From: SHICOFF@UNC.BITNET
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: War Suggestions
Date: 12 Apr 92 03:36:00 GMT
Organization: The Internet

Someone new was asking about Pennsic, & what to take
already.  Bart the Bewildered usually puts out a very
good list, a little later than this.  But I have some
suggestions which may vary somewhat from his:
*********************************************************
                   Julitta's War Advise
                    section 1: food
take a big enough ice chest (this will be larger than
you will believe), esp. if you are staying 1-2 weeks.
Most of what you take as food should be frozen hard
before you leave.  It will thaw out over time, add to
the coldth of the ice chest, & keep longer.  as it thaws,
you will add ice to it, replacing the volume of what you
have used.  Make sure your (very large) ice chest has a
drain plug at one end.  Learn how to use it, & do so, keeping
the contents from getting soggy.
Zip-lock bags are a wonderful invention.  I particularly
commend to your attention the 1/2 gal. size, with the
pleated bottom.  They hold more, & stand up better.
zip lock bags are the most efficient way to pack food
in a cooler, & get the items from getting soggy or
diluted.
I strongly recommend a bag full of boiled, peeled eggs.
It is my experience that normal human beings get more
carnivorus at the war, & that carnivorus people.....
well, are best fed often.
Pickles are a GOOD thing.  Vinegar of any kind is, &
people will eat pickles.  The salt is good for those
sweating a lot, too.
LOTS of non-alcoholic, non-dairy (not that I have anything
against dairy products, on the contrary, but they are
ridiculously (& artificially) low-priced in PA, & they
are cheaper to buy at the campstore, than to bring in
with you.  Also, weight over milage= money, if you're coming
from any distance.  Bring something you LIKE to drink.
A case/person is not unreasonable (of quart bottles) for
a little over a week.  It is too easy to forget to drink
at the War.  If you've brought something you LIKE the
taste of, you're more apt to remember.
You don't have to bring cooking gear, if you do it
right.  Take already-cooked sausages (frozen), like
kielbasa, or smoked saugage, or whatever, skewers, &
some of those mini French bread loaves, about 6" long.
All you need is a friendly fire to heat them over.
Are there any friendly fires at Pennsic?  Naaa....:-).
Take zip lock bags of your favorite stew, made ahead.
DON'T TAKE anything you haven't tried before.  Might
I suggest beef & barley, or mutton & barley stew?
If you MUST have potatoes in your stew, & are asked
about them, pretend that they are turnips (which are
seen in period stews).  Take extra stew.  Some one will
be willing to heat yours up, if they can have some, too.
Take a bag of individually frozen steaks (chuck steaks
actually grill quite nicely, & aren't too expensive).
Follow the recipe above for getting them cooked.
Take bags of ready-to-eat frozen fruit---my favorite
grocery store here used to carry frozen black sweet pitted
cherries--sigh, it was SO decadent!
DO TAKE a plate, bowl & spoon, your knife (of course!),
& a cup/mug/goblet.
If you take cheese, put it both in a zip-lock bag & in a
tray in the top of your ice chest.  Slimey cheese
(from moisture) is very unappetizing.
Don't give the bread valuable space in your ice chest.
It will neither profit from the experience, nor
appreciate it.  All it wants is to be away from the air.
Speaking of bread.  If you want hot bread at the War,
(don't laugh, some things seem SO decadent, after a
week of camping) take bags of frozen bread dough, in
their very own styrofoam cooler.  They will thaw out
over the course of the war.  Use whoever is ready
that day.  If no one volunteers, take one bag out, &
leave it (sealed) out.  It will thaw & rise (the bag
will make room) in it's own clean bag.  Take a wok
with you, a slotted metal spoon, & a bucket of lard/fat/oil.
Some one will lend you their Coleman, 'cause they'd love
some hot bread, too.  Heat whatever fat in the wok, shape
& flatten pieces of dough no larger than 3x5x1/2", &
cook in the hot fat, turning to brown the other side.
Very good.  Better if you brought some sugar-cinn.
There is a very yummy journey-bread that is period,
called Prince Biskit (well, the recipe was published
not long after 1600).  Scotch eggs are also good.
Post me if you need recipes for stew, Scotch eggs,
or Prince Biskit (I make it with a Cuisinart).
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca