, but what do you feel most represents who you are, but people tend to overlook?
My work friends probably overlook lots of what I think most represents me, but that’s because I keep work life and the rest of life fairly separate.
For my chosen friends, I don’t think much gets overlooked :-) I keep my modern political and religious opinions to myself much of the time, but I will discuss them when prompted or provoked :-)

2. You're a toon, what do you look like? (Animal, human, some combination thereof?) Do you have superpowers?
A critter … cute, cuddly and scary. Maybe a bear. I’m not graceful enough for a cat.
Superpowers besides yummy food and making people smooch? Jedi mind tricks would get rid of any arguments :-)

3. What is your least favorite thing about being a peer?
Meetings :-)

4. Someone offers you the chance to be Queen again, would you take it?
Depends on who is offering, but probably not. Reigning is way fun, but it would be awfully stressful on my sweetie. When I reigned before I did it mostly on my own. Radnor and Jade were both otherwise occupied for most of the reigns and I was living on my own so I could throw myself completely into the job without it having repercussions on anyone else. Of course, I had lots of help both times … not claiming I was a one woman show, but I am saying there was no one at home depending on me to focus on life outside of being Queen. Now there is.
Although the ability to give Y-sabella the QOG she has so obviously earned in the past few months would be a treat.

5. You're my Laurel Mom... What advice would you give to me? Can be in general, or specific to the SCA, school, life, whatever. :)
As my sweetie says, have fun, make stuff :-)
If it isn’t fun, don’t do it. Be considerate and tolerant, but stick to your principals. Try to be your definition of an admirable person.


For dave_orphal

1. Describe what a perfect day would be like.
My birthday two years ago makes a pretty good effort at that; time with my sweetie, yummy food and a boat ride on the bay ... http://j-i-m-r.livejournal.com/2007/11/25/

2. What you think your 10-year-old self would have described as a perfect day?
I think we were living in Berkeley then. I hadn’t yet discovered boats or the SCA. My parents were still married to each other … so … It would probably be a day at camp. My mom was camp director for the Camp Fire Girls camp outside Nevada City then, so we spent all summer at camp. I knew all the secret trails through the woods and where all the strange critters were and the best blackberry patches. I could spend hours swimming in the lake, or panning for fool’s gold in the creeks, or hiking or riding horses. Camp fires and roasting marshmallows. Making all kinds of craft stuff.

3. Why boats?
That’s like “why air?” … because they are necessary to my well being. It has been noted by others when observing me in a boat (which is rare, since I prefer one person boats) that the look I get on a boat is one of total contentment. It is my preferred mode of connecting with nature. The wind and the waves will do with you as they will and you can go along for the ride, fight it or tame it.

4. What is the best thing about living in San Francisco?
It is home. Exciting yet familiar. Breathtakingly beautiful at times. Frequently entertaining.

5. When Andrew makes your heart go pitter-pat, what has he just done?
When he gets that “I’m such a lucky guy” glint in his eye with the smile that goes with it and I know through to my core that I’m the lucky one.

For SirJade

1. If you were given a magical tome that would allow you to know everything from start to finish about just one subject, what would you pick, and what would you do with the knowledge?
If the knowledge included persuasive arguments to make my points clear to those who have a cultural pre-disposition to disagree with my position, it would be “how the education of girls will benefit all societies, particularly developing ones”. Since over population is one of the main causes of most of the world’s ills, and the education of girls is the most productive way to decrease the number of births while also decreasing infant and maternal mortality, it seems to me to be the most direct and long term path toward improving the planet.
What to do? … shout it from the mountain tops, whisper it in the corridors of power, reach as many people as possible again and again and again.

2 If you were to serve on the SCA's BoD, what would be the top 3 things you would like to accomplish?
Total transparency of all processes that can legally be made transparent. If a member of the SCA wants to know what’s going on at the corporate level (most don’t care, but some do passionately) they should be able to find out.
Be ruthless with costs and overhead. I get the impression that the corporate structure spends more than it needs to because it wants to look like a real corporation rather than a bunch of hippies trying to make ends meet. The SCA Inc. rarely needs a corporate personae to impress anyone, so the BoD should keep the costs down and actually give the members something of value for their money.
Find the edges of the tent. It is a strength of the organization that we are a big tent with room for many, but the size of it also creates tensions that pull at the group in often non-productive ways. So, the tent can be big, but some things have to be outside.

