Food meme

[dreamflower]

From ansostuff

1. If you owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve? Medieval. I'd love to see a restaurant that served period foods--not "Ren-faire" fare, which is usually phony and not period at all, but making use of some of the fascinating recipes from 600 years ago or more.

2. What is your favorite restaurant and why? Olive Garden. I love Italian food, and every Olive Garden I've been to has great service. Plus which, those comfy, comfy chairs...

3. What is your favorite fast food place? Since I've started working there, Braum's. The food's very good, and since I started working there, I know the standards of cleanliness and freshness that are maintained. Our meat and dairy are delivered fresh every other day, and there are no rBGH or steroids or antibiotics in any of it: strictly grain-fed, with the feed grown and raised on the Braum's own farm. And their jr. burgers are as big as many fast food places' regular burgers!

4. If you had to choose only one type of food to eat for a year, what would it be? Cheese. I could give up meat before I could give up cheese.

5. What is your favorite cereal? Dry cereal: Cheerios. Hot cereal: Oatmeal.

Comments

[gamgeefest.livejournal.com]

Cheerios! *licks lips*

There's a Medieval Knights up in the LA area. You get food and a show. I've never been but have always wanted to. Just don't know anyone else who would go with me.

[dreamflower]

I'd love to see one of the shows, but I seriously doubt that the food was period, unless it was something basic, like a roast.

If Medieval Knights are like most of those themed restaurants, though, the jousting is usually very well done. Although the sword fights on foot are usually choreographed. (As they have to be, since they use live steel.)

[shirebound]

Oooh, interesting. The closest I ever got to eating 'medieval' food was what we were served at 'Medieval Times', an indoor "jousting tournament" theater-type experience.

[dreamflower]

I've seen some of the jousters in other venues, though I've never been personally to a Medieval Times. But I did google their menu. While it all sounds delicious, it does not at all sound very period.

The jousting is awesome. That's one thing we never had in SCA for insurance reasons. But it's an amazing thing to watch. They had it at the Ren Faire in Ocean Springs, MS, which our group always did a demo at.

[addie71.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, cheese! I love it warm and melty!

[dreamflower]

I *LOVE* cheese of almost every kind! My favorites are the mild and nutty types, but I also like sharper and more pungent ones as well.

[slightlytookish]

I'd go to your medieval restaurant! :D

[dreamflower]

*grin*

I've cooked period feasts for SCA events. The food can be good without being weird. I should post some of the recipes I used.

[slightlytookish]

I'd definitely be interested in those recipes (especially if you have anything that doesn't involve chicken...I know it sounds weird, but I don't eat it :))

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

My grandmother LOVES Olive Garden so much that I got her a gift card for it!! :))

[dreamflower]

I love Olive Garden so much! But we've only been once since moving, because the nearest one is in Tulsa, about 50 miles away.

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

I think the best part of Olive Garden is the salad: I love that dressing they have! The cappellini pomodoro is good, too.


You might be interested in this:
http://www.cheerios.com/promotions/challenge/ (they email you coupons for six weeks and, at one point, you get a coupon for a free box!)

[dreamflower]

I actually have recipes for two of their things: one is the salad dressing (and I agree--Yummy!) and the other is the soup they call Zuppa Toscano.

Thanks for the link, by the way!

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, by the way, about the horrid and not-periodness of Ren Faire food (they're now serving shrimp teriyaki in my area's one: they're not even trying anymore!).

But I recently got my hands on the British Museum's cookbook, and they have a lovely set of period medieval recipes. It mentioned how the bread dishes were originally "seethed" in broth and claimed that that was the only part that had been updated! So I have to ask: would your medieval restaurant include soggy bread or not?

[dreamflower]

*giggle* I am assuming you mean the practice of "soppits" which were peices of bread often placed beneath a serving of broth-based dishes. I think they could safely be used as a garnish--though none of the recipes *I* prepared involved them.

It is annoying that the menus at Ren-faires usually include things like Bar-b-cued turkey legs, fried chicken on a stick and other strange things. And the dishes served at places like Medieval Times include things like potatoes and tomatoes and so forth. While a few such New World foods were not completely unknown in late period, they certainly were not prepared the way they are now!

Perhaps I should post a few of those recipes. They are quite good! I'll have to see if I can find my notebook from when I was feast-cratting. (*NOT* a period term, by the way, LOL!)

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

That might have been the ultimate purpose of the bread dishes, but if so the cookbook didn't say so--from what I could tell that was just the way they were supposed to be cooked. I suppose if you're right (which you almost certainly are) it wouldn't be quite as unpalatable an idea, especially as a garnish, since a lot of Americans are familiar with matzo soup.

I do admit to having a penchant for those turkey legs, but aside from "no silverware" [but knives] (and even then, that doesn't mean "no table manners"!), I can't see how they could possibly be appropriately period, especially considering that most people were dirt poor back then. I'd say the closest thing I had to anything period (and then, only if the vendors are to be believed) last time I went was mead. Never been to a Medieval Times (it seems that on every single "big city" trip I go on we drive by one and I just have to stare wistfully out the window), but since it's commercialized I'm not surprised that they've updated their menu so much.

I would love to see those recipes!

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

You're definitely the person to start a Mediveal restaurant, lol. I'll come!

I really, truly hate oatmeal, but my ex loves it. He eats it with lingonberry jam and sour milk. *shudders* Italian however... Yum!

I could live on cheese, bread, fruit and veggies. In fact, I more or less do, lol. I do eat meat though, but not so much.