THL Hrefna karsefni, Raffle Coordinator for Estrella XXI, has announced that this year's War will feature a raffle to win lunch with SCA President Meg Baron.

Aoife's Links for Thanksgiving week were inadvertently overlooked because most of the SCAtoday.net staff were out of town for the holiday. We apologize for the delay in posting the above, and thank the kind person who alterted us to the omission.

Dame Aoife presents her guide to historical holiday gifts and their modern counterparts for the medievalists on your list.

Countess Alys Katharine of the Middle Kingdom maintains this web site with resources and recipes for medieval confections, cakes, subtleties, and other culinary delights. The site also has articles of general interest outside the subject of cooking.

Baroness Bel, the Calontir Soup Kitchen Coordinator, has announced that the Soup Kitchen will travel to the Estrella War.

First boil five to six cups of water, then turn down the fire. Put 4 bags of tea or 4 heaping tablespoon of loose tea in the water and boil again for a couple of minutes. Take out the tea bags or if you use loose tea, strain the tea leaves. Pour your tea, one quarter of a teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of butter, and a half cup of milk into a chandong, which is a kind of churn.

Note: Since Chandong are kind of rare outside of Tibet unless you make one, you can cheat, which is to use any big container with a lid, so you can shake the tea, Churn, or shake the mixture for two or three minutes. Po cha tastes better if you churn it longer. Serve the tea right away, since po cha is best when it's very hot.

1. Mix Soy Sauce, Xaoxing, & Sugar.
2. Cube the duòfú into 1/4" pieces.
3. Marinate duòfú 15-30 min.
4. Divide seasonings in half.
5. Drain marinade & reserve liquid.
6. Deep fry duòfú until golden brown, then drain.
7. Stir-fry 1/2 the seasonings 2-3 min.
8. Add remaining seasonings & duòfú.
9. Stir-fry to mix well & add the reserved marinade.
10. Simmer until nice and bubbly, then remove from heat & serve on sticky steamed white rice.

This is the signature dish for the household Khyim Lha Khang / Kalet Ordu.

1. Mix marinade and marinate meats for 1 hr
2. Mix Hoisin, red pepper, & stock
3. Heat wok on high w/oil for stir-fry & stir-fry meat 3-4 min
4. Add sauce & continue stir-frying
5. Add green onions, broccoli, & sprouts. Continue stir-frying for 2-3 min
6. Remove from heat and serve over Chinese Rice noodles (Luo mian)

Vanished Wood Invites All Souls to CARNIVALE IN ITALY November 13, 2004 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds 2015 West Manchester Road, Wheaton, IL 60189

Researchers have put together a menu of the food items eaten by Christopher Columbus and his crews on the three voyages to the New World.

The harvest time is upon us! Come and enjoy a day of gentle pastimes and a night of find food and drink. Come join Their Excellencies Sven and Anne as They share the harvest bounty of Their Lands. Journey with us as we travel to the Slavic and Asian Northlands to savor the tastes of the Rus, the Ukraine and the Steppes.

Seven myths about medieval food, and how medieval-themed restaurants, like the Medieval Times restaurant chain and the Excalibur Hotel & Casino, get them wrong.

We invite you to attend the first Cook's Collegium in the Barony Marche of the Debatable Lands (Pittsburgh, PA) on Saturday, November 13, 2004 at the Mt. Lebanon Christian Church, Cedar Boulevard at Hollycrest, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228.

This week Dame Aoife, a self-avowed "Cheesehead," writes about one of her favorite topics: Cheese!

David Rosenthal reviews Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner, a new book which theorizes that spice brought about the downfall of Rome.

CANCELLED In celebration of the change of season and the harvest, Ravensfjord is happy to host the first ever Ravensfjord Goose Festival.

Have an interest in period food but afraid to try a recipe? THL Gwen A'Brooke has announced "A Taste of Calontir," a new project where gentles may try out period foods. The project was based on an idea originally implemented by "The Stewpot Period Culinary Guild", an unofficial cookery guild in the Kingdom of the Outlands.

The members of the Barony of Knight's Crossing will soon be joining forces with our fellows to decide once and for all (at least for this year) which is most tasty - Medieval Sweets or Modern Cookies. Come join us on 27-29 August, 2004 at the Youth Campground, D-64747 Breuberg-Wald-Amorbach.

Come join us in a delight for your gastronomic and bardic soul. Two days of cooking and merriment right at the end of the fall harvest season when the Barony of Windhaven Presents Cooks and Bards Symposium III.

Arkell vom Cophus has announced that the Ansteorran Chirurgeonate & Water Bearers Guild will host an Iron/Siege Cook-Off at Elfsea Defender XXVI.

Were medieval monks the jolly, chubby souls of popular fiction?

Michelin-starred chef Martin Blunos believes that modern diets should follow medieval culinary practices — including understanding the theories behind the four humours.

This episode of the Links List is about Medieval Kitchens--not the food itself, but the place where it was prepared.

The New York Times reviews a new volume by Roy Strong called The Lost Art of Eating.

The Honorable Lady Kateryn de Develyn has written an extensive report on the Siege Cooking Competition at Lilies War.

James Matterer and Tammy Crawford, known for their work on medieval cookery with Gode Cookery, will be featured in a series of segments on the Food Network. The first one is scheduled for Monday, June 21, 2004, at 10 pm EDT. The program will repeat June 22 at 2:00 am, June 25 at 10:00 pm and June 26 at 2:00 am.

The small town of Qamsar in Iran is the center for the rosewater industry in the Middle East, a center that finds itself in a flurry of activity in early summer.

Aiofe's Links: Dame Aoife's Links column this week deals with bread and all that goes into it.

This week Dame Aoife shares links pertaining to medieval jugs and pitchers.

Dame Aoife gets in the holiday spirit this week with links for medieval baked goods.