3. Who was the first person in your life, other than a relative, that you felt loved you wholly and completely for who you were/are?
Wendy Seidler. A dear friend of mine and my mom’s who lost a battle with cancer some years ago. You know how when you’re little, some of your parents’ friends are your “aunts” or “uncles”? Well she was closer. She was my “aunt-mother”.

4. What happened to cause you to realize that you were competent and capable of making it on your own in the world?
Early on in the process of my parents splitting up I took a difficult stand for my own good and shifted the focus of some of the participants in the process.

5. When do you first remember feeling completely carefree and happy (for however long it may have lasted)?
My earliest memory is one of complete happiness. My parents and I are going somewhere with my aunt, uncle and cousins. It was in a park, probably a picnic.

For aastg

1. What was the best day you had as Queen? What happened?
My first day of being Queen ever (first coronation) was a pretty good day. Radnor and I had fun with Geoffrey. I got to tell Gaius he was getting Laurelled, and tell him in a way that makes a good story. My mom finally *got* why I like the SCA. I met a fellow that I became quite fond of 
Second reign it would have to be the whirlwind tour of Lochac, especially the event in Stormhold. I got to go help in the kitchen wearing the Crown and the Chain of State because no one knew how to tell the queen to stop helping  I got to surprise my court herald with a QOG. And Lochac is just too much fun.

2. Do you still do any lacemaking? If not, do you miss it?
I’m working on some now for the undergarments competition at 12th Night. I’m having fun with it. It may not get done on time, but it will be pretty.

3. What would your Dream Boat (2 words - you're disqualified if you answer tafelspitz) be?
Since my preference is to sail (or row) alone, and to go fast, I’d say a Laser http://www.laserperformance.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=885&Itemid=582
Although, if himself got interested in sailing (and we had time and money haha) and someone else would do the upkeep one of the small woodies would be nice, a Bear Boat http://www.bearboats.com/ , or a Bird Boat http://www.birdboat.com/ , or a Knarr http://www.knarr-sf.com/ , or a Folkboat http://www.sfbayfolkboats.org/ .

4. Everyone's house is too small. Which room would you add or seriously increase the floor space of if you could?
The office … aka the room of too many books.

5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance and why?
Monsieur le Cuisinart

Late tomorrow my Mommy and I will be headed east to the land of the large balloons. I'll catch up with folks when I return from our Turkey Day adventures.

For vittoriosa:

1. What is the most memorable meal you've had?
The chef’s dinner at La Folie on my birthday after Andrew had proposed at Muir Beach :-)
Also, dining at the Woolsey in London with my sweetie.
Most missed restaurant is a toss up between Edy’s in Berkeley and the Argentinean place Bob & Gerry used to go to in the Mission … huge steaks and great dulce de leche.

2. Where do you most want to travel to? (One place you've never been, one place you'd want to return to.)
Place I’ve not been to … Santiago de Compostela, and yes, I want to walk all the way from Roncesvalles. Italy is pretty high on my list too.
Place to return to … London

3. What's your very-favorite movie that you can watch a million times and never get tired of?
Miracle on 34th Street … the one and only 1947 version http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/

4. Any foodie-tourism plans for your upcoming NYC trip?
We shall be dining for Turkey day at Eleven Madison Park http://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/ I checked the NY Chowhounds message board for Thanksgiving recommendations and that’s the one that appealed to me. Apparently the Café at Rockefeller Center is good too, so we may stop there during the trip. On previous visits I’ve done the touristy food things; a Ruben Sandwich at Ruben’s, going to Zabars, and having an egg cream (which has no egg in it) so I don’t have any particular goals this time.

5. I'm going to repeat E's question again, 'cause I find it fascinating. Do you believe individuals can make a material difference to the culture of the SCA? If so, how? Can you name anyone who has done so?
Yes, with enough drive, enthusiasm and patience, one person can. I think Crystal of the Westermark did as the driving force behind the PPF. That project has had ripples that are still expanding around the kingdom and beyond.
Also, Tangwystyl … a woman of such great skill, intellect and standards is an inspiration to us all.

