Food History

I started sending recipes out for the 1920s dinner this week. I know I told you about it, but I don’t know when I did it, to be honest. Somewhere between feeling sick and not feeling well.

Not only have some queries come back about the recipes (which means the testers are already thinking and cooking) but non-testers have started saving money to come to Canberra and one says he even has his costume ready. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe some people do work out their dinners nearly a year in advance?

I’m told the theme’s to blame. New York in the 1920s apparently says gangsters and jazz and really cool hats and sends people in a frenzy to find their costumes. For me, the atmosphere ought to be redolent of the early pulp fiction magazines and the Algonquin Round Table.

Anyhow, I’ve emailed recipes and tomorrow and Tuesday another set will go out. If you’re interested in testing any for yourself (dressed however you like), I have plenty to spare.

No drinks yet, though. I’m leaving the drink testing for a little, since I know there’ll be heaps of enthusiasm for that aspect.

Email banquet (at) conflux.org.au if you want recipes, and make sure you let me know your allergies or other cooking restrictions. In the past some testers have lacked ovens, for instance, so I couldn’t give them anything baked. You don’t have to want to come to the dinner to be permitted to test the recipes – all you have to have is an enthusiasm for cooking and a willingness to send me notes about how your cooking turned out.

I still need to check out another couple (or so) sources before I run out of recipes to test, because I’m never happy till I’ve checked out more sources.

My biggest issue right now is whether or not I can skip the fish course (too many vegetarians and allergies and a course that’s based entirely around fish is a problem on both fronts) and if I can’t, what’s an acceptable contemporary alternative. The biggest problem with fish is – of course - that it sends me into anaphylactic shock. There’s no way I can double-check recipes or even know what the taste should be like and how it balances the rest of the meal. If the fish is essential, then I’ll have to team-test it with the dishes that come before and the dishes that follow. This is a lot of work that doesn’t have to be done with everything else – I can create a balanced menu entirely by myself if it lacks fish!

I guess the question is - do I take my food history seriously enough to die for it?

Now you’re up-to-date. Feel free to dream about The Great Gatsby for the rest of the weekend.