[Cynnabar] Please bring a Dessert to Terpsichore to share!

[Debora Vanheyningen]

So far I've gotten about 6 responses from people planning to bring desserts to Terp, which will not make a very impressive spread.

Please let me know if you can bring something.

-Magda-

--- On Tue, 3/2/10, Debora Vanheyningen <magda_vogelsang at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Debora Vanheyningen <magda_vogelsang at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Please bring a Dessert to Terpsichore to share!
> To: barony at cynnabar.org, dancing at cynnabar.org, "Ritornello" <cynnabar-music at umich.edu>, cyngabar at umich.edu
> Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 12:51 PM
> Hello fellow Cynnabarbarians,
> 
> Once again this year I am organizing the dessert revel for
> our dance event, Terpsichore at the Tower. The event will be
> on Saturday, March 20th this year, and the dessert revel
> will take place between the first and second sets of the
> evening ball.
> 
> Traditionally, Cynnabar folks bring desserts for the revel,
> which are then enjoyed by everyone attending.
> 
> I would like to encourage everyone in the Barony who
> possibly can do so to contribute something. I will once
> again be doing a subtletie style cake myself. The revel at
> our event has become known for it's variety and abundance of
> food (I've been told by other dancers that Terp has the BEST
> dessert revel), and I'd like to keep that up. We had one
> year where I nagged less than usual, and we ended up being a
> bit on the skimpy side food-wise, so I'd like to keep that
> from happening again.
> 
> You can email me to sign up. I'll also try to make a paper
> sign-up sheet and bring it to any practices and meetings I'm
> able to attend. If you don't know what to bring, please go
> ahead and sign up now and decide exactly what to make or buy
> later. The purpose of the list is to make sure that there
> will be enough food, and that not everyone brings the same
> thing (some duplication is fine, but if everyone in the
> barony showed up with a bag of grapes that would be a bit
> silly).
> 
> I'm hoping we'll have space somewhere on site for a table
> where subtleties can be on display during the day, or at
> least during the dinner and court, and space to stash
> desserts that won't do well sitting in a car all day.
> 
> 
> Some general guidelines (not rules) as to what to bring:
> 
> Try to stick to finger food, or things that can be eaten
> with just a fork. Lots of something small is probably better
> than a few of something large. This will let more people
> sample each thing (buffets tend to make folks want to try a
> little of everything).
> 
> Presentation counts. Brownies arranged on a plate look
> nicer than brownies still in the pan. They can also be
> grabbed more quickly, so the line will move faster. Nothing
> slows down a line like having everyone stop to cut
> themselves pieces of things, so precut anything where that
> won't destroy the presentation. If you buy something,
> serving it from something more period looking than the
> cardboard box it came in will make a better impression.
> 
> If you want to try making something that actually is
> period, you can talk to me, or any of the cooks in the
> barony for ideas. There is also a lot of great information
> at Stephan's Florilegium in the food sections (http://www.florilegium.org). Some examples of period
> choices would include marzipan (which can be shaped or
> molded, rolled into balls, or just cut into squares),
> custards, fresh or dried fruit, pastries, candied fruit
> peels or flowers, gingerbread, shortbread, sugar paste (gum
> paste), some cookies (not involving chocolate, or baking
> powder or soda), biscotti, sweet breads (with or without
> fruit), nuts or fruit tarts.
> 
> Subtleties (foods which look like something other than what
> they are) were a medieval favorite, and would be great if
> anyone has any recipes or ideas along those lines which they
> want to try out. These can range from the ridiculous to the
> sublime, and generally do so in the SCA. Examples we've had
> have included cakes in the shapes of things (flower basket,
> tower, rock, lute), cookies with the cinnabar arms on them
> or shaped like elephants, a tower made of hostess cupcakes,
> and brownie battlefields of fighting marshmallow bunnies.
> These are often impressive and/or entertaining.
> 
> If you don't have the time, inclination, or facilities to
> do something period and/or elaborate, you can bring anything
> that you think folks will want to eat between sets of a
> ball. All types of cookies and candies are welcome, as are
> salty snacks, veggies and dip, appetizers etc.
> 
> Non-medieval food is fine, especially if it's homemade.
> Chocolate may not be period, but it always seems to
> disappear rapidly.
> 
> All of the above are guidelines, not rules. Anything you
> bring will likely be happily consumed by hungry dancers in
> need of energy. Oh, and if you bring something which has
> non-obvious nuts in it, you might want to mark it as such,
> so that folks with allergies will know what to avoid.
> (Putting a "Warning--contains nuts" sign next to a bowl of
> mixed nuts is not really necessary, although it may be
> amusing).
> 
> Thank you for helping our group provide hospitality to our
> guests, and I look forward to seeing you at Terp.
> 
> -Lady Magdalena Vogelsang 
> 
> P.S. My apologies to those who get more than one copy of
> this email.
> 
> 
>       
> 
>