For etaine_pommier

1. Other than San Francisco, name three places where you would be willing to live.
Assuming you mean completely outside the Bay Area …
London, I love Madrid, but I can’t live somewhere without a port and Barcelona is just as cool as Madrid, and on a river barge in Europe.

2. Of all the people in the West, who do you believe thinks most like you do?
My sweetie pie … but he’s generally a nicer person than I am.

3. Of all the PLQs, which do you think you are the least good at?
Humility is a PLQ, isn’t it? It is hard to pull off the role of being a duchess and be humble :-). In period, people who really had my station in society could be very pious and from that came a form of humility, but that isn’t an option for this unbeliever :-)

4. The year is 1900, and you have day (and the funds) to do whatever you like. How do you spend your time?
Assuming I’m me now and I got a joy ride in a pre-set time machine, rather than me having grown up in that time period … go sailing with Sir Thomas Lipton and then dine with Mark Twain (who was in London in 1900) on food cooked by Escoffier at the Carleton.
The other option would be just to enjoy Venice before it was quite so run down as it is reputed to be now.

5. Of all figures in history and literature, who would you most value being likened to?
Dr. John H. Watson … a bright fellow, a good and loyal friend, brave, compassionate and an excellent writer.
Although, as a cook, it must be Fritz Brenner … Nero Wolfe’s personal chef.

For callistotoni
1) You have a nautical background. How do you think that has influenced you?
It certainly has influenced my choice of employment :-) … although I’m often surprised at how many folks in my line of work aren’t really into boats.
I think that all the sailing in small boats on the bay that I did in my youth gave me a very practical outlook on things. Nature is what it is, not some anthropomorphized Disney-fied entity.

2) You are given the task of making Spanish culture popular in the SCA. How would you approach the task?
Translate, translate, translate … once Spanish culture is made more accessible by being readable by more SCA folks, the inherent cool-ness of it all would be more readily apparent :-)

3) As you well know, I dislike SCA arts competitions, but I appreciate that they work for some people. What, specifically, do you think we would lose as a group if we went to an 'all display with commentary' format and stopped having arts competitions?
Some people, particularly when they are starting out, need the “carrot” or the “cookie” to get them to make something and/or finish it on time. It is a way of drawing out some people who are not yet connected with other arts folks in the SCA. “Gee, there’s a competition for this, I must not be the only person in the world who is interested in X.”

4) Food! Any cooking challenges you'd like to take on in the next 5 years? I know you're super-involved with the next PPF -- anything else?
More cheese :-) and I may try my hand at charcuterie too.
Also, I want to work on pies like the very impressive ones on Ivan Day’s website http://www.historicfood.com and get my heraldic wafer iron made and play more with wafers.
I want to take sugar cane and process it into sugar in a period fashion and then use it for period confectionary.
More cooks play-dates and making wars on this coast be associated in the great hive mind with both fighting and cooking.
There is more research to do on 16th c Spanish food and neighboring cuisines. I want to find out if there are recipes associated with the 1584 Christmas feast in Valencia for the Japanese embassy (I have a picture of what the Japanese gentlemen wore). I want to find more recipes from the 1611, 1604 and 1599 Spanish culinary texts.

5) I haven't heard you talk about your love of mysteries in a while. Anything going on on that front?
Next October the World Mystery Conference, Bouchercon, will be in San Francisco. I’ve already volunteered to help out.
I have fallen behind a bit on my reading. Between Poppy Projects, taking care of the house and bouts of laziness, I’ve not been finding blocks of time in my schedule to read things that aren’t related to projects or food.

Some possibly cool stuff came up on an email list I'm on. But I can't read Italian, so it is of limited use to me. So, for those interested in culinary history and/or Italian speakers, a couple of websites to while away your hours with ...

http://www.academiabarilla.it/academia/biblioteca-gastronomica-digitale/default.\aspx

Click on "Cerca in Biblioteca" on the left.
Go to the "Cerca per classificazione" drop-down in the middle. This is a list of subject headings.
You want 1.1.1 for Italy by century, 9.2.2 for "Storia della gastronomia" for various eras, and 9.3 for "Trattati storici" by year.
Then click the "Cerca" button, and away you go.
The catalog seems to include things that they haven't scanned. To avoid seeing those, check the "Visualizza solo libri consultabili on-line" box.
You get Platina, Messisbugo, Nostradamus and others.


http://www.opal.unito.it/Narrativa%20italiana%20del%20Seicento%20(e%20dintorni)/Elenco%20opere/imageG4608.pdf

This takes you to photos of the original of Formaggiata di Sere Stentato from 1542. I have no Italian, but I think this is a book on cheese and salumi. It is referenced here http://www.piacenzafoodvalley.it/salumi.php?〈=2

http://www.opal.unito.it/

Among the books available on this site, you find:
Garzoni, Tommaso. La piazza universale di tutte le professioni del mondo (1593) There are chapters on cooks (p. 683 ss), spice traders (p. 661 ss.), servants (p. 672 ss.), butchers (p. 753 ss) and perhaps more

 
A couple of months ago Y-sabella posted some lovely late (perhaps slightly post) period food based still lifes ... 
http://pics.livejournal.com/ysabella_dolfin/pic/0008t6gt/

http://pics.livejournal.com/ysabella_dolfin/pic/00090rqt/

http://pics.livejournal.com/ysabella_dolfin/pic/00091yt5/

I really like this style, genre, whatever of pictures. I think it might be fun to do a display where you select a painting of this sort and then re-create it. Sort of a little diarama-oid thingie. Here's a copy of the painting and right next to it is a display of food and tableware that is as close as possible to what the picture shows. Does anyone else think this would be fun? If there is space for such a thing, the Crosston Ball might be an appropriate venue for such a display ... then later we get to eat and drink the commestables in the display pieces :-)

 
I got two people for my class at colligium. That was OK. I was less prepared than I would have liked to be.

Went to the Opera Sale on Sunday with Miss V. We saw Risa there. I got some fabric and a black linen blazer that fits my non-existant shoulders.

Neither of us can think of anything in particular to wear for Halloween. It is then perhaps a good thing that we have no definate plans for the holiday.

I'm getting excited about the upcoming jaunt to NY with mommy to see the big balloons :-)

 
Today Himself, Cin and her sweetie went to Urban Burb ... the new home decorating vintage fabric shop in North Beach. It was OK. Nothing really wowed me (except the prices they think they can get). Various people I know might find it interesting to stop by, but I won't be adding it to the usual shopping tour.

However, we then proceeded to Jackson Square where all the *best* antique shops are locally. We stopped in at Kathleen Taylor's (www.ktaylor-lotus.com) It is a textile and tapestry antique store. O.M.G. I could never afford to buy anything there, but it is nice to be able to go in and touch stuff and see price tags so you know that it is possible to walk out with this stuff. She had several gorgeous 19th c pieces that were 16th and 15th c revival pieces. Glorious colors. Multi-leveled pile voided silk velvet. Then she brought out the actual 16th c piece she had. I got to touch it. It started life as a chausible but was later cut into a banner. It was pieced in several places, but in excellent condition considering the age. Besides that, she had tapestries. If I ever have a wall that big, I must have some of those tapestries ... one dating back to the 16th c.

The other cool thing was chatting with June Taylor of June Taylor Preserves at the Ferry Building Farmers Market this morning. As anyone familiar with her wares might guess, she's really into 16th c English preserving recipes. We geeked out together a bit. She had several fruit cheeses ... I got the quince and will bring it to Coronet. A class or general food geeking session may be arranged at some future date.

Hey Santiago and my fellow un-believers, have you seen this?

http://richarddawkins.net/article,4371,The-Great-Bus-Mystery,Richard-Dawkins

A marvelous Wodehousian pastiche. I can just hear Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry's voices in this. 
AND there will be a book of these little lovelies coming soon ... The Atheist's Guide to Christmas ... perhaps the good Mr. Kringle will bring it to me for the Joyous Generic Winter Holidays ;-)

 Work is again blocking LJ, so I'll be here less often.

Also, I looked at the calendar and CAID 12th Night is *not* the weekend before West 12th Night. It is the same weekend as West 12th Night. Poo. Well, CAID folks, can you suggest something else down there I might go to (after the new year) so I might meet you all and have fun?